A Great Sacrifice: Northern Black Soldiers, Their Families, and the Experience of Civil War
“Offers readers new insight into the lives of African American men and women from the North in the era of the Civil War.” —Liz Regosin, Charles A. Dana Professor of History, St. Lawrence University

A Great Sacrifice is an in-depth analysis of the effects of the Civil War on northern black families carried out using letters from northern black women—mothers, wives, sisters, and female family friends—addressed to a number of Union military officials.

Collectively, the letters give a voice to the black family members left on the northern homefront. Through their explanations and requests, readers obtain a greater apprehension of the struggles African American families faced during the war, and their conditions as the war progressed. The original letters that were received by government agencies, as well as many of the copies of the letters sent in response, are held by the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

This study is unique because it examines the effects of the war specifically on northern black families. Most other studies on African Americans during the Civil War focused almost exclusively on the soldiers.

“In this deeply researched and revealing book, James G. Mendez seeks to recover the experience of northern black soldiers and their families during the Civil War era in order to discover the ways they engaged the governments of their day both to recognize and respect their service and sacrifice during the war and to count the costs northern blacks paid out in impoverished families, wartime casualties, and unfulfilled promises . . . Mendez’s book deserves our attention and appreciation.” —American Historical Review
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A Great Sacrifice: Northern Black Soldiers, Their Families, and the Experience of Civil War
“Offers readers new insight into the lives of African American men and women from the North in the era of the Civil War.” —Liz Regosin, Charles A. Dana Professor of History, St. Lawrence University

A Great Sacrifice is an in-depth analysis of the effects of the Civil War on northern black families carried out using letters from northern black women—mothers, wives, sisters, and female family friends—addressed to a number of Union military officials.

Collectively, the letters give a voice to the black family members left on the northern homefront. Through their explanations and requests, readers obtain a greater apprehension of the struggles African American families faced during the war, and their conditions as the war progressed. The original letters that were received by government agencies, as well as many of the copies of the letters sent in response, are held by the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

This study is unique because it examines the effects of the war specifically on northern black families. Most other studies on African Americans during the Civil War focused almost exclusively on the soldiers.

“In this deeply researched and revealing book, James G. Mendez seeks to recover the experience of northern black soldiers and their families during the Civil War era in order to discover the ways they engaged the governments of their day both to recognize and respect their service and sacrifice during the war and to count the costs northern blacks paid out in impoverished families, wartime casualties, and unfulfilled promises . . . Mendez’s book deserves our attention and appreciation.” —American Historical Review
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A Great Sacrifice: Northern Black Soldiers, Their Families, and the Experience of Civil War

A Great Sacrifice: Northern Black Soldiers, Their Families, and the Experience of Civil War

by James G. Mendez
A Great Sacrifice: Northern Black Soldiers, Their Families, and the Experience of Civil War

A Great Sacrifice: Northern Black Soldiers, Their Families, and the Experience of Civil War

by James G. Mendez

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Overview

“Offers readers new insight into the lives of African American men and women from the North in the era of the Civil War.” —Liz Regosin, Charles A. Dana Professor of History, St. Lawrence University

A Great Sacrifice is an in-depth analysis of the effects of the Civil War on northern black families carried out using letters from northern black women—mothers, wives, sisters, and female family friends—addressed to a number of Union military officials.

Collectively, the letters give a voice to the black family members left on the northern homefront. Through their explanations and requests, readers obtain a greater apprehension of the struggles African American families faced during the war, and their conditions as the war progressed. The original letters that were received by government agencies, as well as many of the copies of the letters sent in response, are held by the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

This study is unique because it examines the effects of the war specifically on northern black families. Most other studies on African Americans during the Civil War focused almost exclusively on the soldiers.

“In this deeply researched and revealing book, James G. Mendez seeks to recover the experience of northern black soldiers and their families during the Civil War era in order to discover the ways they engaged the governments of their day both to recognize and respect their service and sacrifice during the war and to count the costs northern blacks paid out in impoverished families, wartime casualties, and unfulfilled promises . . . Mendez’s book deserves our attention and appreciation.” —American Historical Review

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780823282517
Publisher: Fordham University Press
Publication date: 05/20/2021
Series: The North's Civil War
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 265
Sales rank: 990,424
File size: 14 MB
Note: This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

James G. Mendez is Associate Dean of Student Affairs and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Education at Loyola UniversityChicago Stritch School of Medicine.

Table of Contents

List of Figures xi

List of Abbreviations xiii

Introduction | 1

1 Life in the North: Before the War | 11

2 A Grand Opportunity: 1861 and 1862 | 19

3 The Forming of Black Regiments and Success in Battle | 28

4 The Unequal Pay Issue | 44

5 Violence on Two Fronts | 81

6 Information Requests | 98

7 Discharge Requests | 120

8 The Conclusion of the War | 130

9 After the War: A Different Kind of Battle | 135

10 Even Farther Away from Home: Occupation Duty Continues | 156

11 Home Again | 178

Appendix: Northern Black Regiments 185

Acknowledgments 187

Notes 189

Cited Literature 237

Index 249

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