Are you looking for something to read about the Black men who served in the Civil War ? Or maybe a book that includes the United States Colored Troops but is part of a much larger story? Here are the three newest titles that I have added to my Black Civil War Soldiers and Sailors bookshelf. One volume is not “new,” but I just recently learned of it. The other is a pre-order, and the last is about a fascinating man who helped to establish one of the first U.S. Colored regiments.
Newest additions to My Bookshelf
Dum Spiro, Spero: Chambersburg’s Black Civil War Soldiers and Sailors, 2nd ed., edited by Luther S. Karper, 2013
History majors under Steven Burg at Shippensburg University produced this volume of local history. They focus on the African American Civil War veterans buried at the Mt. Vernon and Lebanon Cemeteries in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.
Another of Burg’s classes created “Shippensburg’s African American Civil War Veterans: A Walking Tour of Shippensburg’s Locust Grove Cemetery.”
You can listen to Professor Burg talk about his work on Pennsylvania Black history in “Lessons We Can Learn form PA’s African-American Cemeteries and Burial Grounds.”
The Families’ Civil War: Black Soldiers and the Fight for Racial Justice by Holly A. Pinheiro, Jr., 2022
I pre-ordered this book back in December and it is finally on its way. Pinheiro argues that freeborn African Americans in Philadelphia who fought actually had more difficult lives after the Civil War due to multiple consequences of their service.
You can watch Pinheiro on C-Span discuss Black Families in Civil War Philadelphia. Want to watch him live? Sign up for the June 3 Zoom with the Kentucky Historical Society at Virtual First Friday: The Families’ Civil War: Black Soldiers and the Fight for Racial Justice.
And for a really fascinating story, check out W.G. – The Opium-addicted Pistol Toting Preacher Who Raised the First Federal African American Union Troops (2022) by siblings Donna Burtch and William Burtch. Here is what one reviewer (me) had to say:
“General audiences will be fascinated by William Gould Raymond’s personal story, but they will also benefit from the multiple lessons in United States history that are much needed for us to better understand our nation and citizenry today.”
My Sourcebook – over 40 pages of book and article titles on Black Civil War military service
Want to see the full list of books on my Bookshelf, as well as other writings on African American Civil War military service? You can find it under the Resources to Learn More tab or you can request a pdf to download. Please note that I update it occasionally, so remember to check back.
Do you know of a book or article that I missed? It would be great if you could share the title with me. Then we can all learn more about the Black men who helped to preserve the United States during the American Civil War. Just use the Contact me page!