PDF One Nation Under God: A Christian Hope for American Politics by Bruce Riley Ashford; Chris Pappalardo in History

Description

The story of thirty-six African American men who drew upon their shared community of The Hills for support as they fought in the Civil War. Through wonderfully detailed letters; recruit rosters; and pension records; Edythe Ann Quinn shares the story of thirty-five African American Civil War soldiers and the United States Colored Troop (USCT) regiments with which they served. Associated with The Hills community in Westchester County; New York; the soldiers served in three regiments: the 29th Connecticut Infantry; 14th Rhode Island Heavy Artillery (11th USCT); and the 20th USCT. The thirty-sixth Hills man served in the Navy. Their ties to family; land; church; school; and occupational experiences at home buffered the brutal indifference of boredom and battle; the ravages of illness; the deprivations of unequal pay; and the hostility of some commissioned officers and white troops. At the same time; their service among kith and kin bolstered their determination and pride. They marched together; first as raw recruits; and finally as seasoned veterans; welcomed home by generals; politicians; and above all; their families and friends.“This book takes a fascinating look at ‘forgotten history’ and makes it clear that; although freedom was partially gained by these African Americans; their ‘Freedom Journey’ continued long after the shooting stopped. Highly recommended.” — Civil War News “Quinn’s meticulous research and refined historical interpretation has allowed her to recover a uniquely enlightening chapter of nineteenth-century African American history in the North. By tracing the lives of Union soldiers from a free; black community in Westchester County; New York; we discover the commitment of these men and their families from The Hills to the eradication of slavery in the South. With notable sensitivity; the author produces a tale of black men who risked their lives and the security of their families for the sake of freedom. It is a story about conviction—poignant; inspiring; and persuasive.” — Myra Young Armstead; editor of Mighty Change; Tall Within: Black Identity in the Hudson Valley “As an in-depth case study of the African American volunteers from The Hills community who served in the Civil War; Edythe Ann Quinn’s Freedom Journey is a well-researched book that explores a much needed ethnic aspect of that war. For those interested in genealogy and local history; Freedom Journey offers unique insights into the social and cultural history of The Hills community; first settled in the 1790s. Additionally; the work contains a roster of the volunteers and thirteen historical sidebars that relate to the African American wartime experience.” — Anthony F. Gero; author of Black Soldiers of New York State: A Proud Legacy “Edythe Ann Quinn has taken a little-known community; The Hills in Westchester County; and using a comprehensively well-resourced and researched methodology; has written not only an enjoyable and engagingly attractive family history (individual and collective) of black New Yorkers from slavery to freedom; but as well the sacrifices that the community’s young men gave. It is the voices of those sable warriors that are heard through the personal letters; woven into the overall engaging literary style of the author.” — A. J. Williams-Myers; author of Long Hammering: Essays on the Forging of an African American Presence in the Hudson River Valley to the Early Twentieth Century