"The Untold Story of Black Civil War Soldiers" Topic

History Restored: The Untold Story of Black Civil War Soldiers

History PhD candidate and Marine veteran A.J. Cade was inspired by a forgotten Civil War regiment of all-Black soldiers and officers. Now, he's bringing their legacy to life.

Long before Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation abolished slavery in the Confederacy, a band of Black soldiers was already making its mark—winning victories on Civil War battlefields and freeing enslaved people as they marched through the south.

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A scholarly work on these soldiers would be welcomed.

I'll keep an eye out for a book, if and when, but when was this particular story UNstored? I can't remember when I didn't know about the Louisiana Native Guard. Raise hands all who didn't know about the Corps d'Afrique.

"Long before" works out to three months on a generous count and a negative five days on a stingy one, by the way. The Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation goes out on the 22nd of September 1862, and the orders to organize the 1st LNG (Union) on the 27th of that month, so you have to go to the coming into effect on 1 January of 1863. Unless we're counting from the raising of the 1st LNG (Confederate?)

When I want hype I'll read sociology or political science. When I do history, I want accuracy. Publishers and press agents frequently have a different opinion.

Agree 100% with Robert. Can't recall a time (but probably some time before I was 20) when I didn't know about them, the US "Colored" Infantry units, and the Corps d'Afrique. And 110% with his last paragraph.

Publishers tend towards breathless announcements about THEIR " hot new thing." I agree: I started painting and playing ACW in the 1970s and my Union forces always had a black brigade. Ditto the group I played with.

And I still have, somewhere, the very excellent Army publication on the Buffalo Soldiers, picked up at Fort Benning in 1971. And how long has it been since GLORY came out? So hardly an untold story.

But I agree that the LNG ddeserve a thorough study. Especially their prior service!

The Louisiana units (first black soldiers to be accepted into Federal service) and the regiment of Kansas blacks that soon followed them were overshadowed at the time (and probably since) by the eastern regiments, like the 54th Massachusetts, which got more and better publicity.

I was under the impression that the Louisiana regiments, having previously served the Confederacy provided a certain degree of plausible deniability for politicians and high command back in Washington in the event of complaints about taking black soldiers into the service. "Who'd a thunk those rebel retreads were actually blacks?"

Grelber

The LSG actually served Louisiana, as state forces. They were then rejected by the Confederate authorities, when La joined the CSA. They then offered their services to the USA. At least that is how I learned it.

The LNG became the C'dAfrique, then two regiments of USCT. I've known of them for at least 40 years. I've had a two brigade division of black troops in my Union army for 30+ years.

I imagine part of their relative obscurity is because they volunteered for Confederate service. It kinda bucks the modern narrative that the war was fought by a bunch of white supremists interested only in preserving slavery. The fact that free black men volunteered to fight for their state means the situation was more complicated than that.

They were rejected because they were black, which shows how attitudes had changed in a mere 47 years. At the Battle of New Orleans in 1815 free black men fought to defend the city but were rejected in 1861.

Dn, yes, and the key is state (Louisiana) attitudes as opposed to a national (CSA) policy. (Which is ironic, of course.)

Louisiana, formerly French, distinguished between "black" and "colored," I believe.

Quadroons were legally black and octoroons were legally white, iirc.

Of course, wargamers and military historians are on the inside track about some of the more pedantic details of the ACW. However, I think a book on this subject getting out to a wider audience will be good. We'll have to wait and see what sort of book he produces.

As some have mentioned I would love to see more information on blacks that fought for the CSA, there were some. It does bring an extra degree of depth and complexity to the issue. I know the information is out there through diaries, personal interviews after the war, etc. I always found it puzzling from my understanding why someone would willing take up arms to defend and policy that directly hurt ones own "people" and would love to be able to educate myself and understand what the reasons and logic must have been. I imagine it would provide insight into human nature itself as well. But that's just me:)

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