Army Life in a Black Regiment

A Union officer documents his experiences organizing and leading the first regiment of enslaved and formerly enslaved men from South Carolina, combining camp diary entries, riverine expeditions, picket duty, and anecdotes of daily life. He describes medical and logistical challenges, religious songs and morale, interactions at Camp Shaw and in Florida, and the regiment's developing discipline and soldiering. Chapters examine the soldiers' character and performance, the struggle for proper pay and recognition, official instructions, and appendices on the origins of black troops and notable orders, offering both tactical accounts and reflective commentary on race and military service during the Civil War.