Shifting Terminology for Enslaved People
As the Civil War transformed the legal and social status of Black Americans, the language used to describe them evolved as well. In 1861, Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler claimed
Tag: United States Colored Troops
A Habit of Disappearing—and Reappearing
Franklin Young Commagere had a habit of disappearing. At age 17 in 1861, Ohio-born Frank gained acceptance to the U.S. Naval Academy, a sociable young man full of fun and
“Better Men Were Never Better Led”
By Scott Valentine Many a Northern man did not answer the call to join the Union army in 1861. One of them, Samuel Augustus Duncan, continued teaching students at Dartmouth
USCT Troops Commissioned and Enlisted during the Civil War
The total number of United States Colored Troops who served in the Civil War was 186,017, as reported in the 1866 Report of the Provost Marshal General by James B.