“Montgomery County Stories from the U.S. Colored Troops” is about soldiers and veterans of the U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) with a connection to Montgomery County, Maryland.

This article describes the extent of the sacrifices these soldiers made to free themselves and their families. While some of these men returned to civilian life, others lost their lives on the battlefield, in hospitals, or in captivity. Many of those who survived the war came home debilitated by the effects of war and the hard labor to which African Americans regiments were often assigned. After emancipation, these veterans had to find a way to start over as free people. Some of them played key roles in the formation of the African American kinship communities of Montgomery County.

“Montgomery County Stories from the U.S. Colored Troops,” in Unfinished Revolution, a publication of Montgomery History. Published online on June, 1, 2026.

Photo: Private William Edelin (a.k.a. Phillip Eaglen), February 1865. Found in his pension record at the National Archives.