All internet images have been removed from this post, sorry.
After the
Emancipation Proclamation was issued, regiments of Black troops were raised.
The rank and file were northern freedmen and southerners who had first to
escape from slavery, making their way to Union lines to enlist. They were not
allowed to become officers. As far as I know, only one of the approximately
180,000 was commissioned, as a chaplain. To ensure that the Colored regiments
had sufficient officers, white soldiers were given promotions to serve in the
USCT. Some joined because they were abolitionists, some for the promotion and
pay increase, and some for a combination of both. One unintended result was
that most of the officers in the USCT were combat veterans and all had been in
service for a while and knew how things should be done in a regiment.
Many of the white volunteer regiments in the Civil War were
green when first raised, unacquainted with the realities of combat, from top to
bottom. But they didn’t carry the reputation of their race into battle. The white 53rd Ohio failed in spectacular fashion at the battle of Shiloh in April 1862.
Bullets whizzed through the trees. Colonel Appler, recently a well-to-do
civilian and in his first fight, cried out “save yourselves” and rode to the
rear. Most of the regiment heeded his words and took off. The three companies
that didn’t hear him fell back when they found themselves facing the enemy
alone. Appler later found a fallen tree to lay behind, moaning in fear. When
one of his officers suggested taking the troops still around the colors back
into the fight, Appler mounted his horse, cried "save yourselves" again and fled to the Tennessee River, as did many of his troops. He
was later cashiered in disgrace. The 53rd Ohio was declared cowards and the
“shame of Shiloh”, along with the 77th Ohio who also bolted early. Both
regiments later improved their performance (a low bar) under more competent
leadership. Other regiments on both sides would be found wanting, though the
egregious failure of the 53rd heads the list. While the two regiments were
disgraced, no one said this proved white men could not make good soldiers.
USCT regiments went into battle with that burden added
to those that all green troops faced. They had strong motivation to fight the
“slave power” (as many Unionists termed the Confederacy) and most of their
officers had “seen the elephant” (Civil War slang for experiencing combat). Seasoned officers gave the green USCT regiments an advantage over the other green units. No
Black regiment gave ground without first taking hard knocks. None questioned
their valor after they went into combat, whether at Milliken Bend, Fort Wagner
or Baton Rouge, all in 1863. They had additional burdens. If captured, they
often faced summary execution, or, at best, return to slavery. If a Black
regiment had behaved in any way like the 53rd Ohio, it would have been taken as
"proof" of the inferiority of African Americans.
Many USCT regiments had the misfortune of serving
under less than impressive higher command. Benjamin Butler, an adroit
politician who respected his African-American troops, was deficient in the
military skill department. Also deficient were Ambrose Burnside (Battle of the
Crater 1864), Truman Seymour (Battle of Olustee 1864) and others. It must be
said that many white troops also suffered under sub-prime generalship. But the
180,000 USCT troops fought valiantly. Any failings were at a higher level. They
made an important contribution to the final Union victory.
Sergeant William Carney, 54th Massachusetts, and his
Medal of Honor awarded 37 years after being badly wounded carrying the National colors to and from the parapet during the assault on
Fort Wagner.
