Richmond National Battlefield Park will mark the anniversary of the 5th United States Colored Troops (USCT) voting in the 1864 presidential election with a special event on Saturday, Nov. 2. Titled Election Day 1864: Black Soldiers Vote on the Front Lines, the program will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Fort Harrison Visitor Center, located at 8761 Battlefield Park Road. The event will feature ranger-led tours, living history demonstrations and hands-on educational activities.

The 1864 election came during a critical year for the nation both in battle and at the ballot box. On Sept. 29, 1864, U.S. forces, including the 5th USCT, captured New Market Heights and Fort Harrison from Confederate defenders. Fourteen African American soldiers were later awarded the Medal of Honor for their bravery during these assaults, securing a foothold for Union forces near Richmond. As the war raged, the upcoming presidential election would help decide the fate of the Civil War and the future of emancipation.

Thanks to state laws allowing absentee voting for soldiers, some members of the 5th USCT, originally from Ohio, were eligible to cast ballots while stationed near Fort Harrison. On Nov. 8, 1864, just 39 days after their historic battle, 194 Black soldiers voted in favor of President Lincoln’s re-election. Their participation was a significant early step toward African American voting rights and citizenship.

The event also will highlight new scholarship on the role of Black soldiers in voting during the Civil War.

  

For more information visit: nps.gov/rich or the park’s Facebook page.