Describes the hopes, fears, and accomplishments of Black troops in the Union Army during the Civil War.

This book looks at the role of Black troops in the Civil War. Examines the history of the movement to arm Black troops for war on the Union side, including the origins of Black recruitment. The wealthy were able to hire substitutes to serve for them if they were drafted and many Black soldiers were those substitutes. Also includes the prejudices and leadership of the white officers.

Pt. 1. Learning war: Communities go to war ; Forging foreign and domestic weapons ; The ways of making war ; The dialogue of politics, 1861-1862 -- pt. 2. Making war: Congress and the capitalists ; Congress and the second "American system" ; Agricuklture and the benefits of war ; Inductrial workers and the costs of war ; The meanings of emancipation ; The dialogue of politics : loyalty and unity, 1863-1864 -- pt. 3. Finding war's meanings: World images of war ; Frankenstein and Everyman : Sherman, Grant, and modern war ; The scars of war ; The coming of the Lord : religion in the Civil War era -- Conclusion.

"With a new preface by the author"--P. [1] of cover.

When Abraham Lincoln issued his final Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, he not only freed the slaves in the Confederate states but also invited freed slaves and free persons of color to join the U.S. Army as part of the U.S. Colored Troops (USCT), the first systematic, large-scale effort by the U.S. government to arm African Americans to aid in the nation’s defense. By the end of the war in 1865, nearly 180,000 black soldiers had fought for the Union. Lincoln’s role in the arming of African Americans remains a central but unfortunately obscure part of one of the most compelling periods in American history. In Lincoln and the U.S. Colored Troops John David Smith offers a concise, enlightening exploration of the development of Lincoln’s military emancipation project, its implementation, and the recruitment and deployment of black troops. Though scholars have written much on emancipation and the USCT, Smith’s work frames the evolution of Lincoln’s ideas on emancipation and arming blacks within congressional actions, explaining how, when, and why the president seemed to be so halting in his progression to military emancipation. After tracing Lincoln’s evolution from opposing to supporting emancipation as a necessary war measure and to championing the recruitment of black troops for the Union Army, Smith details the creation, mobilization, and diverse military service of the USCT. He assesses the hardships under which the men of the USCT served, including the multiple forms of discrimination from so-called friends and foes alike, and examines the broad meaning of Lincoln’s military emancipation project and its place in African American historical memory.

Inspired and informed by the latest research in African American, military, and social history, the fourteen original essays in this book tell the stories of the African American soldiers who fought for the Union cause. An introductory essay surveys the history of the U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) from emancipation to the end of the Civil War. Seven essays focus on the role of the USCT in combat, chronicling the contributions of African Americans who fought at Port Hudson, Milliken's Bend, Olustee, Fort Pillow, Petersburg, Saltville, and Nashville. Other essays explore the recruitment of black troops in the Mississippi Valley; the U.S. Colored Cavalry; the military leadership of Colonels Thomas Higginson, James Montgomery, and Robert Shaw; African American chaplain Henry McNeal Turner; the black troops who occupied postwar Charleston; and the experiences of USCT veterans in postwar North Carolina. Collectively, these essays probe the broad military, political, and social significance of black soldiers' armed service, enriching our understanding of the Civil War and African American life during and after the conflict. The contributors are Anne J. Bailey, Arthur W. Bergeron Jr., John Cimprich, Lawrence Lee Hewitt, Richard Lowe, Thomas D. Mays, Michael T. Meier, Edwin S. Redkey, Richard Reid, William Glenn Robertson, John David Smith, Noah Andre Trudeau, Keith Wilson, and Robert J. Zalimas Jr.

Daxton Dreher has spent the past ten years serving as a warrior under his king, oblivious to what was happening back home. When he is finally released from his obligation as a protector of the king’s family, he returns to his parent’s home, only to find that one of his sisters has been taken by a notorious drug lord, and someone in his family is responsible for her disappearance. Sable Tierden loves her best friend…more than she probably should. Heartbroken, knowing her feelings aren’t returned, she decides it is time to move on. When her alpha sends her on a mission to track down a woman who was kidnapped from their pack years ago, she realizes it will be a good time to figure out what to do with her future. What she doesn’t expect, is for her world to go up in smoke. Dax and Sable are each on separate missions, searching for what was taken from them, and fighting to secure a brighter future for all involved. One fated encounter changes everything. Will they survive the hell they are about to encounter, or will the flames consume them first? Dawn Sullivan’s RARE Series and White River Wolves Series are intertwined, and meant to be read in the following order: Nico’s Heart (RARE) Phoenix’s Fate (RARE) Josie’s Miracle (White River Wolves) Trace’s Temptation (RARE) Slade’s Desire (White River Wolves) Saving Storm (RARE) Angel’s Destiny (RARE) Janie’s Salvation (White River Wolves) Sable's Fire (White River Wolves)

Black members of the military served in every war, conflict and military engagement between 1861 and 1948. Beyond serving only as enlisted soldiers and non-commissioned officers, many also served as commissioned officers in positions of leadership and authority. This book offers the first complete and conclusive work to specifically examine the history of black commissioned officers.