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2 West Point alumni launch effort to honor first Black soldiers of the Civil War
2 West Point alumni launch effort to honor first Black soldiers of the Civil War
By Adam Parker aparker@postandcourier.com7 hrs ago
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aparker@postandcourier.com
BEAUFORT — When they were students at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in the 1970s, Ben Hodges and Chris Allen learned a lot about the country’s various armed engagements. ... Many years later — after Hodges retired as a three-star lieutenant general of the Army, after Allen retired from a career in the Special Forces — they discovered a void in their knowledge of U.S. military history.
No one told them much about African American contributions before World War II. Those contributions dated to the Colonial period and, given the widespread and profound impacts of the institution of chattel slavery, were quite significant.
They learned that Black people fought on both sides of the Revolution, but mostly on the British side since a Patriot defeat would have spelled the end of slavery. They learned that Black people fought in the War of 1812, often hoping to take advantage of an offer by the King to relocate to England and be free. And some participated in the 1846-48 expansionist Mexican-American War. ... But such service was sporadic, often frowned upon by White leaders, and not always officially sanctioned.
Then they learned about the 1st South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, organized in Beaufort in 1862. ... “This marks the beginning of continuous service by African Americans in the U.S. Army,” Hodges said. And that service was high-risk and noteworthy.
{snip}
By Adam Parker aparker@postandcourier.com7 hrs ago
https://www.facebook.com/aparkerwriter
https://www.twitter.com/aparkerwriter
aparker@postandcourier.com
BEAUFORT — When they were students at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in the 1970s, Ben Hodges and Chris Allen learned a lot about the country’s various armed engagements. ... Many years later — after Hodges retired as a three-star lieutenant general of the Army, after Allen retired from a career in the Special Forces — they discovered a void in their knowledge of U.S. military history.
No one told them much about African American contributions before World War II. Those contributions dated to the Colonial period and, given the widespread and profound impacts of the institution of chattel slavery, were quite significant.
They learned that Black people fought on both sides of the Revolution, but mostly on the British side since a Patriot defeat would have spelled the end of slavery. They learned that Black people fought in the War of 1812, often hoping to take advantage of an offer by the King to relocate to England and be free. And some participated in the 1846-48 expansionist Mexican-American War. ... But such service was sporadic, often frowned upon by White leaders, and not always officially sanctioned.
Then they learned about the 1st South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, organized in Beaufort in 1862. ... “This marks the beginning of continuous service by African Americans in the U.S. Army,” Hodges said. And that service was high-risk and noteworthy.
{snip}