Black Soldiers During the Civil War: True Heroes

Imagine walking shoulder-to-shoulder walking into an insane battlefield. With cannons firing and people dying all around you. Nothing you can do but signal the charge, sending more of your brothers to die. To die in a war that for a country that views you as property, barely even human. This was a 24-hour reality for African-Americans that served in the Civil War. The so-called people of liberty and freedom constantly dehumanized them and made they slaves. Battle-tactics of the 1800s and the advancements in weaponry made before and during the made a dangerous concoction for horrible battle experience. Medical science had surprisingly not made much advancement unlike weaponry, the injuries and suffering of the soldiers union and confederate alike was unfathomable to think in this age. Not to mention the conditions both side saw in their camps. Blood, limbs and disease killed more soldiers than enemy did in battle. Could you imagine thousands upon thousands of soldiers dead not because of the enemy’s bullets or bombs but by diseases that is completely preventable. In this essay you will see the horror for the African-American soldiers and their Union counter-parts.


Ever heard of the expression can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Well, the dogs of war in this case better learn fast, because the new weaponry developed during the Civil War were deadly and some-what effective enough to kill people. According to Britannica Encyclopedia, Tactics are defined

“Tactical thinking attempts to coordinate personnel with the existing weapons technology and apply both to the terrain and enemy forces in a way that uses the fighting force to best advantage. Deployment involves placing each type of weapon where it can do the most damage to the enemy or provide the most protection to one’s own force”

The musket rifles used by the soldiers were not as accurate as today’s guns but they when your in a line you pretty easy to hit. Old battle tactics used by both sides were old and useless in this new era of weapons. Back in the 1700s, soldiers stood in line shoulder to shoulder this formation was called line abreast formation. This formation is from the previous era of war, from when muskets weren’t accurate or of good quality. According to Britannica Encyclopedia Muskets are

“Early muskets were often handled by two persons and fired from a portable rest. Such a weapon was typically 5.5 feet (1.7 m) long and weighed about 20 pounds (9 kg). It fired a 2-ounce (57-gram) ball about 175 yards (160 m) with little accuracy. Later types were smaller, lighter, and accurate enough to hit a human-sized target at 80–100 yards (75–90 m). These weapons had calibres ranging from 0.69 to more than 0.75 inch (1.75 to more than 1.90 cm)”

The Civil war Era version of muskets were much more accurate than the early models. These were Musket Rifles,
Colored-soldiers, they were commonly called, were sent into battle either ahead or behind the regular Army units. They were very committed, almost more than all of the units in the Union army. The usually tactics for a field commander at that time was to line up your regiments or companies and move them towards the enemy position. While shelling the enemy’s position, mean while the enemy is using the same playbook and doing the same. Moving his forces towards yours, and shelling you. The only real advantage armies could use is terrain location was everything. Hills, tall grass, trees, and even sand played a role, it depended upon the commander to make either decision that outsmarted and caught his enemy off guard or a decision that made the enemy’s day.

In Fact the first or experimental battle for 54th Massachusetts Regiment, which was all African-Americans, and more surprising, is that they were all volunteers! This was the battle of Fort Wagner, 1863. This battle was a great battle and this battle proved that the 54th could fight. This was also the battle that got the First African-American awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. William Carney actions that day proved much about the spirit of the 54th and its colored brothers. But despite the moment of glory the battle went to the Confederates. As explained in the following passage.

“as assault force led by the 54th. Massachusetts, an experimental black regiment of free men from the North went in with fixed bayonets to storm the fort. The bombardment had failed to destroy the sandbagged gun emplacements of the Fort and the assault column marched into a heavy artillary barrage and massed musketry. Much of the Fort's garrisson consisted of troops from the Charleston area, including the Charleston Battallion. The 1st. S.C. Artillary was positioned on the right flank of the fort, in the sand dunes so as to sweep the front wall of the Fort with Cannister. Fighting was fierce. The Federals were able to occupy a small portion of the fort and the 54th. planted its colors atop the parapet. After lengthy hand to hand fighting, the Federal troops were ordered to withdraw, leaving Wagner in Confederate hands. Losses were heavy.” From AWOD.com

The 54th’s Commander, Col. Robert Gould Shaw was killed during the fighting and was honorably buried with his men at battery Wagner. After this loss, the 54th was engaged in battle again at Olustee pond. This time there was 2 other colored regiments sent into the fray with them, the 34th and 8th were along side them. Also the battle was equal in strength 5,000 against 5,000.
But it was the same end result, Confederate victory, it was due to the Colored troops not having the same or equal training as the white soldiers. This prejudices acts were costing the Union the war.

Its one thing to not pay the African-American Soldiers the same amount of pay as White soldiers. But now the Colored Soldiers aren’t that well trained. The soldiers were not given the same type of advancement in training as the white soldiers. As the following passage explains.

“Once enlisted, black soldiers received basic, sometimes inadequate preparation for field service. Inferior firearms and equipment poor camp conditions and hospital facilities, and a shortage of doctors were not uncommon. Only eight black surgeons served in the Union Army, one of whom was Lt. Col. Alexander T. Augusta, a physician trained in Canada. After the war, Dr. Augusta settled in Washington, D.C. and served on the Howard University Medical School faculty. Black chaplains, 14 in all, provided spiritual guidance and educational instruction to black soldiers.” from africanamericans.com/BlackUnionSoldiersCivilWar


This was costing the Union the war, because if the men to fight and they don’t know how to, how does this help the war effort? Despite this, the Colored units fought with honor and distinction. The Confederates even started taking notice to this, General Blunt, a Confederate, said this after the battle of Honey Hill, 1863.

"I never saw such fighting as was done by the Negro regiment....The question that negroes will fight is settled; besides they make better solders in every respect than any troops I have ever had under my command." http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/history/aa_history.htm

To make the primary people, who said you couldn’t fight or even know how to, to said that you make better soldiers than he has every commanded it major! Moreover, the fact that ever Colored Unit fought like this, its down right disturbing for people in the North not to consider you a citizen Especially when you are fighting for them and yourself.

"Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letter, U.S., let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder and bullets in his pocket, there is no power on earth that can deny that he has earned the right to citizenship." Fredrick Douglass,

African-Americans still fought on and far out done their white counter-parts.


Can we imagine how it feels to fight an enemy that will treat you differently from your “friendly” soldiers. Black soldiers were, needless to say, treated horribly. The average U.S.C.T (United States Colored Troop) soldier, back then had to deal with a lot and ontop of everything, had to worry about not being captured. For if he was, he was either returning to slavery or being “convicted” of Slave insurrection and executed. This played through every Colored solder’s mind, as he fought for liberty and against oppression. The worse example is the battle of fort Pillow, April 1864. Black soldiers were slaughter, even after they surrender, they were silenced bymusket balls. After the battle, other U.S.C.T units would honor the fallen of Fort Pillow by using it as a battle cry.

“Some black units responded with the avenging battle cry, "Remember Fort Pillow" in subsequent retaliations.”www.africanamericans.com/BlackUnionSoldiersCivilWar

The confederate Congress saw blacks with weapons or in uniform as a direct violation to “slave law”.

“The atrocities committed at Fort Pillow and several other sites reflected an action of Confederate Congress in May, 1863, which declared that black men bearing arms and white officers "inciting servile insurrection" would be turned over to state authorities - which meant punishment by death.”

Lincoln didn’t like this and called a end to this, he threaten the South with the same treatment. This was only to deter the inhumane practice.

“The complicated prisoner of war situation lingered, but the Lincoln administration did approve strong measures to deter inhumane practices which denied basic rights to black troops and their white officers if captured. The Union government also notified Confederate officials that equally harsh treatment of rebel captives would occur if threats of murdering or enslaving black soldiers did not cease. Black troops and white officers were well aware of their common fate which sometimes served to affirm their mutual goals.”www.africanamericans.com/BlackUnionSoldiersCivilWar

Nonetheless, Colored Soldiers pressed on and fought on. Blacks and whites were now at this moment shared a common fate and common goal to end the Civil War.

For the next Campaigns of 1864, U.S.C.T. unit were being used primarily and this was the finest hour or moment for those brave souls. The battle of Nashville, 8 colored units were used primarily to defeat the Confederate army of the Cumberland. They were key in the Union’s victory over the Confederate Army.

“U.S. Colored troops were used extensively in several 1864 campaigns. Of particular note in the West was the Battle of Nashville, fought on December 15-16, in which eight black regiments played a key role in the Federal defeat of the Confederate Army of Tennessee by the Army of the Cumberland. The greatest number of U.S.C.T., however, served in the Virginia theatre as part of Gen. Grant's operations against Petersburg and Richmond in the last two years of the war. Black units were especially active in the fighting around Petersburg during the summer of 1864. Referring to several combat missions which occurred near this city, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton asserted, "The hardest fighting was done by the black troops. The forts they stormed were the worst of all."www.africanamericans.com/BlackUnionSoldiersCivilWar

After the Civil War ended 1865, Colored soldiers still served. They served as occupation troops and Defense forces for Washington D.C. .

And so ends the horrible Civil War experience, through this paper the story of the African-Americans has been shown. The trials, the hurt, the destruction, the inhumane, and the proud. The story of the African-American Soldiers that fought for a nation that never intended for them to be equals. They showed them that they deserved so more than what was being given. They cried, they screamed, they bled, they died, they Fought, and they lived for Liberty. Even if they hadn’t seen it yet. So, honor the fallen soldiers of the Civil War, for the continued peace freedom o our liberty we know today. Honor them for the sacrifices they displayed during battle for you and me and all Americans. America stood on the edge of divide and asked them are you with me, and they replied…..YES SIR, FOR LIBERTY!!!

Where All the Fun At?!

"When the heck is this class gonna end!" says Jourdan Dunbar. Ralph Lemar replies "Dunno, this class is great and i like it." Jourdan responds "I don't know about that, this class is bore as hell."

Boredom, is the most worst thing to happen to a student. Especially when your in a class that you know has no impact on your life! We all have had that moment, where we realize this fact. This can be very effective in making students not want to learn. This in turn will lead students to fail the class, this may also ultimately mess up their future. One student, Jourdan Dunbar, graduating class of 2011, said “ Class is to boring and not any real excitement.” He also suggested that more excitment or interest in the class room.

When students first started searching for schools and came across Constitution. They had alright thought and about what it was about. So, when they came to for interview, they looked at the classes, they thought of this is cool. Nope. The next year they came they didn’t get those classes. Such classes as Robotics, Solar car building, and many others. It seems like there was more on paper then in the school. Students felt disappointed and especially when the current classes don’t remotely resemble what you thought you’d have in 10th grade. Nikki Brenhut, graduating year 2011, said” I don’t understand why we don’t have electives and other schools have them.” Schools such as Science Leadership Academy(SLA), Central High school, and Bok Technical School.

Most Students in CHS have at less one in common, they want to get into the legal field or politics.
Some students really don't want to become lawyers or get into the field. Some actually want to become Computer Technicians or Auto-mechanic or even Soldiers. The reason they came here to our school, is that they wanted the classes they were led to believe the school provided. Programs like robotics, automotive, and other classes. Ralph Lemar, graduating class of 2011, says that he looked forward to the automotive class, but was upset when it wasn't provided.

Some students in CHS come from places that weren't as caring as this school. The schools they came before their current, didn't provide the same teacher and student relationship as they do now. Ralph Lemar said " Thought classes would be hard for me. In my last school, I didn't learn around computers. Teachers just gave work and didnt explain it. This school is good, classes are better and easier to learn." CHS Teachers are great teachers that care about the students, making them feel good in class. Or at less better then they felt in their previous school. Ralph says that he feels good in class and doesn't feel bad when he get an answer wrong. If students feel good about their classes and about themselfs then class wont be that boring.

So, dispite all of the bordom and missed classes, students still get quility education. Students are still disappointed that the classes they wanted aren't there but they are happy about the educatin their getting. Although the classes might not be as similar to other High Schools but our school has better teacher and student relationship. So, dispite its faults and mistakes the school has great opportunies for students.

Stuck In Between The Spring and The Summer

PUSH!!!! JUST ONE MORE PUSH!!!! Yes, finally the baby is out and alive. SMACK!!! Just making sure, don’t want to ruin the moment. Dominiq S. Gilyard was thus born and started thinking “ Where the womb at?” That was 17 years ago and I’ve grown since then. I remember back then I was very mature at a young age, I was often commended for it. But in the back of my mind I wanted to be crazy and act like I was high on crack. The only thing that stopped me was my mother, my crazy, crazy mother. Now at 17 I stopped thinking so much about how much my mom felt about my actions. When I was 7, instead of kicking old ladies and torture helpless squirrels with sticks. I was in the house, reading books, playing video games, and being very “mature”. At the age of 8 I knew what I wanted to do with my life, to join the Army and be all I can be!! I had a hold on my life and knew what do with it, yea. Yea, that’s right I had a hold on it, but now everything is changing. From the ages of 10 to 16 should a kids golden years but it wasn’t for me. I was injured by a some latch-key kid and it ruined my childhood. Yup, it totally sucked because I was able to do anything. Time seemed to pass me by like a missed train. Soon I was 17 and I feel conflict in what part of my life I should be in. I wasn’t able to express my kid side aka the spring of life. I was able to express the mature and controlled part aka the summer part. Its weird to be conflicted in between two things.

Maturity isn’t something we all can just get or apply, right. I had discovered my maturity at a young age. At the age of 7, at the time I never really got to explore my the inner kid in me and in all us. This lead to me being dull and awkward in social gatherings. This one time during my first day in Greenfield middle school. I was meeting all the kids and you know the whole new kid ordeal. They were talking to me and saying funny things and talking like, kids. Whole the time I was thinking why can’t I be funny like them or have the same “ I don’t give a fudge” out look on life. Those kids showed me what I missed in “Golden Years” of my life. I hadn’t, at the time thought much what I saw, but later it had profound effect upon my maturity. When was a 8th grader my maturity level started to change. One day my friends and I were at lunch eating. Someone says really loud “ I don’t wanna cock fight!” Usually I wouldn’t laugh or comment. Instead, I laughed, I laughed at the kid and I didn’t even notice I had. I’m remembering this because this moment was the first time I laughed at something that was immature and stupid. I know it not that funny or important to some but its significant to me. Finally, at that moment I stopped being so darn awkward and weird, well not the entirely, but I was well on my way. So, now instead of being all robotically correct or dulled out, I became cool mature. Meaning that I’m not all acting adult and controlled but I learned how be a kid and be mature at the same time.

We may or may not know what we want to be in life. I had made a decision about this topic when I was 8. To join the Army, I was tell my mother, that’s all I want to do I told my mom. As I grew up, I realized that joining the Army wasn’t the only thing I want to do. That was computer engineering, Genetic scientist, even being a doctor went through my mind. Only thing that stood out was all the jobs that dealed with technology. From the time I was 8 to 17, I researched jobs that involved that field. One time during science class in 3rd grade, my teacher taught us about how biological agents worked in nature. Like poisons and Nero-toxins in plants and animals. The teacher asked the class how humans used this poisons in the real world. Everybody was dulled out and scratching their heads on this one. I rose my hand with great confidence and said “The Military use the poisons and Nero-toxins in warfare, it called Biological warfare.” Teachers face dropped to the floor, either shocked or interest, he asked me to explain. At the board I listed with speed the names of all known Bio-weapons. Anthrax, Ebola, Rocky Mountain Fever, even Yellow Fever. It was at that moment I realized what I wanted to be apart of, the Army. U.S. Army which was my original goal but this time I was sure about it. Before I wasn’t sure of not why I wanted to join, but why I was interested in joining. Confident about my chosen profession I would shape my whole life around it and only strive for it. Just at 8 years old I knew my profession and knew my goal in life, but I didn’t know what would happen 2 years later.

Age 10 was suppose to be the beginning of my “golden years“, but instead it turned into crappy 3rd place “bronze years“. I was in 5th grade and one of the smartest in my school. With being one of the best comes with great haterism. With haterism many fight started and many haters getting send home crying. I was did like life at the top and was so happy to be in my early “Golden Years” of my life. The “Golden Years” were to me like the retirement for kids but you don’t get money and move to Florida. A trip to my great-grand parents house that summer before the start of 5th grade, sparked this idea of “Golden Years”. Great-Grandma, I called her that because I didn’t know her first name. She told me a lot about being young and how she acted at my age. I was surprised she remembered that far back, because she was old, like civil war old. She told me that I was in my “Golden Years”, the years before life truly begins or I start getting into girls and responsibilities. Young as I was I didn’t realize it at the time, and soon came to understand what she meant. I had been pushed down the stairs but a bully aka hater, 3 months into the school year. Next day, I had intense pain in my ankle and foot, my mom thought in might be a sprain. Doctors told us after X-Raying me, that I had a bone over-growth and that I needed surgery. One surgery turn into 5 surgery and 7 or so procedures. That was over 6 years, I don’t even remember most of those years. “Golden Years” they weren’t, they become known to me as the 3rd place bronze “thanks for trying” years. Some sucky years, presently I have some responsibilities and stuff but I feel I was denied the slow introduction I was due. This left me clueless how to do certain things and clueless on how to react to certain situations. I found my self feeling like I should just be like a little kid to make up for lost time. But my other side says to stay mature and continue that way. Yesterday I read a story called Marigolds the character Lizabeth, I think had the same problem. The character family was going though economic depression and she took care of her younger brother. Her father lost his job and her mom is unknown. Through out the story she seems struggling with life and conflicted. Like she knew what side of life she was going into and didn’t want to. Lizabeth in the story, taunts this old lady Miss Lattie, calling her a old witch and singing a chant at her. “Old lady fell in a ditch, found a penny and thought she was rich” and she including her younger brother and his friend chanted this while throwing rocks. We can understand her younger brother’s and his friend’s reason for joining in, but why did she start it. I personally think this was an act of defiance toward going into a older part of her life. Its like she using her actions as words, she saying “ No, I refuse to be go into my summer years without a fight!” The fight being throwing rocks at an older lady, who is a symbol of her future. She acted just like I felt at the time, defiant to go into my summer years without get to live my “Golden Years”.

Well, in the end one can not expect for time or life to conform to one’s needs or wants. Though writing this essay I’ve learned something new about my self. In the beginning, I thought I was conflicted in the middle when really I’m not, I’m still living my “Golden Years” or my summer years turned golden. I thought before that I was stuck in the past but instead I’m stuck in the future. I expressed maturity at a early age, I knew what I wanted to be at a early age, and I also thought about the future I was living at the time. I lived the “golden years” and I’m still living them now, even though I lost years, I came out transformed. The whole premise “Golden Years” are centered around, the introduction to responsibilities and girls! I experienced all of this during the so called “bronze years”, and you know what is weird? I just now realized that, I just now realized my growth and what phase of life I’m living. I am living my summer life and I am still living my “Golden Life” Well, in essay I focus on the past I should be talking about the future, like I am doing right now, in the present. So remember you can think about what phase of life your in, but in till you look at your past you’ll never know where your going. My past lies in my future, so where does your past lay. Yesterday’s past, today‘s present, tomorrow’s future.

Dreams by Langston Hughes

Are the voices of your dead dreams calling out to be lived? HOLD FAST TO YOUR DREAMS! Do your dreams live you or do they live you ? HOLD FAST TO YOUR DREAMS! For if you don’t life can’t fly like a broken wing bird. The poem dreams by Langston Hughes is truly the greatest poem ever! Its engaging, inspiring, and very influential, it left me pondering about the message, despite its shortness. I like this poem because of the great images, intense metaphors, and its well understood message.

Metaphors have the most profound effect on me when I read poems. This poem was no exception, its metaphors had me going whoa that’s deep. Such lines like “ Hold fast to your dreams, for if dreams die” lets analyze the use of die. To Die means to become unable to sustain life, to expire or to fail. So this metaphor refers to if you don’t keep your dream alive they die. Next line “ For if dreams die, life is a broken wing bird, that cannot fly.” The word bird refers to freedom and peace. But this bird has a broken wing and cannot fly, which says that the bird has become a prisoner to its inability to fly. It must stay grounded and therefore cannot fly high and free. Your life the bird and is hinder from flying high or living to the fullest. Now the next verse is “ Hold Fast to your dreams, for if dreams go, life is a barren field.” For if dreams go has great meaning to in this verse of the poem. Second verse says for if your dreams go implies that, I either let my dream go or stop caring about achieving them. And if this happen then life is a barren field, implying that life loses its inspiration, its marvel, its humanity.

Images, created by the words that we hear and read. Poets use words to paint masterpieces we see in our minds, without them the poem has no feel or flair. Langston Hughes demonstrates his skill with his creation of this images. “A broken bird wing bird, that cannot fly” with this image we see a bird unhappy and unable to enjoy freedom of the sky. This image is powerful because it shows the reader a symbol of hope and peace, then shows it at its weakest. Personal I feels that something very powerful to show the reader. Verse two reads “ Life is a barren field” the word barren is used to show no life or no possibly of life. Barren field is a vivid image in my mind, I see a field of gray, no plants, animals, its cold, harsh and looks as if it was hell. An Image of a barren field shows the reader their worst nightmare come to life in landscape form.

Lastly, the message of this glorious poem. Without a doubt every poem ever written has a message or moral, but can you understand it or even find it. Finding the and understanding the moral or message in dream has relative ease. “Hold fast to your dreams.” has meaning in itself. Hold fast was a term used by sailors in a way say hold on or don’t give up. Basically this means hold on to or don’t give up your dreams. Langston Hughes I believe wrote this poem to inspire all who read it, to achieve their dreams. Maybe he experienced or possibly known someone who has let go of their dreams. Knowing the effect it had on them, he warns us in his own way, to never give up nor surrender your dreams!

Dreams by Langston Hughes has shown us why letting go of our dreams would become the greatest mistake of our life. HOLD FAST TO YOUR DREAMS! Hughes poem has great images, engaging metaphors, and the message I’ll carry with me all my life. HOLD FAST TO YOUR DREAMS! And I hope but reading this you become more aware of the importance of dreams in our lives. Dreams give us ideas, they inspire us, they give us courage, and most importantly they give us our humanity. Remember HOLD FAST TO YOUR DREAMS!!!!!

NHD Reflection

NHD this was the I think the hardest, for many reasons. For one, I didnt feel secure with doing a Documentary but I decided to do it anyway. I feel that workshops should have started as soon as we got to school. I felt like the documentary I did was good but just didnt being out my Thesis enough. The things that were hard was the edit process and maintaining the video levels. The easiest part was putting clips and videos together. The music for it was great. I like the way i came together with the video and created a type of effect. So next time I think I will start earlier and coming up with a number of potent sources.

David Harris and LtCol. John Pual Vonn

David Harris was a protester and he represented the hearts and mind of American Protesters. While LtCol.John Paul Vonn repersented the other. He was the only Civilian to be honored during the Vietnam War. he went on to write books and when he died, the president personally honored him with the Medal of Freedom. Make his the only civlian to get this award during war.

Thesis Statement: Vietnam War

The longest and most bloodiest war in American history was the Vietnam War. It was a war that dragged on for ten years, in which Americans suffered heavy losses. 58,000 American Soldiers were killed and 304,000 were wounded. American citizens were not very supportive of the war and due to this the soldier's morale was low. This could have cause the Allied Forces to lose to the Communist Forces.