HIGGINSON : Army life in a black regiment (fülszöveg)
In the beginning months of the Civil War, Negroes were anxious to give their services to the Union, but at first they were rejected. The government vacillated in its policy toward the slaves who escaped to the federal lines. Consequently, each commander in the field used his own discretion: where one officer would declare the runaways "contraband of war," an other officer would order them to be re turned to their masters. The abolitionists were very critical of the government's opposition to using Negro soldiers in the war. As a result of pressure from officers in the field, the acting Secretary of War gave an authorization in October, 1861 to "employ fugitive slaves in such services as they may be fitted for... " Initial attempts to activate a regiment fell through, but later attempts were successful. This is the story of one of those regiments.
When they were finally allowed to enlist in the Union army, Negroes did so willingly and enthusiastically. For the most part, Negro troops were led by white officers with some Negro non-commissioned officers. Although many regular army men did not want to command Negro troops, certain white officers did so enthusiastically and made a name for themselves and their men. One of these outstanding officers was Col. Thomas W. Higginson, who assumed command in late 1862 of the First South Carolina Volunteers. He is the author of this book.
Col. Higginson, in the form of a diary and some recollections, tells of the adventures of his men, who made up the first regiment mustered into the service of the United States. The colonel found his men to be strong, good natured and excellent soldiers. Hardly a single one in Higginson's regiment was legally free; they were either runaways or slaves who were left to shift for themselves when their Southern masters withdrew into the interior.
These pages, written with great humor, reflect the warmth and respect Col. Higginson felt for his troops. Numerous accounts throughout the diary attest to the intelligence and courage of these mostly uneducated men who served under him until a combat wound forced the officer to resign in May, 1864.
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| KATALÓGUS | TARTALOM |
