Fugitive Negroes, fording Rappahannock,

August 1862

One of the most frequently reproduced photographic images of the Civil War, <em>Fugitive Negroes, Fording Rappahannock</em> captures the retreat of Union soldiers alongside a Black family. Following heavy losses in battles against the Confederate army in 1862, Union soldiers were forced to retreat to the North, leaving behind Black people who remained under the control of the Confederacy. Predating the Emancipation Proclamation, issued at the start of 1863 and declaring all previously enslaved people free, this photograph shows a family taking liberation into their own hands and seeking the protection of Union soldiers. This image reflects the experiences of many Black people who accompanied the Union soldiers in their northward retreat.