Thomas F. (hardtack) -
Previously, I've read "A Brave Black Regiment : The History of the 54th Massachusetts, 1863-1865" by Luis F. Emilo, a white officer in that unit; and 'The Black Phalanx: African American Soldiers In The War Of Independence, The War Of 1812, And The Civil War" by Joseph Wilson, a Civil War Afro-American officer. And I've done a lot of research into the colored regiments which fought at the Florida Battle of Olustee. I also created the Battleofolustee.org web site which the Center for Digital History at the University of Virginia cited for its "experience of black troops" in its book "The Civil War on the Web : A Guide to the Very Best Sites."
I don't state the above to boast about myself, but to hopefully show I'm fairly knowledgeable about the experience and literature of the approximately 180,000 African Americans who fought in the Civil War. Like many white soldiers---on both sides---they were often poorly used. Reading Civil War history sometimes makes you wonder where so many poor generals came from.
Anyway, my point is this book has to be the best reference of the experience of Afro-American troops in that conflict. It also covers---in some detail---many smaller actions barely referred to in most Civil War books. And it also spends time discussing the experience of early Afro-American units---on both sides---which served long before the famous 54th Massachusetts. If there is a better source out there on the experience of black troops in the Civil War, I haven't heard of it.
I don't state the above to boast about myself, but to hopefully show I'm fairly knowledgeable about the experience and literature of the approximately 180,000 African Americans who fought in the Civil War. Like many white soldiers---on both sides---they were often poorly used. Reading Civil War history sometimes makes you wonder where so many poor generals came from.
Anyway, my point is this book has to be the best reference of the experience of Afro-American troops in that conflict. It also covers---in some detail---many smaller actions barely referred to in most Civil War books. And it also spends time discussing the experience of early Afro-American units---on both sides---which served long before the famous 54th Massachusetts. If there is a better source out there on the experience of black troops in the Civil War, I haven't heard of it.
