African-American Soldiers During The Civil War

African-American Soldiers During the Civil War

The American civil war was envisioned to be a short-lived encounter between the confederates and the union, such hope was dashed as this war stretch for four years. Between 1861 and 1865 many lives were lost during the American civil war. Despite this loss, the civil war brought slavery to an end and 'dealt a severe blow to states' right'. The African Americans were able to prove themselves in the American civil war of 1861. 1For example, the result of the Civil War made African American eager to enlist in the Union Army, they were ready to join the battle against slavery and they believed that military service would allow them to be seen as equals and prove their right to equality. They
African American troops fought their first major battle in at Port Hudson, Louisiana on May 21-July 9,1863. 3African Americans soldiers bravely advanced over open ground in the face of deadly artillery fire. The African American units that participated in this campaign included both former slaves and free people of color from New Orleans. Some of these men offered their services to the Army. These militia men joined newly recruited black soldiers and become the 1st participated in one of the two assaults that punctuated the six-week siege at Port Hudson. The African Americans troops kept fighting until almost all of them were dead. The losses were severe. 4The Union lost the battle but no one questioned the bravery of the Black troops. Because of this, Union Army Blacks fought with a greater sense of purpose and a better morale. However, these units attacked Port Hudson as part of an ill-coordinated frontal assault on an entrenched position; in the Civil War, this rarely turned out well and this attack was no exception. This battle convinced many Northerners that African Americans should be allowed and even encouraged to enlist in the Union Army. The battle not only persuaded many African American men to enlist. Thus following the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, its implementation in 1863, and the Union victory 1863 at Gettysburg, African American men found a new
The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment was one of the first official black units in the U.S. armed forces. Their courageous assault on Fort Wagner played a key role in bringing about an end to slavery. The 54th Massachusetts was a black regiment with white officers. For example, the 54th was led by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, the son of wealthy Boston abolitionists. On July 18,1863, Shaw led the 54th Massachusetts in an assault against Fort Wagner, which guarded Charleston harbor in South Carolina. The 54th Infantry Division was made up mainly of free Northern black men (including two of Frederick Douglass’s sons). The regiment was commanded by an idealistic 25-year-old white officer, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. 7Despite heavy artillery and rifle fire, the men made a furious charge on the Fort and engaged its Confederate defenders in brutal hand-to-hand combat. Finally driven back, the 54th suffered 40-percent casualties. Col. Shaw was killed during the charge and was buried with his men. Reported widely in Northern newspapers, the story of the heroic actions of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry at Fort Wagner helped to turn public opinion around in favor of blacks in the Union Army.8 Combat for both black soldiers and their white officers was doubly dangerous. When captured by the Confederates, black captives could be returned to their previous owners, sold