20000 Negro American Soldiers

Approximately 186000 Negroes became federal soldiers. They served under white officers and often suffered discrimination in such matters as pay and bounties. But they proved courageous fighters in several of the battles in which they participated. Confederate officials were shortsighted in failing to use slaves as soldiers. Many confederate leaders feared an uprising once the Negroes were given arms. Others opposed the use of slaves on grounds that the Negroes were ill-prepared for such high responsibility. Not until March 1865 did the confederate government authorize the recruitment of 200000 negroes as soldiers. A few all-black units were mustered into the southern service, but none was sent into combat.

For the many slaves who
wanted to fight, there was still no opportunity. Alexander Hamilton, who was then an aide de camp to washtington, strongly disagreed with this practice. Manpower was needed and that was all there was to it, he felt. He remarked at that time, The contempt we have been taught to entertain for the blacks makes us fancy the things that are founded neither in reason or experience. Eventually most of the northern colonies and some of the southern colonies enlisted negroes, both free and slave. The majority of them, however, were from the north. There wer only a few separate negro fighting units. Two negro companies were formed in Massachusetts. One was aunder the command of a negro, captain Middletown. Negroes were in practically every mili5tary action between 1775 and 1781. In the war of 1812 negroes joined with other Americans in the defencse of our young nation. Navy captain oliver h. perry gave unstinted praise to the negro members of his crew. A negro seaman, john Johnson, was praised by his captain asw a man who…… ought to be registerd in the book of fame, and remembererd with reverence as long as bravery is considered a virtue. In the battle of chalmetts plains, commonly known as the battle of new Orleans, negroes fought under general Andrew Jackson. General Jackson told them that he intended to inform the president of their heroic conduct. The civil war had not been underway for very long when the question of the participation of the negro baecame a serious public issue. Southern landowners, in particular, were against enlisting them. Not only would it create a labor shortage for them, but they were fearful that once negroes fought for freedom they would start slave riots. The military history of the civil war shows, howeber, that negro soldiers fought in all the great battles. You will read later how Frederick douglass helped bring this about approximately 50000 negro soldiers lost their lives in the civilo war and many more were wounded.