Thomas Wentworth Higginson Thomas Wentworth Higginson was an American author, abolitionist, minister, soldier, and reformer born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1823. Before the Civil War, he was active in antislavery causes and associated with militant abolitionist circles. Dring the war he served as colonel of the First South Carolina Volunteers, one of the earliest Black regiments in United States service, and his experience with that regiment became the basis for Army Life in a Black Regiment. Higginson later remained active as a writer and advocate for civil rights, women's rights, and social reform, and he is also remembered for his literary connection with Emily Dickinson. His writing on Black soldiers in the Civil War remains a valuable primary source for readers of American history, abolitionism, military history, and African American studies. Read More Read Less