Thread by @pptsapper

"Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letter, U.S., let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder and bullets in his pocket, there is no power on earth that can deny that he has earned the right to citizenship."
- Frederick Douglass

Sgt William Carney, 54th Massachusetts. Caught up the unit's colors at Fort Wagner when the color bearer was shot down and planted them on the parapet, was wounded twice, and finally carried the colors to safety:
"Boys, I only did my duty; the old flag never touched the ground!"

Never forget that it was African-Americans forcing the issue of their humanity onto US Army commanders that led to swifter government action against slavery; and then the actions of the USCT units in battle that helped shape public opinion in favor of Emancipation

"…late advices from Kansas and Florida give
details of engagements between the rebels and
United States negro troops in which, the latter
behaved with distinguished coolness and brave
courage, and achieved decided success…these
experimental fights…"

"...inspires the rebels with indescribable horror, and bids fair to work important changes in the policy of the
government toward the negroes."
- New York Times, November 17, 1862

The white commanding officer of the 1st South Carolina Infantry, US Army, reports this marvelous incident of when his African-American soldiers capture a rebel South Carolinian officer:

Imagining deciding to fight your nation's flag based on your belief that you should be able to own some people, and then those same people capture your dumb ass