A history of the black soldiers in the Union Army and how they contributed to the victory in the Civil War.

This Is a White Man's War --Suddenly, War -- Call to Arms -- Freedmen Spurned -- Partial Acceptance by the Confederacy -- Southern Negroes as Confederate Soldiers -- Mobilization for War: 1861 -- Manpower Needs -- No Negroes Need Apply -- The Union's Grand Plan -- Heavy Fighting -- The Door Stands Slightly Ajar: 1862 -- The Winds of Change Blow -- The Congress Acts -- The Army Opens the Door -- The President Opens the Door -- Hunter's South Carolina Regiment -- The Kansas Regiments -- The Louisiana Native Guard Regiments -- And So It Came to Pass -- The Emancipation Proclamation: 1863 -- Meaning and Effect -- Recruitment and Organization Begins -- Help from the Army -- The Corps d'Afrique -- The Bureau for Colored Troops -- Free School for Military Tactics--Colored Troops -- Black Soldiers Prove Themselves Men: 1863 -- Field Operations -- New Learning Experiences -- Shared Battles -- Shared Victories and Defeats -- The Battle of Port Hudson -- The Battle of Milliken's Bend -- The Battle of Fort Wagner -- Total Commitment: 1864 -- New Confidence in Black Soldiers -- Major Battles -- The Battle of Olustee ("Ocean Pond") -- The Alleged "Massacre" at Fort Pillow -- General Grant's Plan -- The Battle of Wilson's Wharf Landing (Fort Powhatan) -- The Battle of Petersburg -- The Battle of the Crater -- The Battle of Chaffin's Farm -- The Battle of Athens, Alabama -- Black Soldiers in the Final Year: 1865 -- The Black Flag -- The End of the Siege of Petersburg -- The Fall of Richmond -- The Last Battle of the War.