"How Many African-American Units in Your ACW Army?" Topic

I was recently re-organizing my ACW Army at the same time my beloved family gave me a book on African-American soldiers in the American Civil War. Of my 50 Union units, exactly two are African-American (54th Mass and 1st USCT). As the keen historians will appreciate, 10% of the Union Army in 1864-65 were African-American. It seems to me that most gamers have relatively few, if any, African-American troops. Am I wrong?

When I had ACW minis, I had one African-American unit out of about a dozen total units.

Of course, the number fielded will depend on what year of the war you portray. If you do early-mid war battles, then you won't need African-American troops.

Two of my twenty, plus the 2nd Rhode Island in my AWI forces, along with various Black soldiers among other units.

One brigade out of a corps, with the artillery to match !

I do not have an historical army. I have considered painting a Black unit, but have not. No particular reason.

I have an ethiopian jew in my 15mm modern IDF forces.

I REFUSE to have the 54th (and I am from Mass).

I wasn't going to have any, but I have re-thought that just as it would be a different type of unit.

Not to be a spoiler, but I don;t have any (as I don;t have any ACW figures).

If I did, I would have 1st USCT in my armies as my great-great grandfather (is that enough greats?) was a field surgeon in that unit (previously a private in the 10th Iowa Vol. Inf.).

I don't have any colored troops in my collection. ("African-American, while certainly more appropriate to the modern ear, seems woefully out of place in a 19th century context). Most colored regiments had garrison, rather than combat, duty. Certainly many black men served their country well, but I don't find I need any black units for my games.

I enjoy reading about the 1864 battles, but they make for sorry gaming. Almost all my games, then, take place from 1861-3. Milliken's Bend and Battery Wagner are about the only battles featuring colored troops in that period, and neither battle strikes me as good fodder for a gaming scenario. Neither Sherman nor Grant had colored units in their large battles of 1864 (with the exception of The Crater, again a difficult scenario to game).

Then too, I would be exceedingly unhappy to find Confederate players, caught up in the spirit of their historical counterparts, singling out a colored unit for special attention. It's a part of history, sure, but not a part that I care to relive.

I used to have a mis-mash of Federal units. About 12-14 Regt. in my Army used for Johnny Reb II. I painted up one as the 54th Mass.

I have since sold that army.

My current army is based upon the TO&E of Army of the Cumberland in Sept. '63. I've got a 6 brigades of Federal troops, but no black regt.

Why? There were no black regt. in the TO&E of the Army of the Cumberland Corp that I am making.

That being said, USCT fought all over the place in brigade and division size formations.

From my reading and understanding, many of the black regt. were US Colored Troops (ie: US Government), only Massachusetts would give black troops the state recognition (54th & 55th Mass.). That is Northern states.

Good link for history of Federal Corp is this website.

link

Most USCT regt. that were used in front line operations were in the 3rd Div., 9th Corp with the Army of the Potomac (Com. Gen. Burnside), 10th Corp, Carolina Campaigns (Com Gen Terry, see link), 18th Corp and finally in the all black 25th (very late in war, organ. Dec. '64).

link

Yet another link for a listing of all USCT formations.

link

A good link to some of the engagements of USCT is on this website.

civilwarhome.com/chapt6.htm

Many of the USCT regt. were used for guarding railroads, rear areas supply depots and various other postings and would be engaged against Confederate cavalry during raids on these locations (skirmish games?).

link

At the Battle of Olustee, Florida, 1864, the 54th Mass, pretty much, all by itself, covered the retreat of the Federal forces from the replused attack towards the state capital.

There is an interesting fact that I found in this research. This is from the 54th Mass attack on Fort Wagner in July, '63.

"An impression has gained ground that no quarter was given to black troops; and, that the 92 missing or captured men met their death in the fort, after they had surrendered. But the official records show that 49 of these men died of disease in Confederate prisons, and that others of the captured men returned at the close of the war, rejoining their regiment before its muster-out."

I have none… but then, there weren't any in 1861

I also have the Army of the Cumberland in 1863. I have one regiment, the 1st USCT, at the army level. Good for the random scenario.

I have only two as I built my 15mm and 25mm armies around the Gettysburg Campaign and do not need any for those armies.

I do have about 6 CONFEDERATE blacks in my 40mm Confederate Army based on the book I read called "Blacks in the Confederate Army" or something like that. I loaded the book out to my brother-in-law and he forgot it on a cross country flight some years back.
VR
James Mattes

I have none – but then, Cheatham's "Tennessee" Division and Hampton's Cavalry wouldn't …

Also, folks that fight battles in 1862-63 wouldn't have any regardless of what they did unless they were gaming the war on the SE Atlantic Coast or they wanted to assume that Butler's Louisiana units of forcibly conscripted blacks were going to be expected to fight rather than build works and move his confiscated cotton …

Interesting mix – I painted the 54 Mass a while ago (as I recall, I was given the Stone Mountain troops as a present) then painted the 1st USCT in their original blue tunic and red trousers (they do stand out)

My armies are mostly built around the 1861-63 period in the East, and as noted by many folks not too many Coloured troops then

It turns out there were 145 regiments of USCT, of whom about 60 saw combat – on average they performed well in combat – it turns out that state designations were reserved for troops that had a special performance, of whom four were given out – 54 Mass and (as I recall) 5th Mass Cavalry, and two other infantry units

Thanks for the great feedback! Happy New Year, by the by!

>"Neither Sherman nor Grant had colored units in their large battles of 1864 (with the exception of The Crater, again a difficult scenario to game)."<

The 4th Division of the 9th Corps, Army of the Potomac, (aka "Grant's Army) was composed of two brigades of U.S. Colored troops from the beginning of the 1864 campaign. It was used mostly to guard the supply wagons, however. In 1865 it was combined with other "colored" organizations to form the 25th Corps, Army of the James (part of Grant's "Armies Operating Against Richmond"). This corps formed part of Sheridan's forces that were sent to the Texas-Mexican border upon the Confederate surrender, to "observe" the French in Mexico. (A possible "what if" scenario there.)

There were a couple of brigades of U.S. Colored Troops that fought at Nashville in December 1864 as part of the Army of the Cumberland.

But I suspect most ACW gamers fight the 1862-63 period, before everybody started entrenching every chance they got. (Personally I think Sheridan vs. Early in the Valley is a good era to refight; two armies fairly well matched with reasonably good leaders. The Franklin-Nashville campaign in Tennessee would be another.)

I have the II Corps AoP. No colored troops in that formation. However, I also have a division of 2 brigades of colored troops. I also have a single black figure in one of my Confederate regiments.

I have one black brigade in a 32 brigade army. However i have no artillery to back it up. Anyone know if there are black 15 mm gun crews out there?

I had three brigades in my Fire and Fury army. I used them to beef up a division if needed. A friend of mine who played F&F is African American and I commented that his Union Army had none. He said "I didn't even think about".

Zero in my ACW 20mm Union army 18 inf/4 cav units. Let's get to the Spanish American War with 2 inf/1 cav out of 9 inf/4 cav units.

Not one and I have a lot of stuff.

Trouble is I bought most of it, so cannot take credit for the out come except where about 20% is concerned. Most of the 20% was command stands and other peripheral stuff. Would be odd to have a black command leading a bunch of white guys.

mjc

None in my armies, primarily because I game 1863 and there weren't any colored troops in the OOB that I was using.

Not yet!! But I do have some extra Union infantry figs(in 6mm) that I may paint up as black troops to give a later 'flavour' to my army….

I don't have an ACW army yet and when I start building it, focus will be on Antietam. However, during the US presidential campaign we did some betting, letting the result influence the hobby plans for the year.
I said that if McCain won, I would do the plane he was shot down in, if Obama won I would do 54th MA in his honour. Luckily for me Obama won as I'm not to keen on air comba-gaming. ;-)
So as soon as I get started painting, I will have coloured troops.

I have one brigade, I keep forgetting which one – Its the one which fought at the Crater. Don't use them much since I like to play scenarios from 1862 to Gettysburg. More stand up fighting and less fortifications.

STT

I ran New Market Heights (29 September 1864) at Fall In! last November and painted up three USCT regiments to go with my friend's three USCT regiments. So we fielded six in two brigades to go with a brigade of white troops (Abbot's Brigade) that supported the USCT regiments that charged the Confederate field works.

I ran Olustee a few years ago, which featured three colored regiments. I plan to run Honey Springs, which includes the 1st Kansas (Colored), sometime in the next year.

I'm not "politically correct" by any means. I just like to run battles that are not covered by most other gamers.

Mark

I have three, two because of their flags and the third because I wanted at least one regiment to represent U.S.C.T.

54th Mass., 12th and 22nd U.S.C.T.

"0"!

[I also have a single black figure in one of my Confederate regiments.]

I was thinking about doing that, too! I might sneak him in there sometime soon…

I have one African American unit in my Union army

Not, strictly speaking, an answer to the question, but I found it intesting to see a unit of reenactors of the 54th Massachusets marching in the presidential inaugural parade yesterday – tribute to the first African-American U.S. president and all.

Mark

I dont have any ACW painted up yet but I do have Whites, Hispanics, and Blacks in my GW Imperial Guard force. Its a big mix of colors!

Otto
noizehive.blogspot.com

Quite a few, as I'm doing the Union order of battle for Olustee. 54th Mass, 8th and 35th USCT.

Not to be a spoiler, but I don;t have any (as I don;t have any ACW figures).

If I did, I would have 1st USCT in my armies as my great-great grandfather (is that enough greats?) was a field surgeon in that unit (previously a private in the 10th Iowa Vol. Inf.).

OK, I got to ask….how do you got from infantry private in a white outfit to surgeon in a black outfit?!?

Currently I'm building forces for the 1865 Ft Fisher and beyond campaign in the Carolinas, therefore my 10mm ACW army has one division of USCT.

Cheers,
Joel in Northern Virginia