Civil War letters paint bleak picture for blacks

Bob Cox shares this article on a project the National Archives has been working on for some time. They are creating a collection of records and documents from the Civil War, and the letters unearthed (some of which never reached their recipients) have provided insight into the Civil War experience for blacks, both fighting and at home.

February 24, 2004 by Uncategorized 2

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2 Responses

  1. nbruce says:
    February 24, 2004 at 3:14 am

    Civil War Service bleak for most
    My great grandfather’s 15 year old brother lied about his age and enlisted for the $60 bounty at Dixon IL in Jan. 1864, and died of accute diarrhea in a TN military hospital on May 10, 1865 just a few weeks before the war ended. In the records I can’t find any record of pay except a $106 for clothing and the $60 advanced when he enlisted. A letter he sent his sister in Iowa showed how deeply he regretted his “adventure.” His muster-out roll reads: “Died in hospital at Nashville Tenn May 10 1865,” and reports his age as 18, although he wasn’t yet 17.

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  2. pchuck says:
    February 24, 2004 at 5:17 am

    Re:Civil War Service bleak for most
    Yeah, the title of this article reminds me of that joke they say about the headlines for the New York Times and the end of the world. The headline is “World Ends, Women and Minorities Hardest Hit”.

    The Civil War was the bloodiest war our country has ever experienced. Everyone who died was an American (both sides).

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