A Date With History: USCT in Queen Anne’s County: additional stories from the Eastern Shore with Chris Pupke

“The United States Colored Troops from Queen Anne’s County:

Additional Stories of USCT from the Eastern Shore”
with Chris Pupke
Former President of the Queen Anne’s County Historical Society
Wednesday, February 4, 2026 at 1:00pm
at the Talbot County Free Library
The United States Colored Troops (USCT) are the free enslaved African Americans who fought for the Union Army during the Civil War. By the end of the war, USCT represented almost 10% of the Union Army. This presentation will focus on the USCT

from Queen Anne’s County. These individuals fought valiantly at the Battle of The Crater and Fort Gilmer among other battles. Their contributions helped win the war, preserve the Union and end slavery. And yet, for too long, their contributions have been forgotten or ignored. In this discussion, we will discuss the remarkable accomplishments of the 7th, 19th and 39th regiments of the USCT and meet some of the more than 435 USCT veterans who came from Queen Anne’s County.
Chris Pupke is a former President of the Queen Anne’s County Historical Society. He serves as a member of the Advisory Board at Kennard African American Heritage and Cultural Center where he offers lectures on African American history in Queen Anne’s

County through the Institute for Adult Learning. He has been researching the United States Colored Troops from Queen Anne’s County for a decade and is helping to establish a memorial in their honor at Kennard. Mr. Pupke is the Executive Director of the Biophilia Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to conserving biodiversity.
This is presented by the Talbot Historical Society in partnership with the Talbot County Free Library and will take place at the library located at 100 W. Dover St., Easton, MD 21601.

The lecture will be presented on February 4, 2026 at 1:00pm at the Talbot County Free Library

The lecture is free to the public, but reservations are requested.

If you have any questions or would like to make a reservation:

 410-822-0773 or email 
Talbot Historical Society office/research/exhibit hours are:

Wednesday through Saturday 10am-3pm