Ed Hamilton
American, born 1947
Untitled, 2000
Bronze, limestone
15 1/2 x 12 x 12 1/2 in. (39.4 x 30.5 x 31.8 cm.)
6 x 6 x 6 in. (15.2 x 15.2 x 15.2 cm.) (base)
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. S. Pearson Auerbach 2000.17

Honoring the Past
This African American soldier wears a Union Army uniform. Over 200,000 African American men fought for the North during the Civil War. In 1998, Louisville sculptor Ed Hamilton unveiled The Spirit of Freedom, the first national monument dedicated to the African American soldiers and sailors who fought during the Civil War. Located in Washington, DC, the monument includes a full-length version of this figure standing beneath a personification of the Spirit of Freedom, a female figure who guides and protects him in his quest for freedom.