The ultimate goal of history is to record past events in a manner which will give future generations a picture of their past. Essential to this endeavor is the presentation of historical facts without misrepresentation or bias opinions. Those of us who have more than a passing interest in history sometimes find ourselves in the spotlight with the title of an expert pinned to our names. As individuals who have dared to acquire more information about the United States Colored Troops and their supporters during the Civil War era, we are under a microscope of higher magnification. Because the history of the USCT has been overlooked, misrepresented, distorted and sometimes rewritten with malicious intention, one must exercise extreme caution when asked to present historical facts to an uninformed audience. 

The efforts made in recent years to honor and recognize the individuals of African descent, who saved the day for the Union army and changed the history of America, have generated considerable interest to many. The public thirst for history regarding the USCT requires diligent efforts to present factual information when given the opportunity to honor our history. This is especially true given the missed opportunities and out right intentions to not acknowledge the roles of the USCT during the Civil War. 

A recent article published in the Boston Globe should cause us to think carefully when we are approached as experts on the subject of the men and women who gave their best for the cause of freedom during a defining period in the history of America. The Globe quotes an African American museum spokesperson as having made the following statement, “the men of the 55th Regiment served in the shadows of the 54th and was composed of men who did not meet the standards of the 54th.” 

Historians who have studied the history of the 55th Regiment and some of the decedents of these soldiers have voiced exceptions to this statement. The statement does leave one to conclude that the men of the 55th Regiment were inferior to the men of the 54th Regiment.