Existing comment:
Did you know that...
* One hundred and sixty-six regiments were raised for the United States Colored Troops (USCT), as they were officially known, comprising more than 200,000 black soldiers and more than 7,000 white officers.
* The number of black troops in the Union army was larger than the entire Confederate Army in the final months of the war.
* These troops were not latecomers or limited to labor on [sic -- should be "or"] garrison duty. They fought valiantly in literally scores of battles in a dozen states, often leading the assault as at Port Hudson, Nashville, Petersburg, and New Market Heights.
* The casualty rate for the USCT was 18 percent, compared to 13 percent for the Union Army as a whole.
* Fourteen USCT soldiers were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor as a result of their actions at New Market Heights.
* In addition to the USCT, more than 20,000 black men served in the Union Navy during the Civil War. |