Originally published in 1998, Like Men of War was a groundbreaking early study of Black troops in the Civil War that is still considered a major contribution to the literature on the United States Colored Troops (USCT). In this chronological operational history, Trudeau covers every major engagement-and a few minor ones-that the USCT participated in. By quoting generously from primary documents, including Black soldiers' letters, Trudeau tells the combat history of African American troops in the Civil War largely through the voices of the soldiers themselves.This fresh, expanded second edition adds material on additional engagements and other aspects of Black soldiers' experiences, and features a new selection of photographs. The updated bibliography is extensive, providing a rich selection of source materials for further study and exploration. Like Men of War is essential reading for anyone seeking a thorough understanding of the US Civil War.
Noah Andre Trudeau is a former executive producer at National Public Radio and the author of Lincoln's Greatest Journey: Sixteen Days That Changed a Presidency, March 24-April 8, 1865; Gettysburg: A Testing of Courage; and Southern Storm: Sherman's March to the Sea, among other books.
List of Maps List of Illustrations Preface to the Revised Edition Preface to the 1998 Edition Acknowledgments-Revised Edition Acknowledgments-1998 Edition Author's Note Part One: 1861-1862 Prologue 1. "A Liberating Army" Part Two: 1863 2. "Will They Fight?" Interlude: "The Power of Fear" Interlude: "A School of . . . Self-Reliance as Well as an Engine of War" 3. "The Old Flag Never Touched the Ground" Interlude: "The Question of Pay" 4. "The Question That Negroes Will Fight Is Settled" Interlude: "A Rebel Master and a Union Master" Part Three: 1864 5. "Amid a Storm of Bullets" 6. "You Are Fighting Against Your Master" 7. "With Wild, Exultant Cheers" 8. "On to Richmond!" Interlude: "This Disgraceful Distinction" 9. "I Am Ready to Die for Liberty" 10. "Saved the Colors" Interlude: "A Practice Justified by No Rule of War" 11. "Into the Very Mouth of Death" 12. "Captain, I Am Wounded; What Shall I do?" Part Four: 1865 "Ye's Long Been A-coming" Interlude: "We Want Black Commissioned Officers" 14. "Our Errand Through the State" 15. "The Negro Will Fight & Fight Bravely" Interlude: "Their Enthusiasm Was Said to Be . . . Remarkable" 16. "Babylon Is Fallen" Interlude: Nothing Has Shocked Us So Much" 17. "That Winds Up the War" Part Five: Legacies, 18652022 18. "This Good Work Is Only Begun" 19. Final Word(s) 20. Taps Notes Bibliography Index
Noah Andre Trudeau's Like Men of War became an instant classic when it was first published in 1998. No other book offered the scope and depth of the Black military experience during the Civil War era and even with all the research that we've seen over the past twenty-five years, the book remains essential reading. Historians and general readers will no doubt enjoy and profit from this updated and revised edition." - Kevin M. Levin, author of Searching for Black Confederates: The Civil War's Most Persistent Myth"Like Men of War is important and relevant because it remains the only extant narrative history of Black troops in the Union Army aimed at both general readers and scholars and students. Not a logistical or institutional study, Trudeau's book breathes life into the men and battles of the U.S. Colored Troops." - John David Smith, coauthor of Soldiering for Freedom: How the Union Army Recruited, Trained, and Deployed the U.S. Colored Troops "Two distinguishing features of this book make it the most valuable compendium of the important role of Black soldiers in the Civil War. Every combat operation in which these units participated, including major battles as well as minor skirmishes, is described. And much of the evidence for consists of enlisted men's letters, diaries, reports, and memoirs. Readers will find here the most complete account of these events." - James M. McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era "Like Men of War remains the best traditional military history of the service of African Americans in the Union Army during the Civil War. It is wonderful that Noah Andre Trudeau and the University Press of Kansas are publishing a new edition of this classic work. No doubt the second edition will help acquaint a new generation of readers with the battlefield story of Black Union soldiers." - Donald R. Shaffer, author of After the Glory: The Struggles of Black Civil War Veterans
