Discrimination in terms of attaining higher ranks in the Union Army
Discrimination against black soldiers was not solely confined to pay, these men were also discriminated against in terms of promotions within the army. They were denied the right to hold a commissioned rank, i.e. lieutenant and higher. Some black men successfully held commissioned rank outside of the military chain of command, becoming chaplains and surgeons within the Union army. Just as black soldiers had protested for equal pay, they similarly campaigned to try to bring an end to this discriminatory policy.
A document, which was found in a street in New Orleans, dated September 1863 written by an anonymous author, sheds light on the way some black men felt not only about fighting under white officers but also about the war itself: “We care nothing about the union, we have been in it slaves over two hundred and fifty years. Liberty is what we want and nothing shorter.” The author of the document believes that neither the Union nor the Confederacy cares for the well-being of the slave, and that is why black men if they have to fight for the Union, should be allowed to “fight for their rights under Colored officers.”
Responding to requests from soldiers in the 54th and 55th Massachusetts infantry regiments, Governor Andrew offered Sergeant Stephen A. Swails a lieutenancy. The War Department quickly intervened and refused to authorise the measure. However, according to Berlin and colleagues, “the combined pressure of black soldiers, Northern black abolitionists, and white proponents of black equality weakened the opposition to black officers.” Further aided by the support of prominent Republican politicians, the War Department finally relented and agreed to commission Swails in early 1865. Naturally, this late reversal of policy meant that only a small number of black men ever reached the commissioned ranks.