The American Civil War - This Mighty Scourge of War

Common soldiers 295

The issue of whether to employ blacks as soldiers was
hotly contested. Despite the assertion of Frederick
Douglass and other African-Americans that they would
make efficient troops, the Northern white public
was skeptical. Here, a powerfully racist cartoon in a
popular magazine expresses the belief that blacks
could contribute little to the army. (Frank Leslie's
Illustrated Newspaper)

overwhelming Confederate numbers, the

white soldiers fled but the black troops stood

fast. Even though they could not reload and

fire effectively, they fought hand to hand

and ultimately repulsed the Rebels. One
black regiment suffered the highest
percentage of men killed in a single battle for
the entire war. 'I never more wish to hear the
expression. "The niggers wont fight,"'

proclaimed a white officer in the fight.

The final event that secured a place for

black soldiers was the intrepid assault by the
54th Massachusetts (Colored) Infantry on
Fort Wagner, South Carolina. The 54th was
the brainchild of the governor of
Massachusetts, and it was raised in the North

with tremendous publicity. Abolitionists or
their sons served as officers. Among the
enlisted ranks were two of Douglass's sons.

Its colonel, Robert Gould Shaw, volunteered

the regiment to spearhead the attack on the

fort that helped to guard Charleston harbor.

Against a withering fire, the 54th carried up

to and into the fort, yet, ultimately, the

defenders repulsed them. Among the

40 percent casualties that the 54th suffered

was its commander, Shaw, whom Rebels

gleefully announced was 'buried with his

niggers.' For the second time, newspapermen

witnessed the attack, and the battle received

extensive coverage in the North.

Having proved their worth on the

battlefield, black soldiers began to convert

detractors in and out of the army into

supporters. By the end of the war, almost

179,000 blacks had served in the Union

army and another 20,000 had enlisted in the

navy. Military service was a thrilling event in

their lives, especially for former slaves. 'I felt

like a man,' recalled one black soldier, 'with

a uniform on and a gun in my hand.' It gave

blacks, free and slave, a sense of belonging to

the United States.

Black soldiers and sailors fought to

destroy slavery' and restore the Union, and

they hoped that a grateful nation would