Joining the Union Army

Introduction

At the start of the war, most runaway slaves (or freedom seekers) were classified as "contraband" and were to be returned to their owners or enslavers. However, as the war progressed, some Union officers began using and enlisting these freedom seekers. The Emancipation Proclamation marked a turning point, as it led to the active recruitment of former enslaved persons, offering them freedom and honor. By the war's end, around 180,000 Black men, mostly former slaves from the South, served in the Union Army, making up about 10 percent of its forces. Among those who took this path to freedom were members of the Bostick family, who fled enslavement in the South and eventually settled in southern Illinois – just south of Murphysboro. But to what extend does their story reflect the broader experiences of African Americans who fought for the Union and sought new opportunities in the North after the war?

Essential Questions

1. To what extent does the broader national experience for freedom seekers compare and contrast with the Bostick story?
2. Why did the Union Army’s approach to freedom seekers like the Bosticks change over the course of the Civil War, and what factors influenced this change?
3. How did the promise of freedom and military service shape the lives of freedmen like the Bosticks during and after the Civil War?

Your Task: 

First, read and summarize local historian Michael Jones’ account of the Bostick family’s experiences during the Civil War to understand three main ideas or claims he is making:

• Claim 1: The Emancipation Proclamation inspired the Bosticks to flee their enslavers.
• Claim 2: Union soldiers initially took the Bosticks as “contraband” or property.
• Claim 3: Later the Bosticks advanced as important contributors to the Union Army.

Second, examine 3 primary sources to identify if there is any evidence at the national level that supports Mr. Jones’ claims about the Bosticks’ experiences.

Finally, match these sources to Mr. Jones’ claims to help you answer one or more of this module’s central questions. (See above.)

This module was inspired by the SIU Press publication, Forgetting and the Forgotten: A Thousand Years of Contested History in the Heartland (Batinski, 2022).