Smith, John David, ed. Black soldiers in blue; African American troops in the Civil War era.

SMITH, John David, ed. Black soldiers in blue; African American troops in the Civil War era. Univ. of North Carolina Press. 451p. illus. notes. index. c2002.0-8078-5579-0. $19.95. A

There is a great deal more to the story of the black Federal regiments during the Civil War than most popular histories discuss. Most who have read anything at all about the war know of the red-trousered 54th Massachusetts Infantry and the sadly bungled Battle of the Crater. There were, however, quite a few more African American regiments than conventional books describe, mostly made up of ex-slaves and "contrabands," and led by white officers. Some of these troops won fame on the battlefield, and some were shamefully massacred when captured, as at Fort Pillow. A few units wore flamboyant uniforms and were led by charismatic officers who lionized the troops under their command. Most black soldiers, however, were privileged to serve steadfastly in the drab blue battle line just like any other soldier: weary, often frightened and nearly always uncomfortable, but doing their job nevertheless.

Professor Smith is one of the first to assemble a collection of contemporary essays that take in all sides of the complex and often controversial issue. Like any anthology, this one is somewhat uneven in places but this is made up for by the wide scope and variety of the entries. A decided plus is the addition of two chapters dealing with two of the regiments in the immediate post-war period. The mature tone of the writing, plus the need to know something of the Civil War overall, will restrict this book to more advanced high school readers.

The social consequences of militarizing the newly freed Americans were enormous, of course. Those who maintained that "war never accomplishes anything" might have done well to stand beside Col. Thomas W. Higginson as he accepted the New Year's greeting of one of his African-American soldiers: "Suh, last year I was the servant of a colonel of Secesh. This year I give myself the pleasure of saluting my own colonel." Raymond Puffer, Historian, Edwards AFB, Lancaster, CA

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code help librarian and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.