Original Broadcaster Captioning (Enhanced). Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:00:00FISH JUST IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR
00:00:02CLASS AND YOU HATE FRENCH, RIGHT?
00:00:06I THOUGHT HE'S VERY GOOD MATHEMATICS. VERY GOOD HORSERIDING. YOU CAN JUST BE IN THE MOVIE
00:00:09CLASS AND YOU CAN STILL DO GREAT.
00:00:11THAT'S THAT'S OR YOU CAN BE
00:00:14GEORGE MCCLELLAN. HE FINISHED SECOND IN HIS CLASS,
00:00:17WORKED WELL FOR HIM. YEAH, I GUESS WE NEVER KNOW
00:00:21UNTIL WE'RE IN THAT POSITION WHAT WE'RE OF SEEMS LIKE SOME
00:00:25THE PEOPLE THAT YOU WOULD NEVER THINK BE HEROES RISE TO THE
00:00:30OCCASION YOU KNOW, YOU EXPECT THAT MIGHT DO GREAT THINGS.
00:00:33KIND OF DISAPPOINTING
00:00:37DISAPPOINTING THAT'S TRUE AND THAT'S TRUE AND JUST LIFE IN
00:00:40GENERAL SEE WE'RE LEARNING LIFE
00:00:45LESSONS HERE FROM DAVE IT WOULD HIS FROM ABSOLUTE ALL RIGHT OKAY
00:00:49THANK VERYSAW THOSE OF THOSE OFO
00:01:07ARE HERE LAST YEAR NO DOUBT
00:01:10REMEMBER, GORDON GORDON RAY, HE
00:01:11SPOKE TO ABOUT THE OVERLAND, BUT
00:01:15HE'S BACK WITH US THIS YEAR. HE IS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR
00:01:19THE U.S. VIRGIN. OF COURSE, FOR US, HE'S BEST AS
00:01:23A CIVIL WAR SCHOLAR.
00:01:25THE OVERLAND CAMPAIGN IS VOLUME
00:01:29STUDY OF THE OVERLAND CAMPAIGN. HE'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT AN
00:01:31ASPECT OF THAT TODAY. HE'S ALSO THE AUTHOR OF A
00:01:35WONDERFUL BIOGRAPHY OF STEPHEN SWALES. I THINK YOU TALKED ABOUT STEPHEN
00:01:39WELLS LAST YEAR. I HAD THAT BOOK OUT FOR A LARGE
00:01:44CHUNK OF MY RESEARCH ABOUT, ROBERT GOULD SHAW AND THE 54TH
00:01:48MASSACHUSETTS ARTS, SO THAT WAS INCREDIBLY HELPFUL MENTIONED
00:01:52DURING HIS TALK. HE REFERENCED THE BATTLE OF THE
00:01:55CRATER AND THIS MOMENT IN JULY
00:01:581864, WHEN LEE'S CONFRONTS A
00:02:00LARGE NUMBER OF BLACK SOLDIERS. AND FOR MANY PEOPLE, OF COURSE
00:02:04THAT IS THE THE REFERENCE POINT
00:02:06FOR LEE'S ARMY AND HAVING TO DEAL WITH THESE MEN ON THE
00:02:10BATTLEFIELD. BUT GORDON IS GOING TO TALK TO
00:02:11US TODAY ABOUT SOME MOMENTS EARLIER IN THE OVERLAND CAMPAIGN
00:02:16WHERE LEE'S MEN ARE CONFRONTING SOLDIERS.
00:02:19I'M SURE THIS IS GOING BE A FASCINATING TALK. SO TAKE IT AWAY.
00:02:26GORDON.
00:02:28WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
00:02:32KEVIN SPOKE.
00:02:36SUPERBLY ABOUT BLACK WELL, ACTUALLY, THE ROLE OF BLACK
00:02:40PEOPLE IN THE CONFEDERATE ARMY DURING THE CAMPAIGNS IN
00:02:46PENNSYLVANIA, HE DIDN'T TALK MUCH ABOUT THE BLACK TROOPS IN
00:02:50THE UNION ARMY, THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC THEY WERE AT GETTYSBURG,
00:02:54MAINLY. THERE WEREN'T ANY.
00:02:56AS A MATTER OF FACT UP UNTIL THE
00:02:59SPRING OF 1864, THERE WERE NO
00:03:02BLACK TROOPS IN THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
00:03:04WHY IS AND WHAT'S AND WHEN THEY
00:03:08DID GET BLACK TROOPS IN THE
00:03:11SPRING OF 1864, HOW DID THAT ALL WORK? WELL, LET ME JUST GIVE YOU A
00:03:14LITTLE BIT OF THE ABOUT THE USE OF BLACK SOLDIERS IN THE UNION
00:03:18ARMY IS IN GENERAL, WHEN THE
00:03:20CIVIL WAR BEGAN, THERE WERE NO
00:03:23BLACK SOLDIERS IN THE UNION ARMY
00:03:25AND LINCOLN HIMSELF ACTUALLY
00:03:27OPPOSED THE USE OF BLACK ARMED
00:03:31TROOPS FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS THE MAIN ONE BEING HE DIDN'T
00:03:34WANT TO ALIENATE BORDER STATES. KENTUCKY AND THE OTHER STATES
00:03:38THAT MIGHT IF THEY WERE BLACK
00:03:41TROOPS, GO AHEAD AND SECEDE SOME
00:03:43OF THE IN THE UNION ARMY WEREN'T
00:03:49HAPPY WITH THAT WHEN THE
00:03:51DEPARTMENT OF SOUTH WAS FORMED
00:03:55IN 1862, EARLY 1862, GENERAL
00:04:00DAVID HUNTER WASN'T WAS THE
00:04:02UNION COMMANDER IN THAT AREA.
00:04:05THAT'S THE AREA ALONG THE COAST OF SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA.
00:04:08AND HE DECIDED HE WAS GOING TO
00:04:12PROCLAIM ALL SLAVES FREED AND
00:04:14PUT TOGETHER SOME BLACK.
00:04:16WELL, IT DIDN'T WORK TOO WELL
00:04:18BECAUSE LINCOLN BASICALLY REFUSED TO LET HIM DO IT.
00:04:23ONE OF HIS SUBORDINATES, RUFUS
00:04:26SAXTON, DID MANAGE TO PERSUADE
00:04:30SECRETARY OF WAR STANTON TO LET
00:04:33HIM PUT TOGETHER A SMALL
00:04:37REGIMENT OF BLACK SOLDIERS SO
00:04:39THAT HE COULD DO SOME INCURSIONS
00:04:41INTO THE INTERIOR OF THAT PART OF THE CONFEDERACY.
00:04:45BUT NOT A WHOLE LOT WAS DONE THERE EITHER.
00:04:50KANSAS WAS, OF COURSE, THE FIRST KANSAS COLORED REGIMENT FORMED
00:04:53DURING THAT TIMEFRAME, AND THERE
00:04:55WERE SOME BLACK TROOPS WERE USED IN LOUISIANA, BUT IT WAS VERY
00:04:59THIN WITHOUT PRESIDENTIAL.
00:05:03FINALLY, JULY OF 1862, CONGRESS
00:05:07A SECOND CONFISCATE AND MILITIA
00:05:10ACT AND THAT AUTHORIZED A DRAFT
00:05:12AND ALLOWED TO SERVE.
00:05:16BUT LINCOLN BASICALLY ACT AND
00:05:20MAKE ANY OF THOSE APPOINTMENTS. EVERYTHING CHANGED WITH
00:05:23EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION IN
00:05:29JANUARY 1863 VAL NOW BLACK
00:05:33TROOPS WERE PERMITTED IN THE
00:05:37DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH. BUT DAVID HUNTER, HE RAISED
00:05:42FIRST AND SECOND REGIMENTS AND
00:05:46THEY WERE DRAWN FROM FREED
00:05:49SLAVES AND THEY PLAYED AN ACTIVE
00:05:51IN HELPING THE FIGHTING THE
00:05:53TAKING OF JACKSONVILLE AND ALSO RAIDS UP THE RIVERS INCLUDING
00:05:57THE COMPANY.
00:05:59AND SO VERY ACTIVE PARTICIPATION
00:06:04IN THERE IN KANSAS THE FIRST
00:06:07KANSAS COLORED INFANTRY WAS MUSTERED INTO FEDERAL SERVICE
00:06:13JANUARY OF 1863.
00:06:14AND OF COURSE IN MASSACHUSETTS,
00:06:18THE MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR, JOHN ANDREWS, ACTIVELY RECRUITED
00:06:23BLACK, PUT TOGETHER THE 54TH AND
00:06:2955TH MASSACHUSETTS AND, OF
00:06:32COURSE, THAT THOSE WERE REGIMENTS SENT DOWN INTO SOUTH
00:06:36CAROLINA. THE 54TH FORT THERE, THE BIG
00:06:40ATTACKS ON BATTERY WAGNER, AND
00:06:42THEN LATER IN EARLY 1864, DOWN
00:06:45IN FLORIDA.
00:06:48SO THERE'S A LOT OF ACTION NOW
00:06:50BY BLACK SOLDIERS BUT STILL NONE OF THEM IN THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
00:06:57JEFFERSON. THE CONFEDERATE, THE PRESIDENT
00:07:00OF THE CONFEDERACY WAS VERY
00:07:02ABOUT THE USE OF BLACK TROOPS.
00:07:04HE WAS ALSO VERY ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE THOSE BLACK TROOPS WERE
00:07:09BEING LED BY WHITE OFFICERS.
00:07:12AND SO IN APRIL 1863, HE ISSUED
00:07:16A DIRE WARNING. AND I'D LIKE QUOTE IT FOR YOU.
00:07:18HE SAID QUOTE, EVERY WHITE
00:07:22PERSON BEING A COMMISSIONED OFFICER WHO DURING PRESENT WAR
00:07:25SHALL COMMAND -- OR MULATTOS IN ARMS AGAINST CONFEDERATE STATES
00:07:29OR WHO ARM, TRAIN, ORGANIZE OR
00:07:33PREPARE -- AND MULATTOS SHALL,
00:07:35IF CAPTURED, BE PUT TO DEATH OR
00:07:39BE OTHERWISE PUNISHED AT THE DISCRETION OF THE COURT.
00:07:41AND AS FOR BLACK SOLDIERS, THEY
00:07:44WERE TO BE KILLED OR RETURNED TO
00:07:53SLAVERY.
00:07:53DAVID HUNTER, WHO WAS A STRONG,
00:07:57STRONG ANTI-SLAVERY GENERAL,
00:08:02RESPONDED PERSONALLY AND DIRECTLY TO PRESIDENT.
00:08:05HE SENT OUT A LETTER TO DAVIS THAT SAID, QUOTE, YOU SAY YOU'RE
00:08:10FIGHTING FOR LIBERTY.
00:08:12YES YOU'RE FIGHTING FOR LIBERTY.
00:08:14LIBERTY TO KEEP FOR MILLIONS OF FELLOW BEINGS IN IGNORANCE AND
00:08:18DEGRADATION, LIBERTY TO SEPARATE PARENTS AND CHILDREN, HUSBAND
00:08:21AND WIFE, BROTHER AND SISTER. LIBERTY TO STEAL THE PRODUCTS OF THEIR LABOR.
00:08:27EXACT WITH MANY A CRUEL LASH AND BITTER TEAR.
00:08:29LIBERTY TO SEDUCE THEIR AND
00:08:31DAUGHTERS AND TO SELL OWN CHILDREN INTO BONDAGE.
00:08:35LIBERTY TO KILL THESE CHILDREN WITH IMPUNITY WHEN THE MURDER
00:08:38CANNOT BE BY ONE OF PURE WHITE BLOOD.
00:08:41THIS IS THE KIND OF LIBERTY THE
00:08:43LIBERTY TO DO WRONG WHICH SATAN,
00:08:47CHIEF OF THE FALLEN ANGELS, WAS CONTENDING FOR WHEN HE WAS CAST.
00:08:51HELL. WELL, YOU SEE, THINGS ARE GETTING PRETTY HOT.
00:08:55OKAY, LINCOLN, THEN LATER ALSO
00:09:00RESPONDS TO JEFFERSON AND SAYS,
00:09:03QUOTE, IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED THAT FOR EVERY SOLDIER OF THE
00:09:07UNITED STATES KILLED IN VIOLATION OF THE LAWS WAR, A
00:09:11REBEL SOLDIERS SHALL BE EXECUTED
00:09:14AND EVERY ONE ENSLAVED BY THE ENEMY OR SOLD INTO SLAVERY, A
00:09:19REBEL. REBEL SOLDIERS SHALL BE PLACED
00:09:20AT HARD LABOR ON PUBLIC WORKS AND CONTINUE WITH SUCH LABOR
00:09:25UNTIL. THE OTHERS SHALL BE RELEASED AND RECEIVE THE TREATMENT DUE A
00:09:27PRISONER OF WAR.
00:09:31SO THINGS ARE GETTING HOT.
00:09:34WELL, IN VIRGINIA, AS I
00:09:37MENTIONED, THE UNION ARMY, THE
00:09:39POTOMAC WAS WAGING ITS AND THEN,
00:09:41OF COURSE, UP INTO PENNSYLVANIA.
00:09:45FOUGHT BULL RUN, ANTIETAM,
00:09:47FREDERICKSBURG, CHANCELLORSVILLE, AND OF COURSE,
00:09:51GETTYSBURG WITHOUT ANY BLACK
00:09:53UNITS, THERE WERE BLACKS IN ARMY.
00:09:56BUT AGAIN, THEY WERE SERVING TEAMSTERS CROOKS AND CAN'T
00:10:00SERVANTS. NONE OF THEM WERE CARRYING.
00:10:04THIS CHANGE IN JANUARY OF 1864.
00:10:07MAJOR GENERAL AMBROSE BURNSIDE
00:10:10AND HIS NINTH CORPS IS ASKED BE
00:10:14RECONSTITUTED AND ATTACHED TO THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC FOR THE
00:10:18BIG BATTLES AGAINST LEE, VIRGINIA AND BURNSIDE.
00:10:23BASICALLY CONTACTED OF WAR
00:10:26STANTON AND ASKED IF HE COULD
00:10:28RAISE A OF COLORED TROOPS.
00:10:32AND AGREED THAT HE COULD DO IT.
00:10:34AND SO THE FIRST DIVISION OF COLORED SOLDIERS WOULD BE PUT
00:10:39TOGETHER BY GENERAL BURNSIDE.
00:10:41THE BURNSIDE SELECTED AS
00:10:45COMMANDER THAT DIVISION.
00:10:46EDWARD FERRIERO A FASCINATING.
00:10:49FERRIERO HIS PARENTS WERE FROM ITALY.
00:10:53HE HIMSELF WAS BORN IN SPAIN. AND THEY MIGRATED TO THE UNITED
00:10:57STATES 1832 FERRIERO WAS LOVE
00:11:02DANCING. AND SO HE SPENT SEVERAL YEARS
00:11:06TEACHING DANCE AT HIS FATHER'S DANCE STUDIO.
00:11:09HE ALSO JOINED THE NEW YORK
00:11:12MILITIA AND STARTED TO GAIN SOME
00:11:15CREDIBILITY IN THE MILITARY AND
00:11:17ENDED UP GETTING TO DANCING AND
00:11:21PARADING AT WEST POINT.
00:11:26WELL, MORE BREAKS OUT.
00:11:28HE HE HELPS TO RAISE THE, I BELIEVE, THE 51ST NEW YORK
00:11:33REGIMENT AND IS INVOLVED IN SOME OF THE BATTLES OF THE WAR IN
00:11:36VIRGINIA AND ENDS UP VICKSBURG
00:11:39OTHER PLACES.
00:11:41AND WHEN BURNSIDE PUTS TOGETHER
00:11:48HIS AFRICAN-AMERICAN DIVISION,
00:11:50FERRIERO IS PUT CHARGE OF THAT.
00:11:54NOW, THE ARMY, AS YOU KNOW OF
00:11:57THE POTOMAC, AS YOU GET INTO
00:12:011864, IN THE SPRING IS IS ON THE
00:12:04NORTH SIDE OF THE OF THE RAPIDAN
00:12:08RIVER AND JUST BELOW THE RAPID AND RIVER OF COURSE IS GENERAL
00:12:12ROBERT E LEE'S ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA.
00:12:16AND THE PURPOSE OF THE OR THE
00:12:18GOAL OF THE ARMY. THE POTOMAC COMMANDED BY GENERAL
00:12:22GEORGE GORDON MADE WITH THE
00:12:26SUPREME ARMY COMMANDER GENERAL GRANT TRAVELING THE ARMY AND
00:12:30STEERING MADE MAKING SURE HE
00:12:31DOES THINGS RIGHT IS TO DEFEAT
00:12:34ROBERT E LEE AND OF TAKE RICHMOND WHICH IT WOULD BE TO
00:12:38THE SOUTH OF LEE'S ARMY.
00:12:40WELL, WHAT PART DO FERRERO'S TROOPS PLAY IN THIS CAMPAIGN?
00:12:44WELL, INITIALLY NOT MUCH OF A PART.
00:12:47THE UNION ARMY, OF COURSE, AND MAY 3RD STARTS TO MOVE DOWN TO
00:12:50THE RIVER. THEY CROSS ON THE FOURTH BATTLES
00:12:53OF THE WILDERNESS TAKES PLACE
00:12:55MAY 5TH AND SIXTH MASSIVE FIGHT GRASS AND LEE RIGHT BELOW THE
00:12:59RAPIDAN RIVER.
00:13:01THE FERRIERO THOSE BLACK
00:13:05SOLDIERS ARE KEPT IN THE REAR AND THEY'RE SIMPLY SUPPOSED TO
00:13:08GUARD SOME OF THE SUPPLY LINES. THINGS DON'T WORK OUT AS GRANT
00:13:12HAD HOPED. THERE IN THE WILDERNESS. AND SO GRANT SHIFTS ARMY
00:13:15SOUTHWARD. LEE MANAGES TO GET BETWEEN HIM AND RICHMOND AGAIN, AND THEY
00:13:20HAVE A SERIES OF BATTLES AT A PLACE CALLED SPOTSYLVANIA
00:13:24COURTHOUSE. AGAIN, THE TROOPS ARE KEPT IN
00:13:26THE REAR, DO VERY LITTLE. THE FIRST ENGAGEMENT THAT THEY
00:13:30GET IN VOLVED IN TAKES PLACE ON
00:13:35THE 15TH OF MAY OF 1864. THEY'RE IN THE REAR AND THEY'RE
00:13:38AT SPOTSYLVANIA COURTHOUSE, NOT FAR FROM FREDERICKSBURG.
00:13:43WHEN A SMALL CONFEDERATE OF
00:13:47CAVALRY TRIES TO ATTACK THE
00:13:49UNION SUPPLY LINES, THE
00:13:53PHARAOH'S MEN, PARTICULARLY THE
00:13:5723RD U.S. CITY OR COLORED TROOPS
00:14:03DIVISION, HAPPENS TO BE AT A
00:14:05PLACE CALLED THE ALDRICH FARM,
00:14:07GUARDING THE LINES AS, THE
00:14:11CONFEDERATES TRY TO PUSH THROUGH
00:14:15THE FEDERAL FORCE THERE.
00:14:18FERRARO'S MEN TAKE UP A POSITION THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FARM
00:14:22BLOCK, THE UNION ATTACK, AND
00:14:25BASICALLY THEM OFF. IT'S NOT MUCH OF A BATTLE.
00:14:28THE FIGHT LASTS MAYBE HALF AN HOUR.
00:14:31THERE ARE NO AFRICAN AMERICAN
00:14:36TROOPS WHO ARE KILLED. BUT HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB.
00:14:40THEODORE LYMAN, WHO'S ONE OF
00:14:43GRANT'S I'M SORRY, MEADE'S TOP AIDES, IS STILL NOT TOO
00:14:47IMPRESSED ABOUT THE KIND OF JOB THAT AFRICAN-AMERICAN TROOPS CAN
00:14:51DO.
00:14:51AND HE WRITES HOME SAYS, AS I
00:14:56LOOKED AT THEM. MANY LOOKED AT THE
00:14:58AFRICAN-AMERICAN SOLDIERS MYSELF, WAS TROUBLED, AND I
00:15:01WOULD GLADLY HAVE THEM MARCHED BACK TO WASHINGTON.
00:15:05WE DO NOT DARE TRUST THEM IN THE LINE OF BATTLE. YOU MAY MAKE SPEECHES AT HOME,
00:15:10BUT HERE WHERE IT'S LIFE OR DEATH. WE DARE NOT RISK IT.
00:15:14SO A LOT OF DOUBT ABOUT HOW
00:15:16THESE MEN WILL PERFORM THE NEXT CHANCE THAT THE
00:15:22AFRICAN-AMERICANS HAVE TO FIGHT.
00:15:24IS TAKES PLACE ABOUT FOUR DAYS LATER. AGAIN, THEY'RE GUARDING SUPPLY LINES.
00:15:28THERE'S ATTACK ON THE 19TH OF
00:15:31MAY AGAINST THEM. AND THERE'S A FIGHT THAT TAKES
00:15:35PLACE. IT'S NOT VERY MUCH, BUT THEY DO
00:15:37MANAGE TO DRIVE SOME OF RUSTLERS.
00:15:43CAVALRY. AND AGAIN, NOT MANY CASUALTIES.
00:15:47NOT A BIG THING, BUT AT LEAST
00:15:47THEY'RE HOLDING OWN.
00:15:51THE REAL FIRST BIG FIGHT THAT
00:15:53TAKES PLACE INVOLVING THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN UNITS TAKES
00:15:57PLACE AT A AT WILSON'S WHARF.
00:16:01LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. WELL, THE ARMY, THE POTOMAC IS
00:16:06PRESSING SOUTH, TRYING TO
00:16:08OBVIOUSLY OVERRUN AND TAKE
00:16:11RICHMOND, ETC., A ANOTHER ARMY
00:16:17UNDER GENERAL BENJAMIN BUTLER IS
00:16:20TRYING TO MOVE UP THE UP THE
00:16:23JAMES AND TAKE EITHER RICHMOND
00:16:27OR JUST BELOW THERE.
00:16:30PETERSBURG SO WE HAVE TWO UNION ARMIES SORT OF COMING IN
00:16:33POINTING TOWARD RICHMOND.
00:16:37THE THIS UNDER BUTLER HAS BLACK
00:16:43DIVISION AND IT'S A BLACK HEADED
00:16:45BY A GENERAL BY THE NAME OF EDWARD HINKS.
00:16:49AND HINKS HAS DECIDED THAT HE'S
00:16:54GOING TO HAVE HIS TROOPS MOVE
00:16:56AND BASICALLY THE SUPPLY LINES
00:17:00JUST THE TROOPS OF FERRIERO HAD
00:17:02DONE UP THERE WITH THE ARMY, THE POTOMAC.
00:17:06AND SO HE THINKS HIS MEN MOVE
00:17:09DOWN THE UP TO JAMES RIVER IN THE REAR OF BUTLER'S MAIN
00:17:15ADVANCE, AND THEY SET UP SOME.
00:17:17NOW, HINKS HAS A VERY
00:17:21INTERESTING BRIGADIER HAS WELL, HE HAS A DIVISION DIVIDED INTO
00:17:25TWO BRIGADES AND THE MAIN ONE IS
00:17:27HEADED BY A GENERAL BY THE NAME OF EDWARD WILDE.
00:17:32AND WHAT HINKS DECIDES TO DO IS
00:17:35TO HAVE WILD SET UP A FORT ON
00:17:40THE NORTH BANK OF THE RAPIDAN OF
00:17:43THE JAMES RIVER AT A PLACE
00:17:45CALLED WILSON'S AND A FORT ON
00:17:49THE SOUTH BANK OF THE RIVER AND
00:17:57THOSE TWO FORTS OCCUPIED BY
00:18:00AFRICAN-AMERICAN SOLDIERS WOULD
00:18:02BE ABLE TO CONTROL OR PREVENT
00:18:04THE CONFEDERATES FROM ATTACKING HIS SUPPLY LINES.
00:18:08SO THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING
00:18:08THAT SAME SUPPLY LINE PROTECTION.
00:18:13NOW, AN INTERESTING GUY IS THIS
00:18:18GENERAL WILD, WILD IS QUITE
00:18:23FAMOUS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, TO NOT ONLY
00:18:26THE FEDERALS, BUT TO AS WELL.
00:18:28HE WAS A 38 YEAR OLD PHYSICIAN
00:18:32AND HE WAS FROM BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.
00:18:34HE HAD VOLUNTEERED IN THE WAR
00:18:38AND HE GOT SHOT IN THE RIGHT HAND AT SEVEN PINES.
00:18:42AND THEN HE GOT IN THE LEFT ARM AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN.
00:18:46AND THE SPECIALIST BAD THAT HIS
00:18:48ARM HAD TO BE AMPUTATED.
00:18:50HE WAS A FERVENT ABOLITIONIST.
00:18:54AND AFTER THAT, HE RECRUITED
00:18:56SOME BLACK REGIMENTS.
00:18:58HE FORMED WHAT WAS CALLED WHITE'S AFRICAN BRIGADE.
00:19:02AND DURING THE WINTER OF 63, 64,
00:19:06HE LED AN INTO NORTH CAROLINA
00:19:10USING A LOT OF THAT BRIGADE AND
00:19:14IN ORDER TO GET MORE BASICALLY
00:19:17FORMER AND, THERE WERE ALL KINDS
00:19:20OF TALES PASSED AROUND ABOUT
00:19:24RAMPAGING THAT INCITED LOT OF THE SOUTHERN NEWSPAPERS TO
00:19:29DENOUNCE. AND ONE OF THE MAIN SOUTHERN
00:19:32NEWSPAPERS DENOUNCED HIS AS
00:19:34BEING CONTRARY, TO QUOTE, LONG ESTABLISHED USAGES OF
00:19:38CIVILIZATION AND THE DICTATES OF HUMANITY.
00:19:42WELL, HIS REPUTATION PRECEDED HIM INTO VIRGINIA.
00:19:45AND AGAIN HIS ARMED BLACKS WERE
00:19:50THERE THE WAY ALONG JAMES RIVER
00:19:54SCARED THE LOCAL HABIT
00:19:56INHABITANTS TO DEATH AND THINGS
00:19:59REACHED A HEAD BASICALLY WHEN
00:20:03WILDS SOLDIERS CAPTURED THIS
00:20:06PLANTATION OWNER BY THE NAME OF
00:20:08WILLIAM COMPTON, WHO WAS VERY
00:20:10WELL RENOWNED CRUELTY TO SLAVES.
00:20:14AND IT WAS HIS DIRECTION HIS
00:20:16SOLDIERS TIED, HOPPED INTO A
00:20:18TREE AND WHIPPED HIM IN FRONT OF
00:20:22-- TROOPS AND. THEN THREE WOMEN WHO HAD
00:20:24PREVIOUSLY BEEN OWNED HIM GAVE
00:20:29HIM 2020 LASHES EACH AND WILD
00:20:33SAID THE LASHING WAS JUSTIFIED AS, QUOTE, THE ADMINISTRATION OF
00:20:38POETICAL AND QUOTE.
00:20:40WELL, RICHMOND WAS UP IN ARMS. I JUST WANT TO READ YOU A COUPLE
00:20:43OF THINGS THAT. THE RICHMOND NEWSPAPERS NOW WERE SAYING.
00:20:46THEY SAID THAT WILDE'S QUOTE,
00:20:50WRETCHES HAVE BEEN SCOUTED, SCOURING THE COUNTY COMMITTING,
00:20:54THE MOST ATROCIOUS AND DEVILISH EXCESSES. THIS IS FROM THE RICHMOND
00:20:58EXAMINER. THEY'D BEEN ROBBING AND BURNING
00:21:01AND PLUNDERING, AND THAT HAS NOT BEEN ENOUGH. BUT THESE SCOUNDRELS HAVE
00:21:07LITERALLY CAUGHT WHITE MEN, TIED THEM TO TREES, WHIPPED THEM ON
00:21:09THEIR BARE BACKS. RUMORS HAD IT.
00:21:13THE RICHMOND EXAMINER CONTINUED
00:21:15THAT QUOTE THESE BLACK DEMONS BY
00:21:17VIOLENCE AND THREATS OF INSTANT DEATH HAVE MADE SOME LADIES
00:21:22ALONE AND UNPROTECTED. THE VICTIMS, THEIR HELLISH APPETITES.
00:21:25SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE IMMEDIATELY, CRIED THE
00:21:30NEWSPAPERS. IS OUR GOVERNMENT TO SUBMIT
00:21:32PASSIVELY TO SEEING THE CITIZENS
00:21:34AND SHOT DOWN LIKE DOGS.
00:21:36ITS MEN BAYONETED NAILED TO TREES, ITS WOMEN RAPED AND,
00:21:40RAVAGED BY -- TROOPS FROM BOSTON AND YORK. END QUOTE.
00:21:44WELL, YOU CAN SEE THE PUBLIC
00:21:45UPROAR ABOUT THE IDEA OF --
00:21:49TROOPS AND PARTICULARLY ONES WHO
00:21:52HAD BASICALLY, AS THE
00:21:54SOUTHERNERS VIEWED FREE RUN AS A LAND.
00:21:58THERE WERE DEMANDS THAT PRESIDENT DAVIS DO SOMETHING
00:22:02RIGHT AND TO ACT.
00:22:04AND ON THE OF MAY 23RD, HE HAD
00:22:09GENERAL FITZHUGH LEE, COMMANDER IN A CONFEDERATE CAVALRY
00:22:13DIVISION, WHO HAPPENED ALSO, BY THE WAY, BE ROBERT E LEE'S
00:22:17NEPHEW TO GO TO WILSON'S WAR
00:22:23AND, QUOTE, BREAK UP THE NEST AND STOP THEIR UNCIVILIZED
00:22:27PROCEEDINGS, THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO THIS IS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
00:22:31LEE'S TROOPERS REACHED WILSON'S
00:22:36WHARF MID-MORNING ON.
00:22:4024TH AND HOLDING THAT AREA WAS
00:22:44THE FIRST UCSD FOR COMPANIES OF THE 10TH TO USE EAST.
00:22:48AND SOME ARTILLERY THE.
00:22:50LEE HE'S GOING TO BE DOING THE
00:22:53ATTACK AND HE HAD ABOUT 2500 CAVALRYMEN SUPPORTED BY SOME
00:22:57ARTILLERY.
00:22:59THE BLACK REGIMENTS UNDER WHILE
00:23:03THEY'RE AT WILSON'S WAR HAD
00:23:06ABOUT 1100 MEN SO HE'S OUTNUMBERED THEY'RE ABOUT 2 TO 1.
00:23:10THE FORWARD ITSELF NOW HAD SOME
00:23:15RAMPARTS, SOME RETRENCHMENTS.
00:23:17THERE WAS A BIG DITCH DUG IN FRONT OF IT AND.
00:23:21THERE WAS ONE UNION GUNBOAT THAT
00:23:23IN SUPPORT OF THE FORT.
00:23:27LEE'S SKIRMISHES, ADVANCED ON THE FORT.
00:23:29AND THERE WAS A BIG ATTACK AND.
00:23:33BASICALLY THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN
00:23:36UNITS DROVE THE FEDERALS BACK.
00:23:40I'M THE CONFEDERATES BACK.
00:23:42WILD'S POSITION, IT SEEMED, WAS
00:23:45TOO HARD TO TAKE BY.
00:23:49SO FITZHUGH LEE SENT TWO
00:23:50OFFICERS UNDER A FLAG OF TO TO
00:23:54TAKE A NOTE TO WILD AND THE NOTE
00:23:58SAID QUOTE, IF THE OF THE
00:24:00FEDERAL FORCES IS MADE, THE SOLDIERS WILL BE TAKEN TO
00:24:04RICHMOND AND TREATED AS PRISONERS OF WAR.
00:24:06BUT IF THEY DO NOT SURRENDER,
00:24:09GENERAL LEAVE WILL NOT BE FOR THE CONSEQUENCES.
00:24:14WELL, WILD UNDERSTOOD EXACTLY WHAT GENERAL LEE WAS TALKING
00:24:18ABOUT. THE THREAT WAS AN OBVIOUS REFERENCE TO THE MASSACRE AT
00:24:22FORT PILLOW THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE
00:24:25ABOUT SIX WEEKS EARLIER WHEN BLACK TROOPS WHO HAD SURRENDERED
00:24:28TO NATHAN BEDFORD BEDFORD FORREST MEN WERE MASSACRED.
00:24:34AND SO BASICALLY, FITZHUGH WAS
00:24:36THREATENING IF WILD WOULD NOT SURRENDER, THAT HE WOULD BEAT
00:24:41THEM AND THEN MASSACRE ALL OF HIS SOLDIERS.
00:24:43AND SO WHILE SENT BACK A VERY
00:24:47TYPICAL RESPONSE TO FITZHUGH LEE, HE SAID, QUOTE, PRESENT MY
00:24:51COMPLIMENTS TO GENERAL LEE AND
00:24:54TELL HIM TO GO TO HELL. OKAY.
00:24:56SO NOW THINGS REALLY HEATING UP.
00:25:00LEE DEPLOYS HIS SOLDIERS AND
00:25:04ATTACKS AGAIN.
00:25:06THE UNION GUNBOAT BACK AND
00:25:10BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE WILDS MEN
00:25:14ARE ABLE TO HOLD THEIR POSITION.
00:25:16THEY FINALLY DRIVE LEE BACK AND
00:25:20OFF AND FITZHUGH LEE HAS TO GIVE.
00:25:24AS ONE OF THE CONFEDERATES QUOTE
00:25:26WE RETIRED UNDER THAT AWFUL FIRE
00:25:29FROM THE MOST USELESS AND OTHERWISE ATTACK AND THE MOST
00:25:33SIGNAL FAILURE WE WERE EVER ENGAGED IN.
00:25:35SO THIS GREAT ATTACK AGAINST AFRICAN-AMERICAN TROOPS HAD BEEN
00:25:39ROUNDLY DEFEATED.
00:25:42THE BATTLE, IT WAS NOT MUCH OF A
00:25:45BIG FIGHT, BUT IT WAS EXTREMELY SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT WAS THE
00:25:49FIRST MAJOR ENCOUNTER BETWEEN. BLACK TROOPS AND THE ARMY IN
00:25:52NORTHERN VIRGINIA AND THERE COULD BE NO DOUBT ABOUT WHO HAD
00:25:56WON A UNION WROTE, QUOTE, THAT
00:26:00BLACK MAN WHO WILL FIGHT IS ESTABLISHED FACT, END QUOTE.
00:26:04SO THE ENTIRE REPUTATION OF THE
00:26:06AFRICAN-AMERICAN UNITS WAS LOST
00:26:10GOING IN A GOOD DIRECTION, AT LEAST FOR THEM.
00:26:12IT'S ALSO INTERESTING WHAT THE
00:26:15CONFEDERATE RESPONSE WAS.
00:26:18FITZHUGH LEE UNDERSTATED THE
00:26:20NUMBER OF MEN THAT HE HAD HAD.
00:26:22HE MAGNIFIED IN HIS REPORT,
00:26:25WHILE THE NUMBERS DRAMATICALLY
00:26:28AND HE FALSELY CLAIMED THAT UNION TRANSPORTS HAD BROUGHT IN
00:26:32WHITE TROOPS. AND THE RICHMOND EXAMINER, AGAIN, THE MAIN RICHMOND
00:26:37NEWSPAPER CLAIMED NUMEROUS WHITE
00:26:40MARINES HAD ASSISTED WILDE'S,
00:26:42QUOTE, SUPPOSED -- TROOPS AND
00:26:46QUOTE, AND THE SIX UNION GUNBOATS HAD SUPPORTED THEM,
00:26:49WHICH IS SIMPLY NOT THE.
00:26:52BASICALLY NO NEWSPAPER IN THE
00:26:54SOUTH AND NO OFFICER IN THE SOUTH IS READY TO.
00:26:58ADMIT THAT THEY'VE BEEN BEATEN
00:27:01BY BLACK MEN. SO THINGS ARE GETTING OFF TO A
00:27:04GOOD START IN THAT PART OF THE
00:27:08OF THE OPERATIONS BY JUNE THE
00:27:14THINGS WILL CHANGE AGAIN.
00:27:15BASICALLY LEE GRANT HAVE BEEN
00:27:19FIGHTING NORTH IN RICHMOND, PLACES, COLD HARBOR, STUFF LIKE
00:27:24THAT. BUT GRANT WAS MAKING VERY LITTLE
00:27:26PROGRESS TOWARD TAKING RICHMOND
00:27:30OR DESTROYING LEE'S ARMY. AND SO THE DECISION WAS MADE TO
00:27:34GO AHEAD AND ATTACK PETERSBURG.
00:27:38PETERSBURG, OF COURSE, IS SOUTH
00:27:41OF RICHMOND BY ABOUT 20 MILES. BUT IT WAS A MAJOR SUPPLY LINE
00:27:44FOR RICHMOND AND FOR THE CONFEDERATE FORCES.
00:27:47AND IT'S THERE ON THE APPOMATTOX RIVER.
00:27:50AND SO UNION, THERE'S ALSO
00:27:56EARTHWORK WORKS THAT PROTECT PETERSBURG.
00:27:59WELL, GRANT NOW DECIDES ATTACK PETERSBURG. LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN DO THERE
00:28:03BECAUSE IF WE CAN CUT OFF THE CONFEDERATE SUPPLY LINE, WE'LL
00:28:07BE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE.
00:28:10AND AN ATTACK WAS PUT TOGETHER
00:28:13TO TAKE PLACE ON THE 15TH OF
00:28:16JUNE AND IT BEGAN WITH THE WITH
00:28:21THE ATTACK BY THE WELL, BY THE
00:28:31U.S. ELEMENTS THAT HAD BEEN
00:28:34THEIR I'VE BEEN TALKING THEY WERE THERE AT WILSON'S WHARF
00:28:37LEADING THE ATTACK AND.
00:28:42THEY PUSHED DOWN THE ROADS TOWARD.
00:28:45PETERSBURG AND ENCOUNTERED RESISTANCE AT A PLACE CALLED
00:28:50BAYLOR'S FARM WHERE THE SOUTHERN
00:28:53CALVARY, SUPPORTED BY ARTILLERY, ERECTED A BARRIER.
00:28:56AND THIS THE ESTES THEN LAUNCHED
00:29:02THE FIRST OFFENSIVE OPERATION OF THE WAR RIGHT HERE.
00:29:04THEY FORM AND PUSH FORWARD.
00:29:09IT'S GOING TO INVOLVE THE FIFTH, 20, SECOND AND SIXTH U.S. ESTES
00:29:12I'M SORRY, U.S. CITIES BACKED BY
00:29:17THE FIFTH AND FIRST U.S. SO THEY CHARGE.
00:29:21THEY TAKE CASUALTIES.
00:29:25BUT BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THEY ACTUALLY BREAK THROUGH THE
00:29:29CONFEDERATE THERE AT BAYLOR'S FARM AND OPEN THE WAY FOR THE
00:29:31ATTACK TO. PETERSBURG.
00:29:37THEY THE CASUALTIES WERE HEAVY IN.
00:29:39THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN TROOPS. ONE OF THE REGIMENTS, THE FOURTH
00:29:42U.S. CITY, SUSTAINED 120, ABOUT
00:29:48120 CASUALTIES. AND THE OTHER SEVERAL OF THE OTHER REGIMENTS HAD SIMILAR
00:29:52LOSSES. BUT IT A VICTORY.
00:29:56A SOLDIER IN A WHITE REGIMENT
00:29:58THAT CAME ACROSS THAT SAME FIELD RIGHT AFTER.
00:30:02THE BIG ATTACK WROTE, QUOTE, A
00:30:04NUMBER OF DEAD -- ARE ABOUT AND THEIR WOUNDS ARE COMING BACK
00:30:08SHOT IN ALL SORTS OF WAYS AND
00:30:12LEGS, ARMS, HEADS AND BODIES. BUT THEY'RE HOBBLING ALONG AND
00:30:16BRINGING THEIR GUNS WITH THEM. -- WILL KEEP ON WILL KEEP ON
00:30:19THEIR FEET AND MOVE ON WITH
00:30:21WOUNDS THAT WOULD UTTERLY LAY
00:30:23OUT WHITE MEN AND THEY STICK LIKE DEATH TO THEIR GUNS.
00:30:27SOME OF THE BLACK SOLDIERS GATHERED AROUND THE CAPTURED
00:30:30CONFEDERATE ARTILLERY AND, QUOTE, KISS THE PIECES OF
00:30:34ARTILLERY WHICH HAD FALLEN INTO THEIR HANDS AND SHARED THEIR DELIGHT.
00:30:38CHILDREN MIGHT HAVE DONE. SO THIS WAS THE FIRST OFFENSIVE
00:30:41ACTION BY THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN
00:30:45TROOPS DURING THIS ENTIRE CAMPAIGN AND IT HAD BEEN A GREAT SUCCESS.
00:30:50AND BASICALLY THEY COULD TAKE CREDIT FOR HAVING OPENED THE
00:30:53DOOR FOR THE BIG ATTACK ON PETERSBURG.
00:30:56THE ATTACK OVERRUN THE
00:31:00PETERSBURG DEFENSES TOOK PLACE
00:31:02LATER THAT AFTERNOON.
00:31:04AS I'M SURE YOU ALL ARE AWARE,
00:31:08THE EARTHWORKS THE CONFEDERATES
00:31:10HAD ERECTED TO PROTECT PETERSBURG WERE ANCHORED ON THE
00:31:16APPOMATTOX RIVER, THE TOWN OF
00:31:17JUST BELOW RIVER, AND THE.
00:31:22LINE OF PROTECTIVE EARTHWORKS
00:31:24AROUND ALL THE WAY AROUND THE CITY.
00:31:28AND THERE WERE A SERIES OF FORTS.
00:31:30AND THEY WERE, OF COURSE, SEQUENTIALLY STARTING IN ONE
00:31:33UNDERNEATH THE RIVER, TWO, THREE, FOUR OR FIVE, SIX.
00:31:36AND ON ALL ALL THE WAY AROUND,
00:31:39CONNECTED BY FORTIFIED THE
00:31:43ATTACK TO BE MADE AGAIN IS GOING TO BE MADE BY THE SAME GROUP OF
00:31:49AFRICAN AMERICAN UNITS AND IT'LL
00:31:51BE AGAINST THE FORTS THAT ARE
00:31:55LABELED OR THE BATTERIES THAT ARE LABELED FIVE, SIX, SEVEN,
00:31:59EIGHT, NINE, TEN AND 11. IN THAT SEQUENCE FORTS.
00:32:02AND IT'S QUITE AN ATTACK.
00:32:04LET ME JUST TAKE LOOK AT MY NOTES BECAUSE THERE'S A IT'S I
00:32:08JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO GET NUMBERS STRAIGHT BECAUSE THERE'S
00:32:11A LOT OF NUMBERS.
00:32:12BUT BASICALLY AT THE SIGNAL, THE
00:32:16FIRST U.S. CHARGE POURED OVER
00:32:18BATTERY SIXES AND CAPTURED THAT
00:32:24THAT PART OF THE CONFEDERATE LINE A.
00:32:28CONFEDERATE ATTEMPTED TO TO ONE OF THE BLACK SOLDIERS, BY THE
00:32:32WAY AND THE HE CLAIMED THAT THE
00:32:36BLACK SOLDIERS SAID, -- YOU, I'LL KILL YOU. YOU'VE KILLED A HEAP OF OUR GOOD
00:32:39MEN TODAY.
00:32:40AND HE I CAN SEE THE CAP SHINING
00:32:45ON HIS GUN YET? I ASKED NO QUARTER EXPECTED THE
00:32:47BULLET TO PASS THROUGH
00:32:53INSTANTLY, BUT FOR SOME REASON
00:32:55IS A GUN DID NOT GO OFF. SO HE LIVES TO ME WITH HIS BEING
00:32:59NET AND LEAPING TO ONE SIDE. HE KEPT RIGHT ON DOWN THE HILL
00:33:02THINKING NO DOUBT HE HAD KILLED ME.
00:33:05SO WAS ONE LUCKY CONFEDERATE.
00:33:09MEANWHILE, THE SECOND US CITY
00:33:13HEADED BATTERY NUMBER SEVEN, THAT WOULD BE THE NEXT ONE IN
00:33:15THE SEQUENCE AND A SOLDIER FROM
00:33:21MAINE, A DRUMMER BOY WHO
00:33:23HAPPENED BE WHITE LATER WROTE QUOTE THOSE COLORED TROOPS
00:33:27STARTED ON A DOUBLE QUICK AND AS THEY DESCENDED DOWN THE HILL THE
00:33:30FORT POURED VOLLEY AFTER VOLLEY INTO THEM, THE MEN SEEMED TO
00:33:33FALL LIKE BLADES OF GRASS BEFORE A MACHINE, BUT THEY DID NOT STOP
00:33:37THEM. THEY RALLIED AND MOVED ON IT WAS
00:33:40ONLY THE OF A FEW MINUTES. SO THE BLACK ARE NOW MAKING
00:33:45VIOLENT HEAD ON ATTACKS AGAINST THESE CONFEDERATE EARTHWORKS AND
00:33:48ACTUALLY BREAKING THROUGH, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE TAKING HEAVY
00:33:52LOSSES AND THEY'RE ALSO WINNING THE ABSOLUTE ADMIRATION OF THE
00:33:56OTHER SOLDIERS THAT ARE THE WHITE UNITS THAT ARE WORKING
00:33:59WITH THEM ON REACHING BATTERY
00:34:02SEVEN DOWN IN THAT SEQUENCE, THE
00:34:0622ND U.S. PRESSED UP AGAINST THE
00:34:10WALL, THE ENTRENCHMENT, AND THEN
00:34:12PART OF THE SECOND U.S. CITY
00:34:15SLIPPED AROUND THE RIGHT SIDE PART AROUND THE LEFT SIDE.
00:34:19ANOTHER UNIT CAME PUNCHING IN, THE OTHER U.S. TWO UNIT, AND
00:34:22THEY OVERRAN BATTERY SEVEN,
00:34:26WHICH GAVE UP. AND THAT CONTINUES.
00:34:30BATTERY EIGHT THE NEXT ONE DOWN THERE IN LINE WAS A POWERFUL ONE
00:34:34WAS ATTACKED BY THE FIRST AND
00:34:3722ND U.S. CITIES, AGAIN, WHO BROKE THROUGH, WHO THEN MOVED
00:34:40DOWN TO BATTERY NINE. AND BASICALLY BY THE END, THIS
00:34:44WHOLE PROCESS, THEY HAD TAKEN
00:34:46BATTERY TEN AND BATTERY 11.
00:34:49AND THE U.S. WERE PRETTY MUCH
00:34:51HEROES OF THE DAY DAY.
00:34:55GENERAL HANKS, WHO WAS IN CHARGE
00:34:57THAT DIVISION ENTHUSIASTIC, HE
00:34:59PRAISED THEM AND BALDY SMITH WHO
00:35:03GENERAL SMITH PRAISED THEIR
00:35:07SPLENDID CONDUCT. HE HIMSELF HAD BEEN THERE AS.
00:35:09WELL, SO THE US CITIES BASICALLY
00:35:12BY THE OF THIS OVERLAND CAMPAIGN
00:35:14NOW ARE INTEGRAL PART OF THE
00:35:18ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY NOT ONLY
00:35:21FIGHTING, NOT ONLY PROTECTING
00:35:24SUPPLY LINES, THEY'RE MAKING
00:35:26MAJOR ATTACKS THERE, PROTECTING IMPORTANT AREAS. THEY ARE.
00:35:30AND THEY'RE NOW BEING TOTALLY ACCEPTED AND.
00:35:34THE ENTIRE PERCEPTION OF THEM CHANGED.
00:35:37SO THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO TELL
00:35:40YOU ABOUT THE UK'S THE YOU SEE
00:35:43THE U.S. IDS IN THE IN THE
00:35:46OVERLAND CAMPAIGN.
00:35:48SO DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
00:36:04OKAY. WELL, I SUSPECT LUNCH TAKES PRECEDENCE YOU HAVE ONE.
00:36:07OKAY, HERE'S A COUPLE HERE.
00:36:13HERE COMES YOUR MICROPHONE.
00:36:17GORDON. AND IN YOUR RESEARCH, DID YOU
00:36:20FIND LETTERS DIARIES OF A WHITE
00:36:25UNION SOLDIERS COMMENTING ON ON
00:36:27THE ACTION OF THE BLACK TROOPS
00:36:29WERE THEY EXPRESSING ADMIRATION OR RESPECT FOR THEM? YES, THEY WERE.
00:36:33AND YES I DID COME ACROSS
00:36:35SEVERAL OF AND THAT THERE ALSO
00:36:39WERE A LOT OF NEWSPAPER ARTICLES
00:36:41IN THE NORTHERN PRESS ABOUT HOW
00:36:46THE HOW THE THE SOLDIERS HAD HAD
00:36:51PROVEN THEIR WORTH AMONG THE RANK AND FILE. YES. YEAH. THEIR FELLOW SOLDIERS.
00:36:55YES, ABSOLUTELY.
00:37:04IN THE WESTERN THEATER, BLACK
00:37:07STAN BRAGG AND JOHN BELL HOOD
00:37:10WERE, DISASTROUS.
00:37:12AND NATHAN FORCE, WHO HAD
00:37:16AUDACITY. HE HAD SYMPHONIC HAD HE BEEN
00:37:20PROMOTED TO A HIGHER YOU KNOW
00:37:24GIVEN BEING IN CHARGE OF OF LARGER DIVISION OR SOMETHING
00:37:28LIKE THAT. DO YOU THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT.
00:37:32THE WESTERN THEATER HAD SOMEBODY THAT HAD THE GUTS AS A BEDFORD
00:37:37FORCE FOR BETTER FOR WHOM?
00:37:40WELL, OKAY.
00:37:42YOU KNOW WHEN JOHN BELL HOOD CAME IN, IT WAS A DISASTER. BRECHT.
00:37:46BRAGG WAS A DISASTER LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN. YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE BUT NATHAN
00:37:50BEDFORD FORCE WAS CAVALRY IN A
00:37:54BLACK, SMALLER, YOU KNOW, HAD HE
00:37:57BEEN PROMOTED, LET'S SAY, DO YOU
00:38:01THINK THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT OR, BETTER FOR THE
00:38:06CONFEDERATES MEAN. YES. YEAH. OKAY.
00:38:08I DON'T KNOW HOW HE WOULD HAVE PERFORMED AT THAT MUCH HIGHER
00:38:12LEVEL. YOU OFTEN SEE THESE GENERALS CAN
00:38:14DO A GOOD JOB AT A LOWER LEVEL WHO DON'T DO SO GOOD WHEN THEY
00:38:18GET ABOVE WHAT THEY. I THINK THAT WAS ONE REASON WHY
00:38:20THEY DIDN'T YEAH AND US WAS VERY
00:38:22GOOD AT RAIDS.
00:38:26HE ALSO WAS ON ON A RACIAL SIDE
00:38:30EXPLOSION EXTRAORDINARILY BRUTAL
00:38:33KNOW SO HOW WOULD HAVE FUNCTIONED IF HAD HE BEEN AT A
00:38:38HIGHER LEVEL OF COMMAND. I JUST I JUST IT SEEMS LIKE IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN ANY WORSE.
00:38:42I MEAN, CONSIDERING YOU. BRAXTON BRAGG.
00:38:44MY GOSH ANY OTHER QUESTIONS IN THAT'S A LITTLE OUTSIDE THE
00:38:49SCOPE. YEAH.
00:38:50ALL RIGHT TO THE OTHER OTHER
00:38:56COME SHE'S COMING AROUND THE BACK WAY AND SHE'LL BRING IT TO
00:39:02YOU.
00:39:04WHO WAS IT THAT HAVE A QUESTION.
00:39:07OH SORRY. THANK YOU.
00:39:10THAT WAS AN EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.
00:39:13CURIOUS TO KNOW.
00:39:15YOU'VE OBVIOUSLY EXTENSIVELY
00:39:18RESEARCHED THE U.S. COLORED.
00:39:20DO YOU HAVE MUCH KNOWLEDGE OF
00:39:22THE TROOPS THAT AT THE VARIOUS
00:39:26FEDERAL RUN PRISON CAMPS WHERE
00:39:28THEY WERE STATIONED, WHERE TROOPS WERE STATIONED AT THE
00:39:32U.S. COLORED TROOPS LIKE AT
00:39:34POINT LOOKOUT OR ELSEWHERE?
00:39:36I DON'T KNOW I THINK YOU NEVER LOOKED INTO.
00:39:42YEAH WE WERE ALSO ONE BIG PROBLEM. WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING.
00:39:46AND THE WHOLE PICTURE OF OF THE
00:39:50BLACK FEDERAL TROOPS IS THAT
00:39:52THEY'RE VERY, VERY FEW WRITINGS LEFT BY THEM.
00:39:56THEY THE BULK OF THEM, PARTICULARLY THE ONES WE'RE
00:39:58TALKING, HAVE BEEN ENSLAVED, HAD
00:40:01NO EDUCATION COULDN'T READ OR WRITE.
00:40:04AND THERE AREN'T A LOT THEY ONE
00:40:08OF THE BEST I'VE EVER SEEN WAS THE ONE I WROTE A BOOK ABOUT.
00:40:11STEPHEN SWALES, WHO HAD BEEN
00:40:14BORN FROM BY HIS MOTHER AND
00:40:16FATHER, WERE SCAPE SLAVES, AND HE WAS BORN IN THE NORTH AND
00:40:20ACTUALLY WENT TO SCHOOL THAT'S QUITE LITERATE AND LEFT A
00:40:24MASSIVE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL, BUT
00:40:26THAT'S EXTREMELY AND THAT'S WHY
00:40:29YOU JUST DON'T SEE MANY BIG
00:40:31TROPHIES OF THE U.S. CITIES.
00:40:35WHAT WAS THE HIGHEST RANKING BLACK SOLDIER?
00:40:40HMM. WELL, LET'S SEE. I GOT TO SAY, OBVIOUSLY, ALL OF
00:40:45THE OFFICERS WERE WHITE AND THAT
00:40:46WAS A REQUIREMENT UNTIL
00:40:49REQUIREMENT WAS BROKEN BY SWALES AND.
00:40:53HE WAS COMMISSIONED AS THE FIRST
00:40:55BLACK OFFICER BY THE U.S.
00:40:59MILITARY AND ACTUALLY, THE
00:41:00REASON THAT WAS GIVEN IN WRITING
00:41:03BY THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT WAS HE
00:41:07HAD BEEN COMMISSIONED TO AND AS
00:41:13A AS AN OFFICER, BECAUSE EVEN
00:41:15THOUGH HE HAD AFRICAN BLOOD, YOU
00:41:17COULDN'T TELL IT BY LOOKING AT HIM.
00:41:21SO BASICALLY, HE LOOKED WHITE
00:41:25AND DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HIGHEST LEVEL WAS THAT WAS ULTIMATELY
00:41:29REACHED BECAUSE ONCE HE WAS
00:41:31COMMISSIONED THAT SORT OF BROKE THE DAM BROKE.
00:41:35AND AFTER THAT MANY WERE.
00:41:39YES THERE IS MAN WHO PASSES THAT
00:41:44IS OF MIXED RACE THAT WAS BORN IN THE CARIBBEAN AN ENSLAVED
00:41:48WOMAN AND, A GERMAN, AND FOUGHT
00:41:50IN THE PRUSSIAN MILITARY. BUT HE'S THE LIEUTENANT COLONEL
00:41:54OF THE THIRD NORTH CAROLINA.
00:41:57BUT IT WAS AN OPEN SECRET OUT
00:41:59THAT HE WAS BLACK. SO I PERSONALLY THINK HE'S
00:42:03HIGHEST RANKING BECAUSE A LOT PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT HIS RACIAL
00:42:07HERITAGE AND HE WAS HE WAS THE LIEUTENANT COLONEL.
00:42:12OKAY. THANK YOU. WAS THERE ANYTHING
00:42:16AFRICAN-AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS,
00:42:18EMBEDDED REPORTERS WITH U.S.
00:42:22CITIES? I DON'T KNOW IF THEY EMBEDDED WITH U.S. CITIES. THERE WERE AFRICAN AMERICAN
00:42:26NEWSPAPERS AND THEY DID FOLLOW
00:42:30THOSE. YES. OH, YEAH.
00:42:34JUST TO KEEP THINGS AT THE INNER
00:42:38AT THE END OF THE WAR, THERE WERE, I THINK, A NUMBER OF
00:42:42BLACKS LIEUTENANTS AND CAPTAINS
00:42:42WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN PROMOTED
00:42:46BY THEIR REGIMENTS, BUT THAT
00:42:49HAVEN'T BEEN ALLOWED BY THE WORD UNTIL THE VERY END OF THE WAR
00:42:53THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS OF THE WAR. OKAY. SO THEY WEREN'T FORMALLY
00:42:58COMMISSIONED. AND SO, YEAH, AND ALSO IN TERMS OF CORRESPONDENCE FOR AFRICAN
00:43:01AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS AND A NUMBER OF THE NEWSPAPERS GOT
00:43:05CORRESPONDING FROM THE SOLDIERS THEMSELVES, RIGHT. YEAH.
00:43:09YEAH. I'M NOT FAMILIAR OF ANY REPORTERS THOUGH FROM THE
00:43:12NEWSPAPERS THAT WERE ACTUALLY
00:43:15TRAVELING WITH THE UNIT.
00:43:17RIGHT SO FERRARO'S DIVISION MAKE
00:43:22IT TO APPOMATTOX AND IF SO, WHAT
00:43:24WAS THE SURRENDER LIKE?
00:43:28YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT
00:43:30I DIDN'T FOLLOW THEM PAST. THE OVERLAND CAMPAIGN AS FAR AS
00:43:33I'M CONCERNED THE CIVIL WAR ENDED WITH AT THE END OF THE
00:43:39OVER-THE.
00:43:45OKAY. THANK YOU.
00:43:46OKAY WELL THANK YOU VERY