Thread by @pptsapper

Whoops, fell into a research rabbit hole about African-Americans serving in supposedly white regiments during the Civil War

Actually, this one's pretty fascinating and I may not emerge from it today

Bruce Anderson was an African-American who was born in Mexico City but migrated to NY. He enlisted as a PVT in the white 142d New York. On January 15, '65, Anderson & 12 other men destroyed an obstacle blocking the path to Fort Fisher, under fire. He received the MOH for this

There has been virtually nothing written on this, other than the two volumes of over 2,000 names of African-Americans in white regiments compiled by Juanita Patience Moss.

William Henry Johnson enlisted in the 8th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Regiment in 1861 and saw combat at New Bern, NC in 1862.

IJ Hill was an African-American minister in PA and joined the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry in 1861.

Great talk on the topic by Juanita Patience Moss, whose grandfather was in the 103rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry

c-span.org/video/?315160-…

Following the Civil War, Tennessee former a State Guard to combat the KKK. It was non-segregated. 7 of the 21 companies were a mix of black & white soldiers, with many being combat veterans. African-Americans had leadership roles as well, including the commander of Co G, 2d Regt

Orrin Secco enlisted in the 2nd Maine Cavalry in January of 1864. This trooper died in Florida, far away from his home in China, Me, on October 11 of that same year.

In the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery - of "most casualties taken by any unit in one day in the US Army in the Civil War" fame - there were no less than four black men serving: Aaron Williams (WIA, died of disease), Lemuel Carter, Franklin Fremont, and George Freeman (WIA)

Cpl John Cisco served in the 124th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Milton Holland enlisted in the 92nd Ohio before becoming a Sgt Maj in the 5th USCT where he earned the MOH.

BTW, Milton Holland's story is WILD. His father was Texan Bird Holland & his mother an unknown slave

Bird Holland - yes, real name - bought the freedom of his 3 (THREE!!) sons that he had by this poor woman & sent them off to school in Ohio. Bird Holland eventually becomes Texas Sec of State before the CW, then a major in the Confederate Army, KIA in LA in '64

Despite his Texas ties, Milton is like "lemme fight" in '61, but Gov Dennison of OH won't let blacks serve. So Milton enters service as the aide to the commander of the 92nd OVI. Then in 1863 he's finally allowed to serve in a combat role in the 5th USCT.

At Chaffin's Farm in '64, all the white officers of the unit are killed and so Milton takes over, leads the unit to victory. He gets field promoted to captain but that gets revoked by the War Department. Assholes.

Anyways, Milton goes on to hunt down Confederate guerillas in NC

Robert Pinn was another who managed to enlist in a white regiment, entering the 19th OVI in 1861, where he'd be commended for his bravery at the Battle of Shiloh in 1862.

Anthony Williams of Maine enlisted in the 30th MeVI and was KIA during the Red River campaign

This is a really fascinating topic that blows open a lot of the tropes about race in the Union Army in the Civil War. It deserves a more dedicated researcher than I, so I hope someone picks it up and runs with it in tandem with Dr Moss