African American Soldiers Fought in the Civil War

Did you know …   African Americans fought in the Civil War. They fought in segregated regiments (all black troops) that became known as the United States Colored Troops (USCT). President Abraham Lincoln issued a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862. It became law on January 1, 1863, and freed the slaves. Over one hundred seventy-eight thousand African Americans enlisted in the United States Army during the Civil War. Some of these men lived in free states. Most of these soldiers were from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. These recruits had to be trained to shoot a gun and become soldiers. They worked hard. During practice drills, they loaded muskets (rifles) and aimed at targets. They fired on these targets until they felt...

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