The Black Regulars 18661898 Author:William A. Dobak, Thomas D. Phillips Uses army correspondence, court martial transcripts, and pension applications to document the lives of black soldiers, who first entered the regular army of the United States in the summer of 1866. The authors reveal how the soldiers were recruited and how their officers were selected; how the black regiments survived hostile Congressional heari... more »ngs and stringent budget cuts; how enlisted men spent their time, both on and off duty; and how regimental chaplains tried to promote literacy through the army's schools. The authors shed new light on the military justice system, relations between black troops and their mostly white civilian neighbors, their professional reputations, and what veterans faced when they left the army for civilian life.« less