A commemoration of Black troops voting in the 1864 election will be held at Richmond National Battlefield Park/NPS

On Saturday, November 2, Richmond National Battlefield Park in Virginia will commemorate the anniversary of the 5th United States Colored Troops (USCT) voting in the 1864 presidential election at Fort Harrison.

“Election Day 1864: Black Soldiers Vote on the Front Lines” will include park ranger-led programs, living history and educational activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Fort Harrison visitor center (8761 Battlefield Park Road, Richmond VA).

1864 was a year of decision, on battlefields and at ballot boxes. On September 29, 1864, United States soldiers captured New Market Heights and Fort Harrison from Confederate defenders. Fourteen African American soldiers were later awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions in the assaults, and U.S. soldiers now had a toehold in the Richmond defenses. The upcoming election would determine the future of both the Civil War and Emancipation.

According to state law, some of Ohio’s Black soldiers of the 5th USCT, stationed near Fort Harrison, were eligible to vote in Ohio's elections. Like other Northern states, Ohio had passed a law specifically allowing absentee soldier voting. Thirty-nine days after capturing the Confederate fort, on November 8, 1864, they cast 194 votes for Abraham Lincoln’s reelection. These USCTs took one of the early steps toward encouraging voting rights and citizenship for all African Americans.

This commemorative event will highlight recent scholarship and research on the first documented Black voting in the U.S. Army.

The schedule for the commemoration on Saturday, November 2 is as follows:

• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Historical election day hands-on activities for all ages.
• Park partners and community organizations being represented. Self-guided interactive exhibits. Fort Harrison Visitor Center will be open for the event.
• 10 a.m. “Black Soldiers Guarding the Front Lines: A tour of Fort Harrison/ Fort Burnham and its role in the battles for Richmond”
• 11 a.m. “194: The 5th USCT’s vote at Fort Harrison” walking program
• 12 p.m. “Corresponding with History” Living history presentation depicting Thomas Morris Chester, the only African American reporter for a Civil War daily newspaper, and his firsthand account of election day 1864.
• 1 p.m. “Black Soldiers Guarding the Front Lines: A tour of Fort Harrison/ Fort Burnham and its role in the battles for Richmond”
• 2 p.m. “194: The 5th USCT’s vote at Fort Harrison” walking program
• 3 p.m. “Corresponding with History” Interactive living history presentation, a conversation with Thomas Morris Chester, the only African American reporter for a Civil War daily newspaper, and his firsthand reporting of election day 1864.