Recruiting the USCT

A recruiting poster titled "United States Soldiers at Camp "William Penn" Philadelphia, Pa."

Library Company of Philadelphia

With the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, the Lincoln Administration embraced the idea of enlisting Black soldiers into the US military. This progressive move, a result of years of pressure applied against the Federal government by the Black community, paved the way for roughly 240,000 Black men to serve in the ranks of the US Army and Navy during the Civil War. However, the process of enlisting African Americans did not come without its fair share of hurdles.

In the north, several states, such as New York and New Jersey, remained hesitant to organize Black units. However, neighboring states, such as Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, heartily answered the call and contributed heavily towards the roughly 150 United States Colored Troops (USCT) units that were formed during the war. Massachusetts, in particular, was a beacon for Black enlistees from loyal states that were hesitant or slow to join this effort.

Free Black service members from the northern states came from all walks of life. There were some who were college educated, such as Christian Fleetwood. Some were the children of prominent activists, such as Lewis Douglass, the son of Frederick Douglass. There were also others from more humble means, such as business owners, school teachers, sailors, farmers, factory workers, and merchants. Some came from families who had been free since the days of the revolution, while others had gained their freedom by fleeing enslavement or were even held in bondage within the confines of the border states. In addition to those living in the United States, Black international volunteers poured into the US, especially from Canada, to participate in the fight to end slavery.

 

A recruitment poster encouraging Black men to enlist mentioning the Battles of Port Hudson and Milliken's Bend, Louisiana in 1863.

Library Company of Philadelphia

With that said, the recruitment of African Americans was not confined to the states that remained loyal to the Federal Government. As Union armies continued to push deeper into the heart of the rebellion, African Americans, in exchange for protection & an avenue for liberation, provided essential services for the Union authorities.

At first, these services were confined to non-combatant roles, but US military leaders, such as David Hunter, soon realized the untapped potential within the Black community. In the middle of an active war zone, the US military had thousands of able bodied men who could serve as a pool of recruits to support their operations through armed combat.

In fact, the necessities of war would create the conditions for the first Black US Army regiments of the Civil War to be raised within the borders of the Confederacy. These African American units from the south, such as the 1st South Carolina Colored Infantry, were predominantly composed of formerly enslaved Black men from the localities surrounding territory occupied by the Union forces. They ranged in age, some were young and some were old, and came with a variety of skills, such as carpentry or sailing. The vast majority had been denied the right to learn to read and write, but many were fully literate. Contrary to contemporary beliefs, the enslaved community of the south was not a monolith, and had a surprising amount of diversity. There were even service members who had survived the horrendous middle passage, such as August Congo & Wembo Congo of the 74th USCT, who arrived in 1858 on one of the last American slavers to cross the Atlantic. Despite the Congos’ lack of familiarity with the English language, they proved to be just as capable soldiers as any man in their regiment.

The stories surrounding the recruitment of the United States Colored Troops is as diverse as the men who served within their ranks. However, despite their ethnic, linguistic, and regional differences, they sacrificed together to create a more perfect union.