Glatthaar, Joseph T. Forged in Battle: The Civil War Alliance of Black Soldiers and White Officers. New York: Free Press, 1990.
As a civilian learning about military experiences and battles is like learning about a different world. As a black woman I have endured racism and prejudice throughout the course of my life. In the monograph, Forged in Battle, by Dr. Joseph T. Glatthaar, there is a clear vision of what life was like for Black and White soldiers serving in the United States Colored Troops. The monograph places an emphasis on racism, history of the United States Colored Troops, recruitment, training and discipline, the battlefield, prejudice within the service, life after the war, and …show more content…
As stated by the New England Quarterly, “Glatthaar full and fascinating presentation shows why, how, and where the black man first gained his place in a free society”. Dr. Glatthaar is a prestigious adjunct professor of the curriculum in peace, war, and defense at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Dr. Glatthaar is the author of many Civil War monographs including: The Civil War in the West, Partners in Command: Relationships Between Civil War Leaders, March to the Sea, and General Lee’s Army: From Victory to Collapse. Dr. Glatthaar is considered to be one of the most prominent Civil War historians in the historical realm. The historiography of the monograph dates back to sixteen months after the beginning of the Civil War and the book itself elevates Civil War literature due to the fact that it sheds light on the United States Colored troops which are not commonly spoken about when conversing about the Civil War. The monograph sheds light on the unlikely alliance between Whites and Blacks while fighting in the Civil War. During the beginning stages of the Civil War Whites had preconceived notions of Blacks as being inferior, savages, and incompetent. Blacks on the other hand viewed Whites as …show more content…
The official records help put the war into perspective with 37,000 Black men giving their life for freedom on the Confederate and Union sides of the war. Bobby L. Lovett of Tennessee State University stated, “Because it focuses on the social aspects rather than on the mere military events, Forged in Battle, is the best book on African-American soldiers in the Civil War published during the last twenty-five years”. It is noted in the monograph that many White historians seldom converse about the United States Colored Troops nor is it taught about in schools. Perhaps the best and most notable chapter of the monograph is chapter eleven: Life after the United States Colored Troops which takes a journey through what life was like for Blacks and White commanding officers after the Civil War. Many Blacks moved or stayed in the North, some were killed, and others committed suicide. Many Whites forgot about the contributions of their Black counterparts during the war and so did history. Years after the war proved to be hard for Black soldiers and as history evolved the army continued to be segregated and unfortunately Blacks were still not given the credit that they deserved for their accomplishments during the war.