Found an interesting item on a Span Am Camp

[Plainsrunner]

I found this item on a Spanish American War camp. This particular camp has a fascinating history -- this was a "colored unit" that got into a very well publicized series of racially charged incidents and violence with other units. These events made the front page of the NY Times, papers nationwide, and even in England.

 

I've obscured the name while I research the individual here in this picture, so that funny looking spot in the middle is where the soldier's name is.

 

[TheMariner]

Great find, why hide the name ? Im sure others here would be more then willing to help here with your research! That is what this community is about!

[Plainsrunner]

Great find, why hide the name ? Im sure others here would be more then willing to help here with your research! That is what this community is about!

 

 

In short, I had some people on Facebook get overzealous about 'finding the family' or even trying to claim they were family when clearly they were not. I mean one guy had zero relation other than the same last name and had no black lineage at all. So I decided to obscure the name. Most of those people were trying to just claim the relic I think. lol

[Plainsrunner]

Were these types of shields used by the soldiers as a form of dog tag or identification?

[illinigander]

Were they at Camp Alger in VA? There were race problems while waiting/hoping to go to Cuba.

Illinigander

[Brig]

Good ol' fashioned Facebook.....