Luke, Bob, and John David Smith. Soldiering for Freedom: How the Union Army Recruited,
Trained, and Deployed the U.S. Colored Troops. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press,
2014.
Reviewed by David Crunkilton
Colored Troops in the Union Army: From Contraband to Becoming a Man
Introduction
The Purpose of Soldiering for Freedom
After the Southern half of the Union seceded and became the Confederate States of
America, the Union had to worry about several problems. The main issue that the Union faced
was how they would get the man power to defeat the Confederates to preserve the Union. The
problem of the need for man power led to the question of whether or not they should arm the
colored men of the Union (and eventually the runaway slaves). Although many were skeptical
and some even protested the idea of arming colored men, the Union decided to recruit, train, and
deploy colored troops. Bob Luke and John David Smith coauthored Soldiering for Freedom to
shed light on how colored men were recruited, trained, and deployed in the Civil War while
facing several forms of inequalities: pay, labor, and weapons even after the final Emancipation
Proclamation.
Luke and Smith’s Qualifications and Viewpoint of Soldiering the Colored
Luke received his PhD in sociology from the University of Maryland. Luke had always
been interested in the Civil War. Smith received his PhD from the University of Kentucky and
now teaches courses pertaining to American Civil War and Reconstruction at the University of
North Carolina Charlotte. By using primary and secondary documents Luke and Smith have
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captured the lifestyle of the colored troops in the Union Army. They connect with the reader’s
thoughts and feelings of the troops as they describe the harsh reality the colored troops endured
and the zeitgeist of Southerners and Northerners during the Civil War.
Critical Summary
Thesis and Major Points
The major points of Soldiering for Freedom are how colored troops were recruited by the
Union Army in the north and south, trained to become soldiers, and deployed. The thesis of
Soldiering for Freedom is how the colored troops played a role into the outcome of the war.
Content Summary
Colored men were always treated differently than whites. At the beginning of the Civil
War black men were not even allowed to enlist into the army because the Militia Act of 1792
prohibited blacks from entering the army; however, this did not stop colored men from applying
and participating in the Union cause before Lincoln issued a decree saying blacks could be
trained. The best example of colored men participating in the Union cause was shown when
slaves ran away to Union territory under the command of Benjamin Butler. John Cary then came
to demand the return of slaves to their owners, and Butler ultimately decided that the slaves were
now contraband of the Union since the south considered themselves no longer part of the Union.
Butler put the contraband to use doing labor such as fatigue duty (12-13). Colored troops played
an important role to the Union victory. Most colored men were eager to fight because they saw
their opportunity to have their sense of manhood established and possibly become equals to
whites. While being impressed by the Union Army the colored men “interpreted the same
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behavior differently. ‘By shirking the draft in every possible way; acting exactly like white men
under similar circumstances,’ Montgomery said, ‘I conclude they are undoubtedly human.’”(16)i
Colored troops were initially recruited without Lincoln’s permission with the promise of
ten dollars a month and a shelter for their families. Lincoln refused to send supplies and the
colored troops would soon be disbanded, which later would cause doubt for colored men to enlist
when being recruited with Lincoln’s permission. Colored troops were then trained by white
officers. White officers saw colored men easier to train then the whites because they were use to
being disciplined. Although some whites protested the arming of black men, some would go to
and even compliment the colored troops on their parade drills. Colored troops received an
education during their free time and practiced their drills most of the day. Colored men were
taught to read and write as well increasing their morale and their morality.
Colored troops were treated unfairly by most officers. Many of the officers of the colored
troops were white and were only interested in getting a promotion so they discriminated against
the colored. To stop this from occurring men who were looking to become officers were required
to answer questions that were directed towards the office wanted in front of a board. The test was
hard, and the best were chosen to lead the black troops. The colored were also discriminated
when deployed by being the ones to do most of the fatigue duty and were often times sent into
the battles first to be slaughtered and to keep the white men alive. The blacks were treated
unfairly; they made less money than whites, and they received inadequate weapons, but they
managed to overcome the discrimination and fought valiantly at battles with little to no
experience with a weapon before joining the Union Army.
Author’s evidence
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The coauthors reference the 54th Massachusetts several times when showing examples of
how colored troops bravery during battle (prologue 1-5). They also show examples of colored
troops being valiant in battles such as Olustee (94) and New Market Heights (96-100). The co
authors also use numerous primary and secondary resources throughout the book describing
opinions, treatment, and lives of colored troops. They expressed how colored troops were treated
differently by the equipment given to them such as their garments until “Higginson replaced his
men’s demeaning red pants with blue ones, committed himself to instill in his men pride, a sense
of self-worth, esprit de corps, and identification with Lincoln’s army.” (70) Colored troops also
received an understanding of punishment. “Deserters faced the most serious punishment of all:
execution. ‘Our old masters would get angry with us and sometimes punish us almost to death,
and we not understand why,’ remarked a black trooper. ‘But here if we are punished, we know
why for the officers tell us our duty and never punish us unless we disobey.’” (73)ii
Style and Presentation
Organization of Soldiering for Freedom
Soldiering for Freedom was organized very well by Luke and Smith. The book flows in
an order of how colored men were recruited, trained, and deployed. The Prologue gives a brief
description of the charging of the 54th of Massachusetts into Confederate lines. The first chapter
describes racism and how it interfered with the recruitment of colored men. The second chapter
talks about freedmen earning their brass buttons. The third chapter explains how white officers
were chosen and learned to lead the colored troops. The fourth chapter defines how blacks were
trained and how they became soldiers. The fifth chapter honors the efforts of the blacks in war by
describing how the colored troops paid the price to earn glory. The epilogue describes the status
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of colored men after the civil war and what life was like for them after the 13th, 14th, and 15th
amendment.
Writing Style
Soldiering for Freedom was a very easy and interesting read. The words used by the
coauthors connect with the reader. The book was very interesting and is only 107 pages; it was
easy to read the book in one sitting. The paragraph structure and words used make this book
easier to follow and keep the reader interested as well as enthusiastic to turn the page.
Aids used in the Book
There were quite a few pictures in the book. A few pictures that are notable in the book
that argue the case of how colored men were treated and proved their bravery in battle are the
pictures concerning: contraband (34), punishment (71), colored men using guns (77), colored
men getting revenge against former masters (81), colored troops fighting valiantly at Milliken’s
Bend (93), and the portrait of a colored union soldier (99).
Conclusion
Contribution Soldiering for Freedom Gives
Soldiering for Freedom brilliantly explains the conditions and trials that the colored
troops faced during the Civil War. The coauthors break new ground into a way of thinking about
colored troops by giving the reader an insight to the lives of the colored troops. It also answers
the question whether or not the Union would have been successful in defeating the south if they
had only used white troops. The Union was successful in defeating the Confederate Army
because they had better leadership, industry, and morale, but there is no doubt that the colored
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troops helped tremendously by giving the Union extra man power to defeat the Confederacy.
Lincoln went from not allowing colored men to join the army to relying on them to aid the Union
cause.
Worth of Reading
Soldiering for Freedom is a great read. The book was written for an audience of teenagers
and adults.. The coauthors accomplished their purpose of explaining the importance of the role of
colored troops in the Civil War. Everyone should read this book when they are studying the Civil
War and the prejudices that blacks faced in America during the civil war period.
i
James Montgomery to Mrs. George Stearns, Apr. 25, 1863, quoted in Dudley Taylor Cornish, The Sable Arm:
Negro Troops in the Union Army, 1861-1865 (New York: Longmans, Green, 1956), 182 , quoted in Luke, Bob, and
John David Smith. Soldiering for Freedom: How the Union Army Recruited, Trained, and Deployed the U.S.
Colored Troops, 16.
ii
Proceedings of General Court Martial, Trial of William Walker, MM 1320, Record Group 153, NARA, quoted in
Glatthaar, Forged in Battle, 112, quoted in in Luke, Bob, and John David Smith. Soldiering for Freedom: How the
Union Army Recruited, Trained, and Deployed the U.S. Colored Troops, 73.