During the US Civil War, over a quarter million African Americans served and fought on the Union side with distinction.

After the Civil War, in a reorganization of the United States Army, permanent, albeit segregated, units of black soldiers were created.

These units served in almost every military conflict fought by the United States until the

end of the Second World War.

Learn more about the Buffalo Soldiers, their origin, their service on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. The origin of the Buffalo Soldiers dates back to the Civil War.

In 1862, the United States Congress passed two bills that began the process of black military service in the Union Army.

The Confiscation Act of 1862 freed slaves from

any slave owner in rebellion and the Militia Act of 1862 allowed the

president to use freed slaves in any way he saw fit.

Initially, President Lincoln didn't do anything,

but after the Emancipation Proclamation in September,

the full enlistment for black Americans

began in January of 1863. They didn't have full integration with regular Army units.

Rather, there were separate segregated units led by white officers. There were a little

under 80,000 black soldiers who enlisted from Union states, and the majority

of those came from border states like Missouri, Kentucky, and Washington, D.C.

More than double that number, however, came from freed slaves from states and rebellion.

Despite not being allowed to serve for the first 18 months of the war,

Black Union soldiers suffered higher casualty rates than white soldiers.

As with white soldiers, the vast majority of casualties were due to disease, not combat deaths, but they did suffer uniquely by Confederates on the battlefield and especially if they were captured.

Ulysses S. Grant was initially skeptical of black units in the army but changed his mind after the Battle

of Vicksburg when he noted quote, the Negro troops are easier to preserve discipline

...