President Abraham Lincoln initially opposed the inclusion of African Americans in the Union forces, fearing alienation of the border states, Northern prejudice and public opinion, the possibility of slave rebellion, and even the quality of fight he might get from black soldiers. By the summer of 1862, as the resilience of the Confederacy became more evident, he began to change his mind. He looked the other way as Senator James H. Lane of Kansas, a veteran of clashes with proslavery Missourians during the 1850s, formed black regiments in August. Lincoln determined that one way to weaken the South might be to undermine slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863, included a carefully measured endorsement of the armament of African Americans. These forces became known as United States Colored Troops.
The Union’s recruitment of black soldiers began in earnest March 1863 and ultimately resulted in raising nearly 180,000 troops, about 7,000 of whom served as noncommissioned officers. Unlike the celebrated Irish Brigade or the many proud German units, regiments comprising only African Americans were not so much the result of choice but of segregation. They were denied promotions and paid on a lower pay scale. They also were most often given white leadership; it was generally believed that white soldiers would never obey African-American officers. Commissions were given to only 110 African Americans, and more than 70 of them resigned due to the persistent harassment. Further, African-American members of the Union army fought knowing that if the Confederates captured them, they would be considered rebel slaves and might be tortured or executed. Some Confederate generals refused to take African-American prisoners.
White Union officers were offered incentives to raise and command African-American units and had to pass rigorous examinations, so black regiments most often had experienced and able leadership. Because of the great increase in promotions, white military personnel generally began to accept the inclusion of African Americans as a necessary measure of war. When finally allowed to fight, African Americans served with distinction. They led three charges without white support at Port Hudson, Louisiana. At the Battle of Milliken’s Bend, they participated in some of the war’s most brutal hand-to-hand combat. Robert Gould Shaw led the 54TH Massachusetts Regiment on a Union version of Pickett’s charge at Fort Wagner. In all, African-American regiments participated in 41 major battles and about 450 smaller actions. By the end of the war, African Americans accounted for 12 percent of the Union army and about two-thirds of the forces in the Mississippi Valley. An additional 20,000 served in the Union navy. Approximately 37,000 African Americans died in service, representing a 35 percent greater loss, proportion-
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Ately, than Union white troops. Sixteen were awarded the congressional Medal of Honor.
See also Carney, William Harvey.
Further reading: Joseph T. Glatthaar, Forged in Bat-tie: The Civil War Alliance of Black Soldiers and White Officers (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2000); Noah Andre Trudeau, Like Men of War: Black Troops in the Civil War, 1862-1865 (Boston: Little, Brown, 1998).
—Richard J. Roder
World History
