Fields of Freedom

In September of 1891 Thomas J. Laurel, Post historian of the African-American G.A.R. Post 206 wrote a small dedication to the history of the members of that Post: "...This Token of Esteem Shall be dear to our hearts while we shall live and that we will cherish the Same and when Post 206 has passed to the other Shores of Eternity it is now our desire and resolution that this memorial Shall be reserved in Some Archive and to be read by the generations yet to come when we Shall Cease to be only by History..." In 1999, while listing the contents of the vault at Soldiers & Sailors the Personal War Sketches of Post #206 once again came to light. Those records along with individual research and Allegheny County Burial Records became the basis of this book covering almost one thousand African-American Troops from Southwestern Pennsylvania. This book is a remembrance to those brave men.