The Legacy of the United States Colored Troops Lives On in Wilmington
The Louise Wells Cameron Art Museum
In February 1865, during the Civil War Battle of Forks Road in Wilmington, the Union Army, led by United States Colored Troops (USCT) regiments from North Carolina and Ohio, prevailed against the Confederates.
Until that point in the war, Wilmington, NC, had been a Confederate stronghold and the South’s last major open port. The USCT victory marked a turning point in the war and in our nation’s history.
While all Union troops fought to preserve the United States, the Black men of the USCT also fought for their freedom and the freedom of their families. Many USCT soldiers were formerly enslaved men from southeastern NC who had escaped to enlist in New Bern.
Less than two months after the USCT’s victory in Wilmington, General Robert E. Lee was forced to surrender at Appomattox.
An art museum becomes a steward of history
In 2002, more than 130 years after the Civil War, the Louise Wells Cameron Art Museum (CAM) was gifted a nine-acre tract of land to house the museum — the same land upon which the historic Battle of Forks Road was fought.
After research revealed the critical role played by the Black men of the USCT, CAM staff felt a deep moral obligation to honor the legacy of these American heroes.
They started collaborating with USCT re-enactors, descendants, historians and Black community leaders, hosting lectures and living history days.
They also determined that the site should house a beautiful work of public art that would honor the thousands of USCT troops who fought in Wilmington, and preserve their legacy for generations to come.
Creating art as a community, for the community
Telling a 130-year-old story of more than 1,800 USCT who fought in the Battle of Forks Road was no small feat, but community collaboration and accountability led the way.
The project required in-depth research, which elevated the work and created deep and long-lasting connections among community members.
25 community volunteers painstakingly reviewed historical military reports to identify the names of the soldiers who served during the battle.
The “Fly Girls,” a community volunteer organization with over 100 members, spread the word and worked alongside CAM in garnering additional support for the project.
When the COVID pandemic hit in 2020, CAM and partners pivoted from large-scale community gatherings to virtual, small-group and one-on-one engagements, which created more intimate opportunities to build relationships in a way that large, in-person meetings couldn’t.
In addition to engaging community members throughout the process, CAM partnered with artist Stephen Hayes to create a final concept and the artwork itself: a life-sized, bronze sculpture of 11 men marching while carrying a real American flag, situated on the soil where the USCT once fought.
The sculpture is called Boundless.
Artist Stephen Hayes casts the faces of local veterans and USCT direct descendants to create the sculpture. Photo credit: Morgan Potts
Cast faces are incorporated with sculpted bodies in historically accurate uniforms. Photo credit: Morgan Potts
Carolina Bronze staff pour molten bronze into the sculpture molds. Photo credit: Brooks Bennett
Stephen breaks the mold, releasing the bronze sculptural elements. Photo credit: Brooks Bennett
The highly anticipated unveiling captivates over 700 attendees. Photo credit: Alan Cradick
A soldier represents the hundreds who prevailed on this sacred ground. Photo credit: Alan Cradick
The USCT marches on in Wilmington. Photo credit: Alan Cradick
In creating Boundless, artist Stephen Hayes exemplified a deep sensitivity and care for the legacy of the USCT troops. He chose to cast the real faces of local veterans and USCT direct descendants for the sculpture, so the art reflects today’s generations while carrying forth the USCT men’s legacy.
“At the end of the day, it’s not my artwork, “Stephen says. “I’m just the vehicle that created it. It’s the community’s artwork, and it’s their story to keep alive for future generations.”
“It’s the community’s artwork, and it’s their story to keep alive for future generations.”
— Stephen Hayes, Boundless Artist
Shifting the culture of an organization and a city
Thanks to Boundless, CAM has become a cultural gathering place for people in Wilmington.
The unveiling of the sculpture drew more than 700 visitors, and people continue to flock to the museum to witness the art, which now stands on the only sculpture park in the nation
created to honor the USCT and their fight for freedom. CAM also uses the site to host a concert series celebrating artists of color.
These efforts make more Wilmington residents feel welcome at CAM, which helps the organization meet its mission to serve the greater community.
“We have doubled African American participation [in the museum] in a meaningful way,” says Heather Wilson, CAM’s executive director.
Heather notes that just five years ago, African American community members would give feedback that they did not feel comfortable at the museum. Now, people share that they feel connected and celebrated.
“We’ve become a different organization,” Heather says, pointing to their younger and more diverse visitorship and increasing relevance to more members of Wilmington’s community.
Anne Brennan, who served as CAM’s executive director at the time of the art installation, stresses how Boundless is a point of community pride and marvels at how this pride ripples far beyond Wilmington.
She shares a heartfelt story of an 8 p.m. visit from a Raleigh-based Vietnam veteran, who traveled well away from his direct route home to experience the sculpture for himself, and the spontaneous, emotional conversation they shared at sunset.
The impacts are both personal and institutional. As Heather says, “The Boundless sculpture lives beyond the bounds of the museum.”
“The Boundless sculpture lives beyond the bounds of the museum.”
— Heather Wilson, Cameron Art Museum
Boundless allowed CAM to forge relationships with historically Black colleges and universities in North Carolina and adjacent states. It also led to more equitable hiring practices at the museum and a keen understanding that diverse representation amongst staff and docents is critical. Regionally, other museums now seek CAM’s advice on how to advance their own projects to honor untold or under-told stories in their communities.
The project brought challenges, too, and in Wilmington, there has been some pushback from people with deeply entrenched mindsets and opinions about how CAM should serve the community. In response to CAM engaging more diverse community members, some long-time museum supporters are quietly walking away.
But the sentiment that CAM hears most often about Boundless and the USCT story, even by those who grew up in Wilmington, is shock that no one has ever shared this incredible history with them before. And the positive responses far outweigh any lack of understanding.
Anne Brennan embraces the difficult but necessary process of culture change and is hopeful about the groundswell of support for CAM as a result of Boundless.
“We are changed as an institution,” she says, “and there is a shift in the region, an awareness, slowly taking root.”
ZSR provided a $50,000 seed grant for this project, which helped CAM secure more than $450,000 in additional funding to complete it.
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