No True Freedom

The Union army glorified their use of “negro” soldiers fighting against the South for their freedom, but what most of the American public is unaware of, is that the North was just as racially discriminating as the South. There were many reports of African-American families that crossed into the North only to find that their white neighbors detested them and threatened them just as their Southern oppressors did. Blacks were not truly safe in the North; the only place where they could find some kind of respite was within the New England states. Anywhere outside that was fair game for discrimination.

This is not to say that the North supported slavery; they detested the very essence of it. But even if they did not believe in slavery, that did not mean they liked blacks. Just because most Northerners were abolitionists didn’t mean they weren’t racists. There were many instances of black soldiers being mistreated within the Union army; like white officers refusing to put their black soldiers on the front lines and instead subjected them to the grunt work the white folk wouldn't do, or white soldiers refusing to acknowledge their black brothers in arms.

“...The soldiers' return from the war went virtually unnoticed except by whites who feared that any favorable treatment of African American veterans might encourage others to migrate to Ohio.” -Redemption and Dejection in the Black Military Experience, Ian Delahanty

Although many slaves found freedom in the North, whether it be in society or with the Union army, there was still racist sentiment. This lead to the harsh truth that African-Americans had to face: that they could never truly be free of discrimination. It was one thing to fight to abolish slavery, it was another to fight for the slaves.

So then why did some slaves join the Confederacy? George C. Lamb's military career is a good indication as to why this occured.