Overview
Thousands of Black sailors served with valor during the Civil War. Yet few histories have highlighted their contributions to the Union's impressive naval victories throughout the war, which prompted Lincoln's Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles, to declare that if the army could not win the war, the navy would have to. Drawing on official naval records, personal letters and journals, and oral histories of formerly enslaved Americans, this volume documents the service of fugitive, freemen and freed Black sailors, 1861-1865.
Full Product Details
Author: James H. Bruns
Publisher: McFarland & Co Inc
Imprint: McFarland & Co Inc
Dimensions:
Width: 15.20cm
, Height: 1.30cm
, Length: 22.90cm
Weight: 0.322kg
ISBN: 9781476690544
ISBN 10: 1476690545
Pages: 246
Publication Date: 12 April 2023
Recommended Age: From 18 years
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
"Finally, there is a book that gives African-American sailors the credit they’re due for the winning the Union’s war on the waters."" —Claude Berube, PhD, director, United States Naval Academy Museum, author of On Wide Seas: The US Navy in the Jacksonian Era ""In researching the history of the naval reserve which came into existence just before World War I, I discovered African-Americans proved to be the manpower reserve enabler to allow for the rapid expansion of the Union Navy to suppress the southern rebellion. James Bruns explains how cultural differences between the army and navy facilitated the recruitment and integration of colored sailors into the ranks and how they contributed to Union success on multiple fronts. Using artifact and manufacts as focal imagery, Bruns goes far to fill a critical void in Civil War naval historiography!"" —David F. Winkler, Ph.D. Naval Historical Foundation, author of Ready Then, Ready Now, Ready Always: More Than a Century of Service By Citizen Sailors"
In researching the history of the naval reserve which came into existence just before World War I, I discovered African-Americans proved to be the manpower reserve enabler to allow for the rapid expansion of the Union Navy to suppress the southern rebellion. James Bruns explains how cultural differences between the army and navy facilitated the recruitment and integration of colored sailors into the ranks and how they contributed to Union success on multiple fronts. Using artifact and manufacts as focal imagery, Bruns goes far to fill a critical void in Civil War naval historiography! --David F. Winkler, Ph.D. Naval Historical Foundation, author of Ready Then, Ready Now, Ready Always: More Than a Century of Service By Citizen Sailors
Author Information
During his 35-year federal and not-for-profit career, James H. Bruns has served as Director of the Department of the Navy’s Museum System, with administrative oversight of the Navy’s nine national Museums. He lives in Lorton, Virginia.
