At the time of the Civil War when the call
came for volunteers free Negroes everywhere offered their services to the Northern States and
everywhere their services were declined. Indeed,
it was almost looked upon as insolence that they
should offer to fight in this “white man’s war.”
Not only was the war to be fought by white men but desperate effort was made to cling to the technical fact that this was a war to save the Union and not a war against slavery. Federal officials and northern army officers made effort to reassure the South that they were not abolitionists and that they were not going to touch slavery.[1]
Meantime there began to crystallize the demand that the real object of the war be made the abolition of slavery and that the slaves and colored men in general be allowed to fight for freedom.
This met bitter opposition. The New York Herald voiced this August 5, 1862. “The efforts of those who love the Negro more than the Union to induce the President to swerve from his established policy are unavailing. He will neither be persuaded by promises nor intimidated by threats. Today he was called upon by two United States Senators and rather peremptorily requested to accept the services of two Negro regiments. They were flatly and unequivocally rejected. The
- ↑ Williams, Negro Race In America, Vol. 2, pp. 244ff
