Freedom for Themselves - (Civil War America) by Richard M Reid (Paperback)

About the Book

Freedom for Themselves: North Carolina's Black Soldiers in the Civil War Era

Book Synopsis

More than 5,000 North Carolina slaves escaped from their white owners to serve in the Union army during the Civil War. In Freedom for Themselves Richard Reid explores the stories of black soldiers from four regiments raised in North Carolina. Constructing a multidimensional portrait of the soldiers and their families, he provides a new understanding of the spectrum of black experience during and aftger the war.

Review Quotes

"A richly detailed account. . . . Skillfully combines military and social history." -- The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society

"A valuable contribution to the growing body of literature on the African American experience during the Civil War era. . . . Yield[s] fresh insights into some neglected areas of the black soldiers' experience." -- American Historical Review

"An admirable addition to our knowledge of a cross-section of black regiments." -- America's Civil War

"An excellent social history of North Carolina's African American regiments in the civil war. . . . Superb scholarship and a model for future state-level social histories of Civil War military service." -- Journal of American History

"Informative, well-written, and has enriched the historical literature on African American men in the ranks of the Union army." -- Journal of Military History

"Outstanding. . . . Provides an invaluable window on the black experience in the Civil War era." -- Journal of Southern History

"The best study of an African American unit during the Civil War. . . . Provides a new and much fuller understanding of how African American soldiers experienced the Civil War." -- Civil War History

"The first state study of African American soldiers in the Union Army. . . . Promises new research possibilities beyond the traditional view of patriotic black troops sacrificing for the Union. . . . Recommended." -- CHOICE

"The most thoughtful and thorough regimental history of the U.S. colored Troops yet to appear. . . . Points the way toward state and regional studies as a fruitful approach to the history of black military participation in the Civil War." -- North Carolina Historical Review

"Well researched, written, and annotated. . . . A most welcome addition to the growing body of literature about the military service of African Americans during the Civil War." -- The Journal of America's Military Past