Podcast Summary: New Books Network

Episode Title: Deborah Willis, "The Black Civil War Soldier: A Visual History of Conflict and Citizenship" (NYU Press, 2025)
Host: Deidra Tyler
Guest: Deborah Willis
Date: September 24, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth conversation with Deborah Willis, professor, historian, and acclaimed author, about her new book The Black Civil War Soldier: A Visual History of Conflict and Citizenship. The discussion explores the overlooked visual history of Black soldiers in the Civil War, the role photography played in shaping cultural memory, the challenges of historical research, and stories of individuals whose images and narratives redefine our understanding of Black citizenship and patriotism during and after the war.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Origins of the Project

• Deborah Willis' Background and Motivation (02:21):
  • Professor at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, teaching photography and art history.
  • Fascinated by the gap in Civil War imagery—few photos of Black soldiers existed in historical archives.
  • Inspired by earlier work (Reflections in Black) and collaboration with historian Barbara Krauthammer.
  • Sought to answer: "How do we experience the soldiers today, their desires for freedom, but also that they were...public debates about their involvement during the time of the...1860s." (Deborah Willis, 03:51)

Researching Visual History

• Approach to Visual Documentation (05:06):
  • Noted lack of imagery in major Civil War histories.
  • Compared representations in films like Glory and Django Unchained to actual historical records.
  • Visited key archives: Library of Congress, Schomburg Center, National Archives, Temple University's Blockson Collection, Chicago Historical Society, among others.
  • Integrated oral histories and personal letters into her methodology.
  • Realized: Visualizing history required piecing together photographs, drawings, oral narratives, and material objects.

Major Research Challenges

• Obstacles in Reconstructing the Black Soldier's Experience (07:59):
  • Difficulty finding and synthesizing soldier and family narratives, especially from rural areas.
  • Pension records pivotal—often the only sources for widows’ and soldiers’ stories post-war.
  • Found stories expressing love, patriotism, resilience—often from letters between families separated by war.
  • Uncovered roles of women: teachers, laundresses, health care providers—central to soldiers’ lives, yet often unreported.
  • Sought images “that could show the love of the stories that...express love.” (Deborah Willis, 12:41)

Significant Individuals and Stories

• Nicholas Biddle (14:28–17:00):

  • First Black man injured in the Civil War, though not officially recognized as a soldier initially.
  • Wore his bloodied uniform, was photographed, and used his image as a form of testimony and storytelling.
  • “He wore his uniform, posed for a photograph and sold his photograph as a storytelling experience. As a war veteran, he was not a soldier...but he became a soldier based on his commitment…” (Deborah Willis, 16:28)

• Charlotte Fortin (18:35–20:48):

  • Black educator from Philadelphia who moved to South Carolina to teach freedpeople and document their lives.
  • Kept powerful diaries, taught soldiers to sign their names, reinforcing identity and literacy.
  • “She was a key figure in education and stayed throughout that time period...what she gave to the war, but also to families and to the children...” (Deborah Willis, 19:33)

• Thomas Morris Chester (21:36–24:29):

  • Black journalist from Harrisburg, PA, covered battles for the Philadelphia Press in 1864.
  • Willis highlights Chester’s reporting as crucial in understanding the Black soldiers’ experiences firsthand.

• Alexander Augusta (24:45–26:45):

  • First Black surgeon in the Union army; denied medical education in the U.S., so studied in Canada.
  • Symbolizes both the obstacles and the agency of Black professionals during and after emancipation.
  • “He became the first black surgeon to join the Union army and volunteer...He was born in Norfolk, Virginia, and studied in Toronto.” (Deborah Willis, 25:55)

• Gordon, aka "Whipped Peter" (32:07–34:12):

  • Iconic figure, known through a photograph of his scarred back following years of abuse.
  • Escaped slavery, joined the Union army, providing a “portrait” of both suffering and the determination for freedom.
  • “[His] story and his commitment to freedom and his fight for freedom for not only himself, but for others...is part of this typical story of black men who were essentially fighting on to be free.” (Deborah Willis, 33:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Power of Visual Evidence:
  • “A sense of pride that that's often overlooked in these historical records...the first thing they wanted to do when they received their uniforms was to be photographed.” (Deborah Willis, 27:00–29:00)
• On Research Surprises:
  • “One of the surprising discoveries was through learning more about the journalists, the black journalists...There was an experience where a mother stopped a number of the soldiers looking for her son who she lost during slavery 20 years [before]...was able to identify her son who was a soldier during that time.” (Deborah Willis, 20:53–22:22)
• On Black Women's Roles:
  • “I found it important to include stories of washer women because the washer women also were also significant figures in terms of health care in the soldiers and making sure their clothes were clean...” (Deborah Willis, 12:13)
• On the Personal Stakes of History:
  • “I tried to find images that could show the love of the stories that...express love. I found letters from women and...who wrote letters through scribes...to make sure that their husbands would have the opportunities to understand when they fought for their freedom, that they were fighting for their children...” (Deborah Willis, 12:41)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Willis’ Background & Genesis of Book: 02:21–04:57
• Visual Methodology & Sources: 05:06–07:49
• Research Challenges (Families, Women, Archival Work): 07:59–14:22
• Nicholas Biddle’s Story: 14:28–17:00
• Charlotte Fortin and Black Women's Work: 18:35–20:48
• Research Surprises: Black Journalists & Reunion Stories: 20:53–24:29
• Dr. Alexander Augusta: 24:45–26:45
• Role & Meaning of Photography: 26:54–30:29
• Changing Perceptions of Black Soldiers: 30:37–31:58
• Iconic Images: Gordon/"Whipped Peter": 32:07–34:12
• Current/Future Projects: 34:19–35:28

Themes & Takeaways

• Visual History as Recovery: Willis’s book spotlights overlooked images, showing how photography gave Black soldiers agency, shaped public perception, and created personal/family records amid war and racism.
• Intersections of Gender, Family, and Patriotism: The war experience is shown as deeply interconnected with Black familial bonds, women’s activism, and personal sacrifices.
• Archival Detective Work: Much of Willis’s achievement is finding stories and images in scattered, sometimes forgotten archives, tracing love, loss, resistance, and pride.
• Photography’s Role in Citizenship: Images offered proof of patriotism and humanity to a skeptical or hostile public, and still challenge historical erasure today.

Final Thoughts & Next Projects

Willis closes by mentioning her ongoing exhibitions:

• Reflections in Black: History of Black Photographers, 1840 to the Present (25th anniversary, NYU)
• Photography and the Black Arts Movement (National Gallery of Art), exploring visual storytelling from the Civil War era through the Civil Rights era.

Host’s Closing:
Deidra Tyler thanks Deborah Willis for her groundbreaking work and contributions to American historical memory.

For listeners, this episode is a moving, insightful guide to seeing the Civil War—and the fight for Black citizenship—not just as words, but as images and lived experience.