How many Black Soldiers were there in the Union?

Answer 1

The soldiers who fought for the Union side were mostly from

NEW RESPONDENT.

178,975 Black soldiers fought at the side of the Union during the Civil War, of whom 2,870 died in combat.

Answer 2

According to National Archives:

"By the end of the Civil War, roughly 179,000 black men (10% of the Union Army) served as soldiers in the U.S. Army and another 19,000 served in the Navy. Nearly 40,000 black soldiers died over the course of the war-30,000 of infection or disease. Black soldiers served in artillery and infantry and performed all noncombat support functions that sustain an army, as well. Black carpenters, chaplains, cooks, guards, laborers, nurses, scouts, spies, steamboat pilots, surgeons, and teamsters also contributed to the war cause. There were nearly 80 black commissioned officers. Black women, who could not formally join the Army, nonetheless served as nurses, spies, and scouts, the most famous beingHarriet Tubman (photo citation: 200-HN-PIO-1), who scouted for the 2d South Carolina Volunteers."

Source:

Freeman, Elsie, Wynell Burroughs Schamel, and Jean West. "The Fight for Equal Rights: A Recruiting Poster for Black Soldiers in the Civil War." Social Education 56, 2 (February 1992): 118-120. Via http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/blacks-civil-war/

Answer 3

It's estimated that approximately 5,000 black soldiers and served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. This army, however, was not technically the "Union" army, but its precursor.

While many blacks fought in The War of 1812 and the Mexican American War, it's difficult to arrive at a total of how many did so. There were four regiments of black regulars in the 1814 Niagara Campaign of that war. The 26th US Infantry regiment was comprised of black soldiers from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

During the Mexican American War, blacks also served; but again, it may not be possible to determine the number very accurately. Congress had authorized the enlistment of 50,000 volunteers for this war, and it is known that many blacks served in a number of mixed regiments.

By the end of the Civil War, 162,017 black troops had served in the United States Colored Troops corps, with approximately another 200,000 having served in service detail to the Union Army.

Answer 4

200,000