In the year 1862, the Union cause was beginning to weaken. Although the North believed they had the moral high ground and that fighting for the cause would guarantee salvation, fewer people were compelled to volunteer their lives. When the Lincoln administration abolished slavery and allowed black soldiers to serve, the number of people working for the war effort increased. Black people not only served on the front lines as soldiers - but they also served as nurses, cooks, laborers, spies, and several other crucial jobs. Even the creator of the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman, served as a scout for her local regiment.
One battle that would not have been won without black soldiers was the battle of Petersburg in Virginia. The soldiers sieged the Confederates with such force and speed that they were able to capture a key line at the front. This forced the Confederates to retreat.
The first regiment of black soldiers was that of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. They were famous for not only their valor but for their medals that would be granted to 16 black soldiers later on. Being a black soldier was especially courageous because the stakes were a lot higher. If a white person was captured by the Confederates, they were considered a prisoner of war. They would be treated as a prisoner, but they would still get sleeping and eating accommodations (however bad they may be.) If a black soldier was imprisoned, they would be treated as slaves. They would be treated as sub-human and would be given back to their former masters. If the masters were unable to be found, the soldiers would become property of the state and would do extremely harsh manual labor for the Confederate cause. If they were freedmen from birth, black people were frequently massacred by Confederate soldiers with the endorsement of their superior officers.
They would also be treated as inferiors in the Union army. The black soldiers were paid about $7 dollars to the white man's $13. The government claimed that this was due to the cost of clothing the soldiers, which was taken out of the original salary of $10. However, a bill was later passed to give equal pay to all regiments of the Union army, regardless of race.
In conclusion, the 179, 000 black men that served in the Union army were key to winning the war. Even though they had to endure incredibly unfair treatment, the brave men that served the Union will be forever commemorated.
A really great article about the importance of black soldiers to the war. You really helped clarify the significance of black soldiers to the Union army, but was there any use of slaves in the confederate army, wether directly or indirectly?
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading about the conditions of the black soldiers during the war. Even though black soldiers had many disadvantages like a lower pay or they would be treated differently if they were captured, as you said, they still fought regardless. It goes to show how much African Americans were willing to do to get freedom.
ReplyDeleteGreat article about black soldiers, I liked all the details you included. Another thing that black soldiers had to face was that Confederates often didn't even imprison black soldiers and instead killed them instead of treating them like prisoners of war. For example, in the Fort Pillow Massacre, around 300 black soldiers trying to surrender were killed by Confederates.
ReplyDeleteI really like what you did here- it is very interesting to read about the treatment and conditions that black soldiers endured during the war- especially because it is something not often written about, especially that of black soldiers captured by the south.
ReplyDelete