The Civil War changed the United States in many ways—economic; political; and social. Of these changes; none was more important than Emancipation. Besides freeing nearly four million slaves; it brought agricultural wage labor to a reluctant South and gave a vote to black adult males in the former slave states. It also offered former slaves new opportunities in education; property ownership—and military service. From late 1862 to the spring of 1865; as the Civil War raged on; the federal government accepted more than 180;000 black men as soldiers; something it had never done before on such a scale.Known collectively as the United States Colored Troops and organized in segregated regiments led by white officers; some of these soldiers guarded army posts along major rivers; others fought Confederate raiders to protect Union supply trains; and still others took part in major operations like the Siege of Petersburg and the Battle of Nashville. After the war; many of the black regiments took up posts in the former Confederacy to enforce federal Reconstruction policy. Freedom by the Sword tells the story of these soldiers' recruitment; organization; and service. Thanks to its broad focus on every theater of the war and its concentration on what black soldiers actually contributed to Union victory; this volume stands alone among histories of the U.S. Colored Troops.
#1935008 in Books 2015-04-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.90 x 1.00 x 5.90l; .0 #File Name: 1612517749376 pages
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. so the story reads easily. Beyond thatBy Bob CraftThis is an extraordinary book about one of many little known events during the American Civil War. First it is well written; so the story reads easily. Beyond that; the event it portrays is emotionally powerful. Well over a thousand Union soldiers who are being returned home at government expense from Confederate prison camps are transported on a grossly overladen riverboat whose boiler needs significant repair. North of Memphis; TN the boiler explodes in the middle of the night killing many outright and pitching others into the spring-melt flooded Mississippi River to drown. As usual; the cause of the disaster stems more from human greed than from the physical weaknesses of the boat or boiler. Further; the disaster need never have happened. The scandal; had it been pursued; would have led to President Lincoln himself who had appointed the Union quartermaster officer responsible for the shipping of the former prisoners and; when he had been removed as quartermaster for fraud; had reappointed him to district quartermaster. For perspective; more men and women died as a result of the Sultana's sinking than from the sinking of the Titanic.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Excellent description of that tragic eventBy Fred J.I had previously read Chester D Berry's "Loss of the Sultana and Remiiscences of Survivors"; one of the main references used by Mr Salecker in writing this book. Salecker fleshes out the rest of the story; adding information about the Sultana's history; the technical details of its construction and more modern insight into the cause of the catastrophic boiler explosion. I recommend this book to anyone wishing to understand the events on the Mississippi that day; April 25; 1865.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Disaster on the Mississippi: The Sultana Explosion; April 27; 1865By Dee Ann FrickerI have read other books about the Sultana and her great tragedy; but Gene Eric Salecker's version is extremely well researched and written. One of my husband's ancestors is mentioned in this version on page 14. Fortunately our ancestor was not killed at age 22; but lived to the ripe old age of 86. This is an incredible book and lets the reader know of the terrible pain and suffering even the Sultana's survivors went through This should have been taught in American History in school instead of being swept under the rug like so many important occurrences are. This book is a classic!
