On November 20, 1863 the Union League Club of New York City adopted the resolution to
recruit the state's first colored regiment to be entered into service in the Civil War. Members of an
organization committee (including James Roosevelt, father of President Franklin Roosevelt)
appointed by the club communicated their intent to Governor Horatio Seymour and asked for his
authorization, which was denied. (1)
Seymour was aware that Secretary of War Stanton denied authorization to a new regiment in any state unless that state's governor gave his consent. When the New York State Adjutant General's Office approved the plan, the Club asked for the governor's approval again. It received no response at all, indicating the Governor's refusal to be associated with the plan of raising colored troops. (2)
The committee experienced other problems in executing the plan. It had difficulty finding a place to rent as headquarters. Even finding a band to play during the ovation as the 20th left New York proved difficult. Many musicians refused to play for black troops. Eventually two bands, the 7th Regular Infantry and 22nd N.Y. Regimental bands applied, with the former being chosen. (3)
The Club experienced difficulties and inequities in recruitment, some of which were overcome more successfully than others. When initially authorized to recruit, the Adjutant General's office communicated certain guidelines. The recruits would only receive the $75 state bounty and whatever the local bounty there might be, but there would be no U.S. bounty to collect, as the government refused to pay the usual $15 per man to recruiters. The Club was thus forced to pay $10 per man. (4)
When the Adjutant General's office stated that soldier's pay would be only $10 per month, with $3 subtracted for food and clothing allowance (less than half of what the white soldiers were paid), the City of New York was expected to donate relief funds to the families of the black recruits, the same as for white soldiers. (5) The Supervisors in many towns and in New York City, however, refused to pay the relief money "to wives of colored men." Even after "earnest remonstrances were made," the discrepancy was corrected in only a few instances. (6)
The Club later discovered that many recruits were defrauded of their bounties, and "in some cases there was every reason to suppose that the men had been drugged before enlisting, while others not drugged, had been deceived as to the service expected of them." (7) When alerted, Major General John A. Dix, Commanding Department of the East, made many "arbitrary arrests." The New York Herald, after learning of these arrests, printed editorials attacking the Club in which it claimed that those methods were the only way to fill the state quota. (8) John Habberton, a second lieutenant in the regiment thought the deceptions were "shameful." While some never received their bounty, others enlisted on the promise of a 30-day furlough that was never granted, at the end of which they would receive their bounty. Yet morale among the recruits was not diminished:"none of these mope and grumble, and wish their three years were up." (9) The conditions of the camp at Riker's Island were also terrible:
For a considerable time the quarters provided for the colored men were insufficient and improper. Tents were furnished by the Government, but ... the men were greatly crowded; they were also without floors or means of warming, causing great suffering from cold. Disease began to appear to an alarming extent, while there was no proper hospital in which to treat it. The Club provided floors for the tents, and small stoves for each. It also built a building to serve as a hospital. (10)The weather was so cold that winter that the men drilled at double quick to keep warm. (11) The company lacked a sufficient number of muskets, and the guns they dide have were unusable. The camp guard had twenty muskets, and it took sixteen just to arm the post. Of the "extra" four muskets, "one has no bayonet, another has the bayonet broken, another has about seven loads and no tubes," and the fourth was broken. (12)
Recruitment of officers was one item that came easily. The Secretary of War was willing to provide any officers the Club might choose, even several at a time. The Club, however, wanted to make it clear that the officers were to be held to stricter standards than those of the Bureau of Colored Troops:
We feel that a peculiar class of officers is needed for such a regiment - that mere ability to pass an examination is not enough, that there should be experience in the field, undoubted personal courage, and above all, a heart in the peculiar work they undertake. (13)Many commissioned officers in the black units lacked experience in the battlefield. As a result of the Club's standards, the 20th was led by officers who had been "baptized in blood." The New York Times wrote, "No regiment ever went from this City with a more experienced or gallant set of officers." (14) Lieutenant Habberton commented on many of his fellow officers in his diary, including Andress Hull. He considered him "one of the most honest men alive, does his business right up to the handle, enjoys a joke or a game of chess, and lives about as decent, honorable and honest life as any man I am acquainted with." (15) Habberton enjoyed reading, and Captain Hull was someone with whom he was able to thoroughly discuss his readings. (16) Hull left the 44th for the last time on January 5, 1864, when he was ordered to report to Washington. He was discharged from the 44th on January 14, and was mustered in as captain in the 20th U.S.C.T. on January 25, joining that regiment on Riker's Island.
Habberton himself may be said to be one of those with a "peculiar heart." He saw his new men as nothing but soldiers, and had every confidence that they would be equal to the whites. After noticing the high morale of the recruits after having been defrauded, he wrote, "Now the man who declares that a man possessing devotion to his cause, fidelity, and soldierly pride, cant make a soldier, is simply, a hopeless ass." (17) In another entry discussing the first drilling with arms he states that they "were about as graceful as men ... are when they first handle arms," and made no comment that a difference existed in the quality of the black soldiers. (18)
On May 5, 1864 the 20th U.S.C.T. finally departed Rikers Island for the Department of the Gulf, "amid such an ovation as had not been seen since the early days of the rebellion." (19) According to the New York Times it was a grand spectacle with cheers and waving handkerchiefs, that occurred in the same city as the July 1863 race riots. Charles King, LL.D. spoke and presented the colors to Colonel Bartram, the commander of the regiment, who then stood to speak as well. (20) The ceremony received significant coverage in several of the New York newspapers. The New York Independent wrote, "Thus equal in every essential particular to their white comrades in arms, they go-and they are aware of it-to face far greater dangers and to reap a far lesser reward. (21) Horace Greeley wrote that the 20th "was the first that was really treated as the defenders of their country's life and honor are entitled to be." (22) George William Curtis, Esq., wrote in Harper's Weekly that such a grand regiment will "help to lift the bitter prejudice from the national heart." (23)
The regiment did not participate in any major campaigns. It performed garrison duty in New Orleans as well as some skirmishing at Port Hudson. In the field the 20th found praise as well. While in the Carrollton, Louisiana District, they were said to have been a "soldierly" group and that their "camp is the finest in the district. (24) The regiment was moved in December 1864 from New Orleans to the District of West Florida and Southern Alabama, Department of the Gulf, with whch it remained until February 1865. It returned to the Defense of New Orleans until June, 1865, District of La-Fourche. On October 7, 1865 it was mustered out of service.
1. Union League Club, Report of the Committee on Volunteering, October 13, 1864, pp. 3, 4.
2. Ibid., pp. 7-9.
3. Ibid., pp. 10, 40-41.
4. Ibid., p. 12.
5. Ibid., p. 11.
6. Ibid., p. 39.
7. Ibid., p. 14. Most of these cases had come from General Spinola in Lafayette Hall.
8. Ibid., p. 36.
9. John Habberton Diary, February 12, 1864.
10. Union League Club, p. 13.
11. Ibid., February 9, 10, 11, 1864.
12. Ibid., January 30, 1864.
13. Union League Club, p. 16.
14. New York Times, March 6, 1864, p. 8, Col. 3.
15. John Habberton Diary, undated entry, possibly August 8, 1864. He also commented on three other members of the 44th who joined the regiment as officers:
"Capt. Foster is another Army of Potomac lad, who was unfortunate enough to spend most of his time in the hospital. He is very well-educated, a good soldier, the champion player of the regiment, and a valuable man for ally.""Capt. Barnaby is very handsome, rather vain, well-informed, slightly mean at times."
"Lt. Pillsworth has been brought up among the lowest class of men, but is himself honest, smart and conscientious."
16. Ibid., February 1, 1864.
17. Ibid., February 12, 1864.
18. Ibid., February 25, 1864.
19. Union League Club, p. 21.
20. New York Times, March 6, 1864, p. 8, Col. 1.
21. Union League Club, p. 42. By the phrase "far great dangers" the article goes on to say that it is referring to the dangers of being taken prisoner. "If North Carolina be their destination, they expect, when taken prisoners by General Pickett, to be hung on the spot: if South Carolina, death awaits them in various forms of torture; if the Mississippi Valley, massacre in cold blood is their exemplified fate."
22. Ibid., p. 43.
23. Ibid., p. 43-44.
24. Ibid., p. 47