Before we get into the second and final part of Matthew Robinson's article on his research into the medal for the U.S. Colored Troops 8th Regiment, here are reader notes inspired by the first part last week. -Editor

"I enjoyed, and was enlightened by, Mathew Robinson's, "8TH REGIMENT U.S. COLORED TROOPS MEDAL, PART 1." That said, it is of issue that, unfortunately, he also perpetuates an oft-occurring historical inaccuracy: the Emancipation Proclamation did NOT free enslaved African Americans. The Emancipation only applied to enslaved persons in the Confederacy, and since the Confederacy did not recognize Lincoln's authority, the Proclamation had no standing. Enslaved persons in border, Unionist states—Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland and Missouri—were unaffected, i.e., slavery persisted."

"I am very happy to have made enough of an impact to start a discussion, and I stand corrected. I did unintentionally perpetuate an oft-occurring historical inaccuracy. I could have gotten away with what I said if I had only left out the words "freeing enslaved African Americans". I would bet that the largely illiterate former slaves of that period who were enlisting in the Union Army were even more confused by what they were hearing about the abolition of slavery than I am trying to get the facts straight today."

Here are some notes and images submitted by Alan Weinberg on a related medal. Thank you! -Editor