Men of Color : Black Soldiers in the American Civil War - by Wm. Gladstone

Description

Men of Color
The Black Soldier in the American Civil War
by William Gladstone
Thomas Publications - 1993 - First Edition
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Condition : Paperback w/ stiff paper covers.
Very Good to Fine Condition.
227
pages. Heavily Illustrated.  Indexed.
I purchased a number of these - the last unsold ones from the publisher.
I am reusing photos of the inside, but the photos of the covers are
photos of the actual copy you will receive. Unread - all but new.
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"Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letter, U.S., let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder and bullets in his pocket,
there is no power on earth that can deny that he has earned the right to citizenship."
Frederick Douglass
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A very thorough look at the black man during the Civil War.
His transition from slave or freedman,
to at first a soldier-laborer and eventually into
a true fighting soldier.
The progression was slow, and not without its detractors.
But eventually both the Union and Confederacy utilized
color men in their military operations.
This book is heavily illustrated with portraits, original period
photographs, and original period documents and recruiting notices.
By the end of the Civil War, roughly 179,000 black men (10% of the Union Army) served as soldiers in the U.S. Army and another 19,000 served in the Navy. Nearly 40,000 black soldiers died over the course of the war—30,000 of infection or disease. Black soldiers served in artillery and infantry and performed all noncombat support functions that sustain an army, as well. Black carpenters, chaplains, cooks, guards, laborers, nurses, scouts, spies, steamboat pilots, surgeons, and teamsters also contributed to the war cause. There were nearly 80 black commissioned officers. Black women, who could not formally join the Army, nonetheless served as nurses, spies, and scouts, the most famous being Harriet Tubman (photo citation: 200-HN-PIO-1), who scouted for the 2d South Carolina Volunteers.
Because of prejudice against them, black units were not used in combat as extensively as they might have been. Nevertheless, the soldiers served with distinction in a number of battles. Black infantrymen fought gallantly at Milliken's Bend, LA; Port Hudson, LA; Petersburg, VA; and Nashville, TN. The July 1863 assault on Fort Wagner, SC, in which the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers lost two-thirds of their officers and half of their troops, was memorably dramatized in the film Glory. By war's end, 16 black soldiers had been awarded the Medal of Honor for their valor.
In addition to the perils of war faced by all Civil War soldiers, black soldiers faced additional problems stemming from racial prejudice. Racial discrimination was prevalent even in the North, and discriminatory practices permeated the U.S. military. Segregated units were formed with black enlisted men and typically commanded by white officers and black noncommissioned officers. The 54th Massachusetts was commanded by Robert Shaw and the 1st South Carolina by Thomas Wentworth Higginson—both white. Black soldiers were initially paid per month from which was automatically deducted for clothing, resulting in a net pay of . In contrast, white soldiers received per month from which no clothing allowance was drawn. In June 1864 Congress granted equal pay to the U.S. Colored Troops and made the action retroactive. Black soldiers received the same rations and supplies. In addition, they received comparable medical care.
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