![]() ![]() To overcome this prejudice, the 29th Connecticut would have to prove itself on the battlefield. ![]() Many white Americans were uncomfortable with the idea of making black regiments, however, and it was determined that white officers would lead the unit. Once African Americans were allowed to serve, Connecticut’s governor and legislature decided in November 1863 that the 29th would be a black regiment. Each regiment generally had 1,000 men divided into 10 companies. Throughout the war, President Abraham Lincoln depended on individual Union states to recruit regiments and send them to the battlefield. In late 1862 the United States government finally allowed African Americans to enlist, but only in separate black regiments. A military draft soon became necessary and proved incredibly unpopular yet, there were thousands of African American men who were eager to fight but not allowed to serve because of their race. ![]() The 29th Connecticut had first been recruited when the Union was in difficult times: the first two years of the Civil War had claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Americans, and the Union army was running very short on manpower. Union Belatedly Allows African American Enlistment The regiment, established late in 1863, was honorably disbanded in November 1865. With its respectable service, the 29th Connecticut demonstrated the merits and justification for racial equality and freedom in Connecticut. Fighting bravely for the final year of the war, the regiment won many important battles and became one of the first Union regiments to march through the Confederate capital of Richmond. Midway through the Civil War, Connecticut created the state’s first African American regiment, the 29th Regiment Connecticut Volunteers. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |