Black Sailors in the Civil War - by James H Bruns (Paperback)

About the Book

"Thousands of black sailors served with valor during the Civil War. Yet few histories have highlighted their significant contributions to the Union's impressive string of naval victories throughout the war, which prompted Lincoln's Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles, to declare that if the army could not win the war, the navy would have to. Drawing on official naval records, personal letters and journals, and oral histories of formerly enslaved Americans, this volume documents the service of fugitive, freemen and freed black sailors, 1861-1865"--

Book Synopsis

Thousands of Black sailors served with valor during the Civil War. Yet few histories have highlighted their contributions to the Union's impressive naval victories throughout the war, which prompted Lincoln's Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles, to declare that if the army could not win the war, the navy would have to. Drawing on official naval records, personal letters and journals, and oral histories of formerly enslaved Americans, this volume documents the service of fugitive, freemen and freed Black sailors, 1861-1865.

Review Quotes

"Adds to a growing body of scholarship examining how thousands of these men assisted the United States Navy as civilians and through direct enlistment...Bruns is well qualified to write on this topic, and he crafts a good narrative...Provides a readable introduction to the numerous avenues that brought African Americans into the Navy and the diverse duties they performed. Bruns's book also provides a good starting place for those interested in learning about the impact enslaved people had on the conflict, and war's effort on the enslaved."-Emerging Civil War; "This is a valuable introduction to the subject, which clearly needs much more study."-The NYMAS Review

"Comprehensive, carefully researched and written by a leading scholar who knows how to connect us all with the past through the power of history, this is a must-read book on an often overlooked but critical aspect of Civil War naval history."-James P. Delgado, Ph.D., author of War at Sea: A Shipwrecked History and co-author of Clotilda: The History and Archaeology of the Last Slave Ship

"Finally, there is a book that gives African-American sailors the credit they're due for the winning the Union's war on the waters."-Claude Berube, PhD, director, United States Naval Academy Museum, author of On Wide Seas: The US Navy in the Jacksonian Era

"In researching the history of the naval reserve which came into existence just before World War I, I discovered African-Americans proved to be the manpower reserve enabler to allow for the rapid expansion of the Union Navy to suppress the southern rebellion. James Bruns explains how cultural differences between the army and navy facilitated the recruitment and integration of colored sailors into the ranks and how they contributed to Union success on multiple fronts. Using artifact and manufacts as focal imagery, Bruns goes far to fill a critical void in Civil War naval historiography!"-David F. Winkler, Ph.D. Naval Historical Foundation, author of Ready Then, Ready Now, Ready Always: More Than a Century of Service By Citizen Sailors

"James Brun's scholarly and moving work explores a topic that has rarely been written about... This is a totally enjoyable and instructive book... A well written history of a topic which is rarely discussed and one which is important in today's American political climate...thought-provoking... Full of worthwhile information. I recommend this to all maritime historians, especially those whose interest is the American Civil War and those who fought in its opposing navies."-The Northern Mariner

"Jim Bruns brings a real passion to this meticulous work that examines the role of Black sailors in the Civil War Navy. Integrating fascinating individual stories with a superb collection of period photographs he creates a compelling narrative of Blacks from both the South and the North who entered naval service. His sentence, 'The Navy accepted them from the start as warfighters on an equal footing to White sailors, ' reveals the essence of this book, a study of the struggle for real equality, which is sure to become a standard reference for the era."-Henry Hendrix, PhD, former curator of the United States Navy and director of the Naval History and Heritage Command

About the Author

During his 35-year federal and not-for-profit career, James H. Bruns has served as Director of the Department of the Navy's Museum System, with administrative oversight of the Navy's nine national Museums. He lives in Lorton, Virginia.