The Negros Civil War in Tennessee Critique - Article Example

The article is a good read, although it is riddled with a lot of facts and figures regarding the United States Colored Troop's regiments. This is one of its strengths as well; the effort Lovett must have taken in writing this article is apparent by his extensive referencing as well as his quotation of figures regarding the Colored Troop's regiments. At the end of the article, he presented a fact sheet, detailing the Colored Units and their battles and engagements between the period of 1863 to 1866. This is a clear sign of his methodical research and attention to detail.

Lovett also tries to capture the human emotion behind the involvement of slaves in the Union Army. He gives anecdotal references, of course, well-documented, about the atmosphere of Tennessee and the condition of blacks therein. The article is clear in pointing out the aversion the rebel army had to arming blacks due to the racism very much prevalent and rife in the South, and this, Lovett, points out is what caused their defeat in the end. He makes out a very good case regarding how the Union Army took the opportunity of enlisting blacks and, thus, won the war. However, Lovett does not glorify the Union Army needlessly and does point out the “misfits, glory-hunters, and incompetents” (40) therein.

He goes on to describe the skirmishes and battles the black Union soldiers were involved in, staying true to history. The article describes the Fort Pillow Massacre where 238 of the 262 black soldiers were killed at the hands of General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Confederate troops (Lovett 44), as well as the final decisive battle at Nashville on December 16, 1864 (Lovett, 48), where the heroic fighting skills of blacks helped, if not caused, the Union Army’s victory. This is again very well documented and referenced by him, and proof of his success in making out an effective case regarding the role of blacks in the Civil War.

Lovett has made a very good case about the involvement of the then-slaves in the Civil War and the extremely pivotal role they played in the victory of the Union Army. He contends that this role is often overlooked by historians, or not delved into much, and through writing this article, he has successfully taken the first step in recognizing the contribution of black slaves to the Civil War of the United States.