The African American Soldier: The Fight for Respect

Approximately 186,000 African Americans fought for the Union during the Civil War. It is estimated that from 38,000 to 40,000 died. No exact record is available for the number of African Americans who fought for the Confederacy. Many men brought their slaves with them to serve as orderlies. Some estimates of African Americans involved on the Southern side are very high because the numbers include those slaves who were forced to help construct defenses and serve in other support areas. The most reasonable estimate I have seen is 250-300 blacks. This figure may include Black Indians, Hispanics, and other non-whites.

"Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letters U.S., let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his soldier, and bullets in his pocket, and there is no power on earth or under the earth which can deny that he has earned the right of citizenship in the United States." --- Frederick Douglas, July 6, 1863

"The question that negroes will fight is settled; besides, they make better soldiers in every respect than any troops I have ever had under my command." --- James Blunt, letter to friend of July 27, 1863 before the battle of Honey Springs, OK

"The next hospital I enter will, I hope, be one for the colored regiments, as they seem to be proving their right to the admiration and kind offices of their white relations, who owe them so large a debt, a little of which I shall be so proud to pay." --- Louisa May Alcott, Hospital Sketches, 1863

"Do you know that if it was not for the black men this war never would have been brought to a close with success to the Union, and the liberty of your race, if it had not been for the Negro. I want you to understand that." ---- Major Martin R. Delaney, African American recruiter and first black staff officer in the US military, 1865

	The African American Soldier: The Fight for Respect The African American soldier joined the battle to preserve the Union and rid it of slavery. However, their service only signaled the very beginning of a century-long struggle to earn the African American soldier his rightful place in the military. This material has been designed as a classroom presentation to explain the role African American soldiers played in the battle to preserve the Union and rid it of slavery. The presentation proceeds to discuss the contributions and struggles of African Americans to earn their rightful place in the military from the Civil War to today. The African American Soldier: The Fight for Respect - Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation [Working Draft] Presentation Outline Handouts Emancipation Proclamation Letters from Black Troops - Private Wilson Wood of the 6th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery and Private Sylvester Ray of the 2d U.S. Colored Cavalry Letter from Christian A. Fleetwood - Medal of Honor Winner Recruiting Poster Jim Crow Laws Medal of Honor Winners "A Soldier in the de Colored Brigade" Militia Act of 1862 Executive Order 9981 Field Trips References We are developing this presentation and would appreciate your comments so we can make improvements. Please use the Contact Form to send us an email.
	Links * African American African American Freedom Fighters: Soldiers for Liberty African American History & the Civil War African Americans in the Civil War African American Soldiers During the Civil War African American Warriors Black, blue and gray: the other Civil War; African-American soldiers, sailors and spies were the unsung heroes Black Soldiers in the Civil War Butler Medal Chronology of Emancipation during the Civil War Civil War: African American Soldiers Civil War Battlefields Educators and Students - Black Soldiers in the Civil War History of the Colored Troops in the Civil War Kingdom Coming Links to Black Soldiers List of African American Medal of Honor Recipients Militia Act of 1862 Photographs of African Americans During the Civil War Sankofa Restoration Project - Efforts by Howard Wright to place veteran headstones on the graves of 200,000 African American Union veterans. The Negro as Soldier in the War of Rebellion United States Colored Troops - Civil War United States Colored Troops - Union Regimental Index 54th. Mass. Volunteer Infantry, Co. I The Civil War's Black Soldiers - National Park Service Civil War Series
	Battles in Which African American Troops Participated * Appomattox Court House, VA - April 9, 1865 A Chaffin's Farm, VA - September 29-30, 1864 B Crater, VA - July 30, 1864 A Deep Bottom II, VA - August 13-20, 1864 B Dutch Gap, VA - Union troops tried to build a canal at Dutch Gap late in 1864 Fort Blakely, AL - April 2-9, 1865 A Fort Fisher, NC I - December 7-27, 1864 C Fort Fisher, NC II - January 13-15, 1865 A Fort Pillow, TN - April 12, 1864 B Fort Wagner, Morris Is, SC - July 18-September 7, 1863 B Hatcher's Run, VA - February 5-7, 1865 B Honey Hill, SC - November 30, 1864 - C Honey Springs, OK - July 17, 1863 B Island Mound, MO - October 28, 1862 Nashville, TN - December 15-16, 1864 A Olustee, FL - February 20, 1864 B Palmito Ranch, TX - May 12-13, 1865 D Poison Spring, AR - April 18, 1864 C Proctor's Creek, VA - May 12-16, 1864 B Port Hudson, LA - May 21-July 9, 1863 A Saltville, VA I - October 1-3, 1864 C Tupelo, MS - July 14-15, 1864 B
	People * Barnes, William H. Barnes - Medal of Honor Winner Bassett, Ebenezer - Recruiter Powhatan Beaty - Medal of Honor Winner Cailloux, Andre - Officer and Hero of Port Hudson Battle Carney, William Harvey Carney - First African American to be awarded the Medal of Honor William H. Carney: 54th Massachusetts Soldier and First Black U.S. Medal of Honor Recipient - America's Civil War article Delany, Martin Robinson - First African American field officer in the United States Army Dorsey, Decatur - Medal of Honor Winner Douglass, Frederick - an American abolitionist, editor, orator, author, statesman and reformer Fleetwood, Christian - Medal of Honor Winner Gardner, James Daniel - Medal of Honor Winner Harris, James H. - Medal of Honor Winner Hawkins, Thomas R. - Medal of Honor Winner James, Miles - Medal of Honor Winner Kelly, Alexander Kelly - Medal of Honor Winner Pinchback, P. B. S. - Captain in the Union 1st Louisiana Native Guards Pinn, Robert A. - Medal of Honor Winner Edward Ratcliff - Medal of Honor Winner Sanderson, Aaron - Medal of Honor Winner Smalls, Robert - Commander of The Planter Smith, Andrew Jackson - Medal of Honor Winner Tubman, Harriet - "Moses of Her People" Turner, Bishop Henry McNeal - Chaplain to one of the first Federal regiments of black troops

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Revised 10/07/2011

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The African American Soldier: The Fight for Respect

The African American Soldier: The Fight for Respect

Links *

Sankofa Restoration Project - Efforts by Howard Wright to place veteran headstones on the graves of 200,000 African American Union veterans.

United States Colored Troops - Union Regimental Index

The Civil War's Black Soldiers - National Park Service Civil War Series

Battles in Which African American Troops Participated *

Appomattox Court House, VA - April 9, 1865 A

Chaffin's Farm, VA - September 29-30, 1864 B

Crater, VA - July 30, 1864 A

Deep Bottom II, VA - August 13-20, 1864 B

Dutch Gap, VA - Union troops tried to build a canal at Dutch Gap late in 1864

Fort Blakely, AL - April 2-9, 1865 A

Fort Fisher, NC I - December 7-27, 1864 C

Fort Fisher, NC II - January 13-15, 1865 A

Fort Pillow, TN - April 12, 1864 B

Fort Wagner, Morris Is, SC - July 18-September 7, 1863 B

Hatcher's Run, VA - February 5-7, 1865 B

Honey Hill, SC - November 30, 1864 - C

Honey Springs, OK - July 17, 1863 B

Island Mound, MO - October 28, 1862

Nashville, TN - December 15-16, 1864 A

Olustee, FL - February 20, 1864 B

Palmito Ranch, TX - May 12-13, 1865 D

Poison Spring, AR - April 18, 1864 C

Proctor's Creek, VA - May 12-16, 1864 B

Port Hudson, LA - May 21-July 9, 1863 A

Saltville, VA I - October 1-3, 1864 C

Tupelo, MS - July 14-15, 1864

People *

Resources: