USCT History
"Beaufort, South Carolina. 29th Regiment from Connecticut." Credit: Library of Congress
Frederick Douglass wrote, "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 he has earned the right to citizenship" (Percoco, n.d.). Most Americans knew the terrible tides of war were churning, but still nothing could be done to ebb the flow. By 1861, the tides had burgeoned into a flood: the Civil War had begun. Fledgling America was faced with a momentous task, one besides ending a rebellion and outfitting millions of inexperienced Federal soldiers—determining what, precisely, to do about African Americans.
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Historians, specifically those supporting a "Lost Cause" ideology, will often support their claims that the war was not against slavery by asserting that states' rights was the key issue. However, these claims are frequently baseless. Even the Confederacy's Vice President, Alexander Stephens, noted slavery as "the immediate cause" of the South's secession (Dobak, 2011). And, even if states' rights was the war's cause, the reason Southerners desired these rights was to, ultimately, keep slavery intact.
While African Americans did not begin the war sporting crisp Federal uniforms and proudly shouldering firearms for their freedom, they actively supported the war in other ways. Just months after the Civil War began at Fort Sumter, there were actions taken to free select African Americans. The First Confiscation Act, passed August 1861, allowed "all enslaved persons fighting or working for the Confederate military" to be free, and also "relieved of obligations to their masters" (Percoco, n.d.).
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Other actions would create even greater strides for African American troops, like the Second Confiscation Act that would allow Blacks belonging to Confederates to become "forever free" (Percoco, n.d.). The large catch—it was only "enforced in Union-occupied areas of the South" (Percoco, n.d.). The Militia Act similarly advanced African Americans' role in the war, as they could now serve in the military, albeit not in combat situations (Percoco, n.d.). Even so, 1862 saw a historic moment for Black individuals: some African American regiments were being created.
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January 1, 1863, ushered in not only a new year, but a new passage of the war—African Americans living in the South, because of the Emancipation Proclamation, were deemed free, and Black males were now allowed to serve in the United States' military (Percoco, n.d.). Though largely born out of necessity as Union troops were greatly depleted due to battle and disease, that does not change the fact that African Americans serving in the army would forever alter the conflict. Now for some, it changed from a cause to preserve the Union to a quest to free enslaved individuals as well. And, since Black men could shoulder arms, they were an essential part in this fight for freedom. By May of 1863, the United States Colored Troops (USCT) had officially been created with the War Department's General Order No. 143 (Percoco, n.d.).
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From the start, USCT would face harsh criticism. Most Union soldiers were not willing to view USCT as equal combatants in this unified fight, but rather as men who could be killed instead of White soldiers (Dobak, 2011). Even famed Union General William Tecumseh Sherman said, "I won’t trust niggers to fight yet. I have no confidence in them & don’t want them mixed up with our white soldiers" (Dobak, 2011).
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"Unidentified sailor with cigar in hand holding a double case with portraits of two people, possibly soldiers." Credit: Library of Congress
A page of the letter where Capt. Barnard referenced Black troops. Credit: MCHE Archives
The sentiment that African Americans troops were inferior and unfit for combat rung loud throughout the army. In fact, many Union troops doubted Black soldiers' fighting abilities. Sadly, in an era where racism had been so ingrained in society, a large number Federal soldiers had been indoctrinated with racist ideas since birth.
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A letter written by Captain Albert Jenkins Barnard of the 116th New York Infantry and housed in the MCHE Archives is a testament to how USCT were viewed. Penned April 10, 1863, from Camp Niagara in Baton Rouge, Barnard wrote to his younger brother, "There are no troops here now, except Gen. Augurs division, which consists of nine regiments of infantry, two or three batteries, and a few cavalry. Unless you choose to call nigs [sic], troops; there are three regiments of them here now, and they are armed; but do not drill much, as they keep them at work on the fortifications. they drill pretty well, but I dont [sic] believe they will fight."
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Though individuals across the North and South may have believed that African Americans worked best building fortifications and performing other labor tasks, Black men were not content to do so. United States Colored Troops would serve in the military's three branches—infantry, cavalry, and artillery. In fact, "It [USCT] grew to include seven regiments of cavalry, more than a dozen of artillery, and well over one hundred of infantry" (Dobak, 2011). By "the war’s conclusion in 1865, 180,000 African American men served in the Union Army, and another 19,000 served in the United States Navy" (Percoco, n.d.). Even though 40,000 USCT perished in the line of service, there were still more African Americans fighting "for the Union than the total of all Confederate forces" (Percoco, n.d.).
Not only did United States Colored Troops strengthen the army through sheer manpower, but they also demonstrated to Whites that they were capable of serving and fighting just as efficiently as Caucasian troops. What is more, it would have boosted African Americans' morale to know that they were essential in this fight for freedom, and it gave them pay for their services (even if their pay was less than White soldiers'). By banding together with men who shared similar life experiences and having the ability to save the pay they received, USCT would have felt as if they were finally at the helm of their own futures, a privilege most had not previously been afforded. Even though the history of USCT includes actions that illustrate the inequality African Americans experienced, the large number of USCT enlistments during the war shows just how dedicated Black individuals were in this fight for freedom.
Perhaps to best understand the feelings that USCT had in serving their country, we should turn to primary documents. One letter penned by Samuel Cabble, 55th Massachusetts Infantry (colored), expresses his sentiment. He wrote, "...i am a soldier now and i shall use my utmost endeavor to strike at the rebellion and the heart of this system that so long has kept us in chains..." (Weidman, 1997).