Although I had known about the “Marching Song of the 1st Arkansas,” which was written in 1864 and was sung to the tune of “John Brown’s Body” (or the Battle Hymn of the Republic) – I had not known that … Continue reading →
Samuel Brooks was one of the men from the 1st Arkansas (later renamed the 46th U.S. Colored Infantry) captured at Mound plantation in late June 1863. Companies E and G were posted high on an Indian mound, and were overtaken … Continue reading →
This Black History Month, learn how Frederick Douglass almost became a staff officer for Adjutant General of the United States, Lorenzo Thomas, to aid in the recruitment of U.S. Colored Troops for the Union Army. In late July 1863, abolitionist, … Continue reading →
The Haitian Revolution casts a long shadow in the story of Milliken’s Bend. On the podcast, “It’s Been a Minute” from NPR, a recent episode featuring scholar Leslie Alexander discusses the power and influence of the successful Haitian Revolution of … Continue reading →
The story of Milliken’s Bend is at its core, a story of Black resistance. And not just on one day, June 7, 1863, when a small brigade of newly enlisted Black Union soldiers fought fiercely against a Confederate attack. The … Continue reading →