I ask this question knowing full well that the term "PTSD" or even "shell shock" would not be coined for decades to come, but are there any document that describe symptoms of PTSD (agitation, irritability, hostility, hypervigilance, self-destructive behavior, or social isolation, flashback, fear, severe anxiety, or mistrust, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, guilt, loneliness, insomnia or nightmares, emotional detachment or unwanted thoughts) in newly freed former slaves following the Civil War?
Hi there -- while you wait for further answers, you may be interested in this Monday Methods thread on why writing "PTSD" as a diagnosis applied to people in the past is a difficult thing to do.