Camp of the 1st U.S. Colored Troops,
Wilson's landing, Charles City Co.,
May 10th 1864.
Mr. Editor:
You are aware that Wilson's Landing is on the James river, a few miles above Jamestown, the very spot where the first sons of Africa were landed, in the year 1620, if my memory serves me right, and from that day up to the breaking out of the rebellion, was looked upon as an inferior race by all civilized nations.
But behold what has been revealed in the past three or four years; why the colored men have ascended upon a platform of equality, and the slave can now apply the lash to the tender flesh of his master, for this day I am now an eye witness of the fact. The country being principally inhabited by wealthy farmers, there are a great many men in the regiment who are refugees from this place.
While out on a foraging expedition we captured Mr. Clayton, a noted reb in this part of the country, and from his appearance, one of the F.F.V's; on the day before we captured several colored women that belonged to Mr. C., who had given them a most unmerciful whipping previous to their departure.
On the arrival of Mr. C. in camp, the commanding officer determined to let the women have their revenge, and ordered Mr. C. to be tied to a tree in front of headquarters, and William Harris, a soldier in our regiment, and a member of Co. E, who was acquainted with the gentleman, and who used to belong to him, was called upon to undress him, and introduce him to the ladies I mentioned before. Mr. Harris played his part conspicuously, bringing the blood from his loins at every stroke, and not forgetting to remind the gentleman of days gone by.
After giving him some fifteen or twenty well-directed strokes, the ladies, one after another, came up and gave him a like number, to remind him that they were no longer his, but safely housed in Abraham's bosom, and under the protection of the Star Spangled Banner, and guarded by their own patriotic, though once down-trodden race.
Oh, that I had the tongue to express my feelings while standing upon the banks of the James river, on the soil of Virginia, the mother state of slavery, as a witness of such a sudden reverse! The day is clear, the fields of grain are beautiful and the birds are singing sweet melodious songs, while poor Mr. C. is crying to his servants for mercy. Let all who sympathize for the South take this narrative for a mirror.
Yours Truly,
G.W.H.
Liberated slaves of Confederate General Thomas F. Drayton
Company E, 4th US Colored Infantry at Fort Lincoln
Medal of Honor recipient Christian Abraham Fleetwood
Saved the regimental colors after eleven of the twelve color guards had been shot down around it.
Medal of Honor recipient William Harvey Carney
Shot in the thigh during the famous assault on Fort Wagner. Crawled uphill on his knees, bore the Union flag and urged his fellow troops to follow.
Medal of Honor recipient Powhatan Beaty
Took command of his company, all the officers having been killed or wounded, and gallantly led it.
Medal of Honor recipient James Daniel Gardner
Rushed in advance of his brigade, shot a rebel officer who was on the parapet rallying his men, and then ran him through with his bayonet.
21 additional black soldiers received the Medal of Honor for their service in the Civil War:
Aaron Anderson
Bruce Anderson
William H. Barnes
Robert Blake
James H. Bronson
William H. Brown
Wilson Brown
Decatur Dorsey
James H. Harris
Thomas R. Hawkins
Alfred B. Hilton
Milton M. Holland
Miles James
Alexander Kelly
John Henry Lawson
James Mifflin
Joachim Pease
Robert Pinn
Edward Ratcliff
Andrew Jackson Smith
Charles Veale
For most Americans, the Civil War is a sudden outbreak of a existential violence. But for 250 years, African-Americans lived in slavery--which is to say perpetual existential violence. I don't know what else to call a system that involves the constant threat of your children, your parents, your grandparents, being sold off, never for you to see them again. That is death.
Malcolm X was fond of saying that that there was no such thing as a "bloodless revolution." I don't know if that's true, but it surely was true of black people. The Civil War is our revolution. It ended slavery, and birthed both modern America, and modern black America.
That can never be tragic to me.
- Ta-Nehisi Coates