The Civil War, Part One: "Oh, Give Us a Flag...", Songs from the Civil War

  

During the first two years of the Civil War, the song, "Oh, Give Us a Flag", reflected the feeling of many Blacks. Below is a link to a version of the song by the late Richie Havens. The song's author is unknown. 

But, before you hear the song, here's some brief   history.

In 1863 the Civil War was in it's second year, and President Lincoln
was said to be waiting for a major military victory, which would give him a stronger hand in freeing the slaves. That victory came at the Battle of Antietam near Sharpsburg, Maryland in the same year. About 23,000 died in one  day. Antietam was the first major Union victory of the war, on Union soil. The battlefield victory played a big role in dissuading Britain and France from recognizing the Confederacy. 

Many Black and white abolitionists, including Frederick Douglass, and New York Times Editor Horace Greeley, had long implored the President to end slavery. Douglass proclaimed,

"Once let the Black  man get upon his person the brass letters ‘US’, let him get an eagle his button, a musket upon his shoulder, and bullets in his pockets and there is no power on earth that can deny that he has earned his right to citizenship in the United States"—

In 1863, the Bureau of US Colored Troops(USCT) was established by the President using his authority as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The bureau was charged with recruiting, training, outfitting and deploying what would eventually grow to a force of over 200,000 African American soldiers, and 12,000 Latino troops.

Listen to Richie Havens' version of this song by clicking the youtube link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ClkYjQOQ8bA