Black Soldiers in Blue - by John David Smith (Paperback)

About the Book

Black Soldiers in Blue: African American Troops in the Civil War Era

Book Synopsis

Inspired and informed by the latest research in African American, military, and social history, the fourteen original essays in this book tell the stories of the African American soldiers who fought for the Union cause.

An introductory essay surveys the history of the U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) from emancipation to the end of the Civil War. Seven essays focus on the role of the USCT in combat, chronicling the contributions of African Americans who fought at Port Hudson, Milliken's Bend, Olustee, Fort Pillow, Petersburg, Saltville, and Nashville. Other essays explore the recruitment of black troops in the Mississippi Valley; the U.S. Colored Cavalry; the military leadership of Colonels Thomas Higginson, James Montgomery, and Robert Shaw; African American chaplain Henry McNeal Turner; the black troops who occupied postwar Charleston; and the experiences of USCT veterans in postwar North Carolina. Collectively, these essays probe the broad military, political, and social significance of black soldiers' armed service, enriching our understanding of the Civil War and African American life during and after the conflict.

The contributors are Anne J. Bailey, Arthur W. Bergeron Jr., John Cimprich, Lawrence Lee Hewitt, Richard Lowe, Thomas D. Mays, Michael T. Meier, Edwin S. Redkey, Richard Reid, William Glenn Robertson, John David Smith, Noah Andre Trudeau, Keith Wilson, and Robert J. Zalimas Jr.

Review Quotes

"Well written and well edited. Essential [for] every public and academic library.
("Choice")"

"This book makes a worthy contribution, addressing the broad scope of emancipation and black military service.
(Gary W. Gallagher, University of Virginia, author of "Lee and His Army in Confederate History")"

"This superb anthology of interesting essays successfully raises interest in the role of African Americans during the Civil War.
("Military Heritage")"

"Well written and well edited. Essential Ýfor¨ every public and academic library.
("Choice")"

"Well written and well edited, this book delivers more information and analysis of the black soldier experience than is to be found anywhere else between two covers."

About the Author

John David Smith is the Charles H. Stone Distinguished Professor of American History at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.