About The Slaves To Soldiers Project

The Project engages in ongoing, in-depth research into the Black men from Williamson County, Tennessee who claimed their freedom and enlisted in the Federal forces during the Civil War.  This original research has led to a deeper and more complete understanding of Williamson County's Civil War history. Tina Cahalan Jones, the program founder, frequently speaks to schools, civic groups, and historical societies in Tennessee and across the United States (see more here).  She also publishes some of her research on her blog  (link here).

The primary source documentation gathered about these men, their families, and their lives constitute a powerful mechanism to better understand slavery, emancipation, and Reconstruction in Williamson County and throughout Middle Tennessee. The material - often including interviews and first-hand accounts - paint a richer, nuanced, and more complete picture of the entire history of Williamson County. Additionally, researching these veterans and their families has led to the discovery of new information about local aspects of national historical events such as the Exoduster Movement, the Native American Freedmen, and the struggle for civil rights and voting rights in the United States.