The Life and Times of William Webb: An African-American Civil War Soldier from Connecticut

The Connecticut State Library & Museum of Connecticut History is proud to present a new online exhibit - “The Life and Times of William Webb: An African-American Civil War from Soldier from Connecticut“. Released in conjunction with Kevin Johnson’s 300th performance of William Webb’s life story, a new blog that allows you to “hear from” Private Webb & to track Kevin Johnson’s performances is now available at http://wmwebb.wordpress.com/.

Private Webb was an actual soldier, a native of Hartford. He was recruited in 1863 and served in the Twenty-Ninth (Colored) Regiment, Connecticut Volunteer Infantry in several battles in Virginia. Johnson’s presentation of Webb is told from an emotional and exciting first-person perspective that vividly illustrates the struggle of the African-Americans in the Colored Infantry during the Civil War. He tells of his early life in Hartford, his recruitment and training, and the traumatic final battles of the Civil War. The presentation is based on extensive research in the collections of the Connecticut State Library and the Museum of Connecticut History.