The Cobb County Public Library distributed the following press release about a talk by a historian on Black soldiers who served in the U.S. Army during the Civil War:

Historian Brad Quinlin will speak at four Cobb County libraries on his research in Unsung Heroes: African American Soldiers in William T. Sherman’s Army, a program of The Georgia Room. A traveling exhibit on Unsung Heroes will be on display in the libraries during the month each hosts the presentation.

The Unsung Heroes project is supported by Georgia Humanities, in partnership with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, through appropriations made by the Georgia General Assembly.

Quinlin has decades of experience researching the overlooked contributions of African Americans during the Civil War. This research dispels the myth that none served under Union General William T. Sherman during the 1864 Atlanta Campaign.

Among Quinlin’s findings is identifying 1,397 African American men who served in Sherman’s Army, 1,287 in the Atlanta Campaign alone. He has uncovered in the Marietta National Cemetery the names of 147 of the 258 graves of African Americans, with 79 directly tied to the Atlanta Campaign. The cemetery is located directly across Roswell Street from Switzer Library, which houses The Georgia Room.

African Americans in Sherman’s Army were known as “undercooks” with such challenging roles as being under intense fire while serving as stretcher bearers for the wounded.

By restoring the soldiers’ names and tracking down the stories of many, Quinlin has made a profoundly meaning contribution to the historical record, said Cole Hale, manager of The Georgia Room.

“This is more than history,” Hale said. “It’s justice – long overdue.”

The Unsung Heroes program schedule includes:

Wednesday, August 6 at 6 p.m.: Switzer Library, 266 Roswell Street, Marietta 30060

Wednesday, September 3 at 6 p.m.: South Cobb Regional Library, 805 Clay Road, Mableton 30126

Tuesday, October 7 at 6 p.m.: West Cobb Regional Library, 1750 Dennis Kemp Lane, Kennesaw 30152

Monday, November 3 at 2 p.m.: Mountain View Regional Library, 3320 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta 30066

For information on programs and resources of The Georgia Room, visit cobbcounty.gov/library or call 770-528-2333.