African Americans were present in the crews of U.S. Navy ships throughout the 19th Century. This presence was greatly enhanced during the Civil War as newly freed slaves and a greatly expanded Navy worked together in a common purpose. In addition, African American civilians provided support services that were essential to keeping the wartime navy functioning effectively.
While we have no relevant pictures that predate the Civil War,this page presents and provides links to a broad selection of images related to African-Americans' service in the U.S. Navy during the 1860s.
African Americans and the U.S. Navy
The following pages feature African-American individuals who served in the 1860s Navy, or who performed notable services in areas related to the Navy of that time:
•William Tilghman (or Tillman), who recaptured the schooner S.J. Waring from a Confederate prize crew on 16 July 1861.
•Robert Smalls (1839-1915), who piloted the Confederate steamer Planter to freedom on 13 May 1862.
•Robert Blake, who won the Medal of Honor while serving on USS Marblehead during an action off Legareville, South Carolina, on 25 December 1863.
•Joachim Pease (1842-????), who won the Medal of Honor while serving on USS Kearsarge during the battle with CSS Alabama, 19 June 1864.
•John Lawson (1837-1919), who won the Medal of Honor while serving on USS Hartford during the Battle of Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864.
•James Mifflin (1839-????), who won the Medal of Honor while serving on USS Brooklyn during the Battle of Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864.
•Aaron Anderson, who won the Medal of Honor while serving on USS Wyandank during an action in Mattox Creek, Virginia, 17 March 1865.
•Frank Allen, who served on USS Franklin in European waters in 1868.
African-Americans and the U.S. Navy - 1860s</