USCT African and American Leaders Quiz

Answer: Harriet Tubman

During the time that she helped on the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman helped around 300 slaves escape to the north. Later she became a scout for the 2nd South Carolina Colored Troops.

Answer: Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass ran in 1872 for the Equal Rights Party as candidate for the Vice-Presidency. The presidential candidate was the first woman to run - Victoria Woodhull.

Answer: They received fourteen Medals of Honor

On September 29, 1864 in the Battle of Chaffin's Farm (or New Market Heights, as it is also known) the USCT won 14 of the 16 Medals of Honor that it won during the entire war.

Answer: Virginia

The USCT paid dearly for their valor. The men ran headlong into the rebel fire, winning the Medal of Honor for inspiring their men to go forward (many after being wounded) and for picking up the colors when the color bearers fell. Fourteen Medals of Honor were won that day by the colored warriors. It was part of the Petersburg battles and siege.

Answer: South Carolina

For his actions on July 18, 1863 William H. Carney became the first USCT man to win the Medal of Honor. After being shot several times he saved the American flag when the color bearer fell. He claimed, "The old flag never touched the ground, boys.". On May 31, 1897, when a monument to the charge was unveiled in Boston, William H. Carney walked out on the stage with the same flag that he had saved at Fort Wagner. Booker T. Washington, who was there to speak, said he never had heard or felt a crowd's reaction that ever equalled it.

Answer: Frederick Douglass

Douglass, who had purchased his own freedom, helped to persuade Lincoln to let colored troops fight and went out and recruited them himself. "Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letters US, let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder, and bullets in his pocket, and there is no power on earth or under the earth which can deny that he has earned the right of citizenship in the United States" said Douglass who had two sons in the 54th Massachusetts.

Answer: William H. Carney

During the assault on Fort Wagner, after seeing the Color bearer shot and start to fall, Sergeant Carney would save the National banner from falling into Rebel hands, or on the ground. Even though he had been shot four times, he managed to get the Colors back to his own lines and to safety.

Answer: January 1, 1863

Lincoln had issued it on September 22, 1862 following a Union "victory" at Antietam, but it did not take effect until January 1, 1863. The Confederates were outraged. "It is the darkest thing to ever come out of the human mind." said Senator Joseph Brown, of Georgia. "Both sides had agreed that this was to be a white man's war!"

Answer: 180,000

Roughly 36,000 died during the war from wounds or disease. 80 were commissioned officers. Martin Delany, and Francis Dumas were both Majors, the highest rank attained by a colored officer. Lincoln said, "Fifity thousand USCT on the banks of the Mississippi would end this war." Confederate General Henry McCulloch remarked after the Battle of Millikens Bend, "Our charge was resisted by the Negro portion of the enemy line with very great obstinacy, but the White portion of the Yankee line broke and ran like curs."

Answer: Island Mound

The battle took place a full two and a half months before Lincoln authorized the use of colored troops. The 1st Kansas volunteers were the first to see action in this battle with bushwackers. It was fought in the state of Missouri.

Answer: Secessionville

The USCT fought in all of the above battles. At Cabin Creek - the 1st Kansas; at Port Hudson - the 1st and 3rd Louisiana; at Baldwin - the 1st South Carolina. Of the battle at Secessionville, Robert Gould Shaw, the commander of the 54th wrote home to his parents, "You should have seen my men fight. They did a splendid job."

Answer: Louisiana

Louisiana- 24,052, Kentucky- 23,703, Tennessee- 20,135, Mississippi- 17,869, Maryland- 8,718, were the top five. The northern state with the most men recruited was Pennsylvania- 8,612, in sixth place. Kentucky and Maryland were border states.

Answer: Mary Elizabeth Bowser

Bowser would relay the information that she had overheard in meetings, or had read from dispatches that were on president Davis' desk. Davis never thought to hide the dispatches because slaves were not supposed to be able to read or write. Although aware that the Union army seemed to know what he was thinking, Davis never discovered the spy in his own house.

Answer: John C. Frémont

Frémont also began to confiscate land from pro-southern land owners. When Lincoln found out what he had done, Fremont was shipped off to West Virginia and the act was repealed.

Answer: William Lloyd Garrison

"The Liberator" was an eloquent and radical abolitionist publication that declared that slavery was an abomination in the sight of God and called for the immediate emancipation of all slaves.