[African American refugees coming into the Union lines near Culpeper Court House, Va.]

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Few of the courthouse views on this board show people on the move. This pencil drawing, dated November 8, 1863, shows African American refugees arriving at the Union lines near Culpeper Court House, Virginia. That autumn, Union forces had moved into the Culpeper area after the Confederate army withdrew, and enslaved people from the surrounding countryside were increasingly crossing into Union camps, where they were often called contrabands. Quick field sketches like this one were often sent back to illustrated newspapers in the North, which helped readers see the wartime flight from slavery.

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