The road to freedom from slavery was a long and hard one for the African Americans. In the northern states the Civil War began as a fight agai

12. Geoffrey C. Ward, The Civil War (New York: Alfred A. Knoff Inc, 1990), 253.

They had fought in a battle that indisputably showed the blacks courage and ability. Because of the proven ability of African American in combat by the Union, the Confederate Sates began contemplating the idea of using them in battle themselves.31 The outstanding performance of the Union black soldiers had impressed many of the Southern officers. In January 1864, General Patrick Cleburne and several other Confederate officers in the Army of the Tennessee proposed the idea of using slaves as soldiers since the Union was using black troops. Cleburne recommended offering the slaves their freedom if they fought and survived. Confederate President Jefferson Davis refused to even consider Cleburne’s proposal and forbade further discussion of the idea. The concept, however, did not die. In later months talk began to stir in the southern states again about the idea of using slaves in the war. “… the Confederate cause grew increasingly desperate and finally even Judah Benjamin, the Confederate secretary of state, was won over to the necessity of making soldiers out of slaves.”32 On March 13, 1865, the Confederate Congress passed General Order 14, and President Davis signed the order into law. The order was officially issued March 23, 1865. Enlistment began, though not many enrolled to fight for the southern states. Slaves were told they would be given their freedom in return for their service. The war ended before those who had enlisted were given the opportunity to actually engage in a battle.

President Lincoln was being bombarded with pressure to let free African Americans fight in the war. At the same time, pressure to abolish slavery was put on the President. Finally, in the summer of 1862, with the realization that the war would not be won without the end of slavery, Lincoln drew up the Emancipation Proclamation.4 Because Lincoln did not wish to push the slave-reliant border states into succeeding, this document did not free all slaves. It only freed slaves in all areas that had already rebelled against the Union. This began a rippling effect to many other aspects of the war and led to the enlistment of African Americans in the Union Army and Navy.

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