Product Description

The 1st South Carolina Volunteers, later the 33rd United States Colored Troops, were the first black unit of the Civil War. Preceding the famous 54th Massachusetts—seen in the film Glory—by one year, these South Carolina slaves turned soldiers were noted for their courage, discipline, and pride, continuing to serve the Union cause even while temporarily disbanded. They fought for years with little or no pay, poor equipment, and constant pressure and abuse from both North and South. This brief history is told mostly through the letters and journals of their commanding officer Lt. Col. Charles T. Trowbridge.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #387401 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-23
• Released on: 2007-04-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

About the Author
Bennie J. McRae Jr. runs Lest We Forget, an online resource specializing in the service of blacks in the U.S. military. Curtis M. Miller is a reporter and anchor at WIBC radio in Indianapolis. Cheryl Trowbridge-Miller, a descendent of Lieutenant Colonel Trowbridge, is an employee of Fiserv Item Processing and a genealogist specializing in researching slave ancestors of black families.

Customer Reviews

Found! A Vital Historical Link!
Never before has such a vital historical link in American History been connected. Nineteen Century Freedon Fighters: The 1st South Carolina Volunteers documents the first participation of African American troops in the Civil War. This story has long been a blank page in American History books. The authors, MCrae, Miller, and Towbridge-Miller so movingly presented little known facts through vivid first person accounts and even photographs that captured the determination of exslaves who dared to fight for freedom. The book is packed with insights and "strait shooting facts" that the reader will find new and indeed captivating.

A necessary addition to the story of Black Civil War Service
by: Sharon Heist

The small size of this volume should not deter anyone from its purchase. Valuable for the many National archives photos alone, the words of Charles Trowbridge make it a gem. My interest in the USCT began several years ago, with the Department of the South. As I learned more of General David Hunter, Colonel T. W. Higginson, and Lt. Col. Trowbridge and the men who served under them, there was no doubt that I would need to learn much more of these soldiers.

That early research has become a quest to tell the stories of the USCT through the voices of the men themselves. This book has added a valuable piece to that history, a new primary source to enlighten us all. Thank you for giving us this opportunity to learn more of the real history that effects us all.

History is best told in the words of the players, and having diary and personal experiences told here are a facet that has been missing from much Civil War literature, and especially that of the Black soldiers

The past is an amazing place
This book is a perfect antidote for people who think history is boring. This brief, dramatically illustrated volume opens up a whole unknown world of courageous ex-slaves fighting bravely and brilliantly not just against a slave-holding enemy, but a Federal Government often indifferent to their fate. The historical narrative and the reprinted first person accounts are vivid pieces of reportage and memory.