A History of the Negro Troops in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865 (originally published in 1888) by pioneer African American historian George Washington Williams remains a classic text in African American literature and Civil War history. In this powerful narrative, Williams, who served in the U.S. Colored Troops, tells the battle experiences of the almost 200,000 black men who fought for the Union cause. Determined to document the contributions of his fellow black soldiers and to underscore the valor and manhood of his race, Williams gathered his material from the official records of U.S. and foreign governments and from the orderly books and personal recollections of officers commanding Negro troops during the American Civil War.
The new edition of this important text includes an introductory essay by the award-winning historian John David Smith. In his essay, Smith narrates and evaluates the book's contents, analyzes its reception by contemporary critics, and evaluates Williams's work within the context of its day and its place in current historiography.

The pioneering history of African-American involvement in the Civil War, with a new introduction by the renowned Civil War historian John David Smith.

About the Author
George Washington Williams (1849-1891) was a Pennsylvania-born soldier, legislator, and historian whose History of the Negro Race in America, 1619-1880 (1882) became the first work of serious scholarship by an African American. Dr. John David Smith is the Charles H. Stone Distinguished Professor of American History at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His many books and editions include Black Soldiers in Blue: African American Troops in the Civil War Era (2002).

Reviews
"I commit this story of the Negro's martial prowess to my countrymen, regardless of section or race, creed or party; entertaining the belief that neither sectional malice nor party rancor can ever obliterate a record that is now, happily in the progress of events, not only the proud and priceless heritage of a race, but the glory of a nation." -- -George Washington Williams



Book Information
ISBN 9780823233854
Author George Washington Williams
Format Paperback
Page Count 294
Imprint Fordham University Press
Publisher Fordham University Press