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Battle cry of freedom in lincoln1/31/2024 Although the officers of the regiment pleaded with their superiors to send fresh provisions, over 150 men of the regiment died.Īt the end of the war, Wright and Johnson lived in Lewes until they passed away. At one point, an average of five men died daily from the disease. Wright, Johnson and the rest of the 25th spent the rest of the war serving in garrison duty and they faced one of the greatest hazards to befall Civil War soldiers, disease.ĭuring the spring and summer of 1865, the regiment suffered from an epidemic of scurvy. These two men joined the 25th Regiment U.S.C.T and were dispatched to Fort Barrancas near Pensacola, Florida. Wright and Matthew Johnson.Īlthough not much is known about Wright and Johnson, it was common for men from the same area to enlist together. Cool as I am I found myself getting excited as I heard their songs this afternoon and saw the electrifying effect on the crowds of slaves.”Īn estimated 1,000 African Americans of Delaware, out of a black population of 5,000, slave and free, between the ages of 15 and 50 eventually joined the Union Army. The crowd of African-Americans burst into song singing the “Battle Cry of Freedom,” and Norton, commented, “They sing with the heart, and the earnestness they put into the words is startling. There are hundreds of them mostly slaves, here, now, anxiously waiting for the recruiting officer.” Norton noted, “Our camp was thronged with visitors, and (those) who wanted to enlist. Norton went by train to Seaford, where he set up a temporary recruiting station in a pine grove which was soon crowded with prospective recruits. Norton, a hardened veteran who had fought at the battle of Gettysburg, led a detachment of African-American troops to Seaford to encourage enlistments from southern Delaware for one of the newly-formed U.S.C.T. No regiments of the new “United States Colored Troops (U.S.C.T.)” were formed in Delaware, but several units were organized in neighboring states. In 1863, battlefield losses and the need for additional troops convinced President Lincoln to authorize the formation of regiments composed of black soldiers, who were led by white officers. ![]() The two men from Sussex County were ready, willing and able to enlist but the Union army did not want them.Īt the beginning of the Civil War, Wright, Johnson, and other black residents of Delaware were eager to join the fight against the Southern rebellion, but the Northern forces would only accept white enlistees. In response to the attack on Fort Sumter, President Abraham Lincoln called for volunteers to suppress the Southern rebellion, and in September 1861, a Union recruiting station was established in Georgetown to enlist troops for the 1st Delaware Regiment.īy the end of September, nearly 70 men had joined the Northern forces to suppress the Confederacy but Wright and Johnson were not among them. The Wilmington newspaper went on to report Confederate forces had opened fire on Fort Sumter. On April 16, 1861, the Delaware State Journal and Statesman reported, “The ball has been opened at last and war is inaugurated.” Wright and Matthew Johnson were ready to fight. ![]() Watch Video: Five things to know about the Buffalo Soldiers
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