February 1865, 1,800+ United States Colored Troops fought for 2 straight days on the grounds of what is now Cameron Art Museum. In November 2021, CAM erected a bronze sculpture by North Carolina artist Stephen Hayes of eleven USCT soldiers to honor the brave men who charged into fire for the preservation of this nation but more importantly, the freedom of themselves and all their loved ones still in bondage.

It took a combined community effort to excavate the land, comb through old military documents, and raise money to commission the artist and install the permanent installation of Boundless on our grounds.

As we take a deeper look into the individual lives that marched, fought, and died, we know only so much information can be found online. The stories of these brave men were passed down as oral histories that lives in the hearts and minds of the descendants walking the globe today. Cameron Art Museum now issues a call for descendants of the 1st, 5th, 10th, 27th, and 37th United States Colored Troops regiments for oral history collection and for a homecoming celebration for descendants in November 2023 to honor the legacy of these brave men and their families.

Please contact Daniel Jones, Cultural Curator, at djones@cameronartmuseum.org for more information.

To view a PDF documenting the names of the soldiers of the United States Colored Troops