News Release

"Compelled to Stay in Slavery:" The Wartime Captivity of the 44th United States Colored Infantry

Date: September 27, 2018
Contact: Kim Coons, 706-866-9241x139

Fort Oglethorpe, GA: On Tuesday, October 16, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, in partnership with the Bessie Smith Cultural Center, invites the public to attend a free, 45-minute program at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 East Martin Luther King Boulevard, Chattanooga, TN 37403. The doors open at 5:30 pm, and the formal presentation begins at 5:45 pm, focusing on the experiences of soldiers in the 44th United State Colored Infantry who were captured and re-enslaved. 

In 1864, thousands of African Americans joined the Union Army in Chattanooga, with many enlisting in the 44th United States Colored Infantry, one of several regiments being organized in the city that year. However, a large portion of the regiment was captured by Confederates near Dalton, Georgia, that fall.  Despite being enlisted soldiers, the Confederates re-enslaved many of these prisoners of war. Using pension affidavits, Caroline Newhall, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, has been documenting the captivity experiences of Chattanooga’s most famous black regiment and will be sharing some of her exciting research during this special presentation. This program is made possible through the generous support of the park’s cooperating association, Eastern National, and the Bessie Smith Cultural Center. 

For more information about upcoming programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, please contact the Lookout Mountain Visitor Center at 423- 821-7786, the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 706-866-9241, or visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/chch.