Throughout the years of the Civil War, Carpenter served in at least 14 campaigns and over 150 battles related to them. Starting from the 1861 Peninsula Campaign, he was also a part of the 1862 Maryland Campaign, the Campaign at Fredericksburg, the 1863 Gettysburg Campaign, Chancellorsville (in Stoneman’s raid to the rear of Lee’s army), the 1864 The Wilderness and in the final battles in Kentucky and South-West Virginia.
Helping to Solve Civil Issues Among the Military
It should be addressed that Carpenter saw fit to eradicate race issues among troops and solidify everyone together as one cohesive unit against the enemy. After Carpenter became the executive officer of the 5th USCC, he was relegated to training and getting the African-American recruits ready for combat. After all, basic drills, weapons training and conditioning helped build confidence and preparedness.
However, Carpenter came across another serious problem. Non-commissioned officers were to be chosen from the ranks, yet he was faced with an entire regiment of recent ex-slaves who weren’t literate enough to handle the tasks assigned to sergeants. Carpenter’s solution came swiftly, though, and was thankfully granted by his superiors. He placed literate, white, non-commissioned officers among the “colored sergeants,” to combine them with literate leaders who could help teach a literacy program for African-American NCOs. This idea corrected the problem in time and gave Carpenter a nod toward the attention of his watchful officials.
Despite this initial headway, it slowly became apparent that some white officers promoted from the ranks were “unsuited” to command “colored troops.” Even though efforts of training by Carpenter and other officials, attrition was the only real solution for these junior officers.
Carpenter’s progressive mindset led him to greater heights throughout his career as well. His disregard for any racial intolerance made him a shoe-in for joining up with the 10th Cavalry Regiment of Buffalo Soldiers during the Indian Wars. He accepted the role of Captain in the Regular Army, serving over 13 years of near-constant conflict with the Native Americans in the Southwest.
It was noted that Carpenter’s men fully respected him, a notion which only proved true when it was discovered that his company had the lowest documented desertion rate of the Regular Army during his charge. Known for being fair, firm, and consistent, Carpenter was able to understand the hardships and racial bigotry his men faced. After his service with the 10th Regiment had met its end, he campaigned and defended what his Buffalo Soldiers had done, and what they were capable of doing in the future. His ability to train and lead was remarkable, setting a standard for all of the surrounding cavalry units.
Overall, during his military career, Carpenter earned more than just the Medal of Honor during the Indian campaigns. He was also awarded a Brevet promotion for bravery and was mentioned in dispatches during the Civil War, as well as having another Brevet promotion recognizing his work in the Indian Wars.