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Congressional Medal of Honor - Colored Troops,
54th Massachusetts Regiment - Fort Wagner
Fighting for Freedom, Black Union Soldiers of the Civil War
Frederick Douglass, C. 1869
On March 2, 1863, eminent abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass sent out this powerful message in his newspaper, Douglass Monthly . Titled "Men of Color, to Arms!" it urged black men to support the nation's war and the crusade to end generations of slavery. Approximately 180,000 African American soldiers took up the call to fight for the Union, comprising more than 10% of all Federal forces. Knowing that a Northern loss could mean possible reenslavement, freemen and former slaves showed dedication to their country and a commitment to the freedom of their people forever.
Sgt. Major Lewis H. Douglass, one of two sons of Frederick Douglass, served in the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.
Gallant Service | Enlistments | Recruitment Efforts | Acts of Bravery
Inadequate facilities, mistreatment | 1863 and 1864 campaigns | Petersburg
War draws to a conclusion
Gallant Service
Black Civil War sailor aboard the USS New Hampshire, one of 9,000 blacks who served as seamen for the Union Navy.
Black regiments, commanded by white officers and designated U.S. Colored Troops (U.S.C.T.) were quickly raised by the War Department following the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in early 1863. Often used as assault troops, the U.S.C.T. saw action in more than 400 engagements, 39 of which were major battles including Port Hudson, Louisiana; Fort Wagner, South Carolina; the Siege of Petersburg, Virginia; and Nashville, Tennessee. More than 9,000 black seamen in the U.S. Navy added to the Union's strength as did thousands of others who served in military support positions. Disease and combat wounds claimed almost 38,000 casualties in the Colored Troops, a large portion of the total number of men enrolled. The U.S. government awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, first issued during the Civil War to recognize gallant service, to 24
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