After the U.S. Army occupied Suffolk in 1862, a bustling community called Union Town was established there as thousands of formerly enslaved people self-emancipated and gathered to build new lives. Initially classified by the Union Army as "Contraband of War," residents constructed earthworks, worked as teamsters, and performed other tasks that supported the war effort. First sheltered in tents, they soon built clapboard huts that housed more than 2,000 people. The community included streets, schools, and a church, all constructed "from pine and other growths of timber in the surroundings." After the Emancipation Proclamation authorized the enlistment of Black troops in January 1863, many men joined United States Colored Troops regiments. When Union troops left Suffolk six months later, Union Town's inhabitants moved on with the army.

Photo: Mike McKeown

Suffolk, Virginia · USA