An interview with a Black soldier among Wisconsin troops in the Civil War.
 Veteran of Civil War
Peter D. Thomas (1847-1925) was a 14-year old slave in western Tennessee when in 1862 Wisconsin troops liberated the 1000-acre plantation where he lived. He joined the 15th Infantry as a servant because Black soldiers were not allowed to join the Union Army early in the war. As soon as that changed, he enlisted and fought until the war ended in 1865, ultimately settling in Racine. In this interview, he tells about his military experiences and life after the war.
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