

From the Ivy League to the US Navy
Richard Henry Greene’s Civil War Letters In 2014, Yale University Manuscripts and Archives acquired the letters of Richard Henry Greene...

Jill Newmark
Jul 24, 20234 min read


A Surgeon and A President
Charles B. Purvis and James Garfield On the morning of July 2, 1881, President James Garfield was waiting for a train at the Baltimore...

Jill Newmark
Jul 10, 20231 min read


Man of Ambition and Adventure
John H. Rapier Jr. John H. Rapier Jr. was a man of adventure and ambition. A traveler and seeker of personal advancement, Rapier spent...

Jill Newmark
Jun 19, 20232 min read


It's In Print!
Without Concealment, Without Compromise is Published Today is the official publication date for my new book, Without Concealment, Without...

Jill Newmark
May 31, 20232 min read


The Fight for Equal Pay
Alexander T. Augusta and the Fight for Equal Pay “There is no more pressing political issue than the payment of the colored troops."[1]...

Jill Newmark
May 22, 20232 min read


The First Black US Army Surgeon
Major Alexander T. Augusta On April 4, 1863, Alexander T. Augusta became the first African American commissioned medical officer in the...

Jill Newmark
Apr 3, 20232 min read


Within These Walls
Black Civil War Surgeons at Freedmen's Hospital The United States government established the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned...

Jill Newmark
Mar 20, 20232 min read


A White House Reception
Breaking the Color Barrier In late February 1864, Anderson R. Abbott and Alexander T. Augusta made their way to the White House to attend...

Jill Newmark
Feb 20, 20232 min read


An Appointment as Surgeon
“…to be in a position where I can be of use to my race.” On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation...

Jill Newmark
Jan 16, 20232 min read


Christmas Letters from Civil War Soldiers
Civil War Christmas Christmas is a holiday often spent with family and friends enjoying a special meal and exchanging gifts. For most of...

Jill Newmark
Dec 19, 20223 min read


A Civil War Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving with the United States Colored Troops Thanksgiving has been recognized as a holiday since George Washington signed a...

Jill Newmark
Nov 21, 20223 min read


"The Senior Surgeon of the Command was a Negro"
Alexander T. Augusta Arrives at Camp Stanton On October 23, 1863, Major Alexander T. Augusta reported for duty at Camp Stanton in...

Jill Newmark
Oct 24, 20222 min read


A Canadian Serves the Union
Anderson R. Abbott During the American Civil War, as many as 40,000 Canadians crossed the border into the U.S to join the fight for...

Jill Newmark
Sep 19, 20222 min read


A Man of Adventure and Ambition
John H. Rapier, Jr. In August 1864, John H. Rapier, Jr. received his first pay as a surgeon during the American Civil War. He made note...

Jill Newmark
Aug 22, 20222 min read


Within These Walls
The Contraband Camp and Hospital in the Nation’s Capital On a parcel of swampy land in northwest Washington, D.C. a tented camp and...

Jill Newmark
Jul 22, 20224 min read


Discovering the Black Civil War Surgeon
My journey of discovery. Most people do not realize that Black surgeons were part of the Union Army medical staff during the American...

Jill Newmark
Jun 22, 20224 min read


Without Concealment, Without Compromise
William P. Powell, Jr. and Anderson R. Abbott

Jill Newmark
Jun 3, 20221 min read