African Americans in the Civil War

African Americans in the Civil War:

Alec Martin

            Towards the end of the war, African Americans started fighting for the union. More than 200,000 blacks fought for the Union, and 38,000 died, the majority of disease. They faced many prejudices while in the army. The Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment was the first military unit consisting of black soldiers.

This created a lot of controversy. Many people questioned if blacks could fight in a “White man’s war.” After this regime was created, thousands of other African Americans joined in on the war.  Beginning in October, approximately 180,000 African-Americans served in the U.S. Army. The union debatably could not have won if they did not recruit them. Many Blacks escaped the plantations, over 500,000, and many enlisted in the union military, greatly increasing the manpower.

The increase in manpower helped the union win the war, later leading to the victory of the union and the emancipation proclamation. That led to the 13^th amendment, which freed all slaves. They played a large role in obtaining their own equality.

Sources:

·      http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/blacks-civil-war/

·      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_African_Americans_in_the_American_Civil_War

·      http://www.history.com/topics/african-american-soldiers-in-the-civil-war

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The Fort Pillow Massacre

Battle of Fort Pillow

April 2, 1864

The battle of Fort Pillow was one of the largest encounters between the Confederate Soldiers and the Black troops during the Civil War. On April 2, 1864 at 4:30 A.M., the Confederates attacked the Fort Pillow Fort, in which the Union used for protection of their supply lines. Confederate General, Nathan Bedford Forrest sent 1500 men to assault the fort that was manned by 295 white troops of the 13^th Tennessee Calvary and another 265 blacks men of the 11^th U.S. colored troops.  The confederates and Union troops continued to fight until 3:30 P.M., and then General Forrest finally showed a flag of truce and demanded the surrender of the Fort. The commander of the fort got killed in the massacre, so the Fort’s second in command, Major William F. Bradford, had to make the decision. Forrest gave Major Bradford only 20 minutes to decide, and he refused the surrender. The Confederate soldiers then, charged the Union soldiers and ran them off the bluff and down the river bank of the Mississippi River. “The river was dyed with the blood of the slaughtered for 200 yards,” Nathan Bedford Forrest stated after the battle. The Confederates came out with only 14 killed and 86 wounded, while the Union troop lost 231, 100 soldiers were wounded and 226 were captured by the Confederates.

There was controversy after the Battle of Fort Pillow, that Forrest and the confederate troops massacred the Union troops in “cold blood” even after the Union troops surrendered. Also, after the fight had ended, several of the wounded black soldiers were burned to death or buried alive. The Battle of Fort Pillow will remain one of the largest and most brutal war between Confederate and Black soldiers. Controversy over the battle still continues today, due to the horrific outcome, and violence towards the Black soldiers.

http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/fort-pillow-civil-war-dishonor

.http://www.dce.k12.wi.us/historyday/Topics/CivilWar.htm