Spotlight: Edward R. Pitt, Company K

Edward R. Pitt (#179), my great-great-grandfather, was among the many veterans of 1st U.S. Colored Cavalry who registered to vote in the 1867 election. His brother William Thomas Pitt (#191) who served in the regiment and their father Benjamin Pitt (#176) also registered to vote.
Note: The original document and a transcript are available. The search menu is included at the end of today’s post.

“On 22 October 1867, African American men voted for the first time in Virginia. In the election conducted by U.S. Army officers, voters answered two questions: whether to hold a convention to write a new constitution, and, if the convention referendum passed, who would represent them. Army officers recorded votes of white and black men separately, and some or all localities required voters to place their ballots in separate ballot boxes.”
See the complete entry at “‘Irrespective Of Race Or Color’: African Americans And The Making Of A New Virginia Constitution,” The Uncommonwealth, Library of Virginia, April 17, 2019:

Begin with Virginia Untold: Search the Narrative and proceed to the dropdown menu: