During the Civil War, Negroes reëntered the American army's combat branches -- they had been eligible to serve during the American Revolution. And then they were banned from combat service.

When did the ban occur? Please supply details, including what branches of each of the three services remained open to Negroes during the period up to World War II. My interest in the topic ceases at 1939.

If anyone has the order or regulation or whatever that created the combat branch ban, please identify it also.

http://www.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/library/aaffsfl.htm

This is an interesting read.........r in s.

Yes, I agree. It does not, however, give me what I seek. Gotta keep looking.

I don`t think there was a Ban on Blacks being in the US Services.I don`t think there was a ban on them being in combat.I think they were segregated to serve in a all Black Division.I also believe they were encoureged to only take certain classifacations.

There are probably more resources out there, and more to uncover. Black Soldiers in the Army would not have been banned from combat units completely, but rather segregated into separate all-black units. When I was in 1-10 Cavalry in the 1980's we researched the history of the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments, which served in the 1870's and 1880's, Spanish American War, and on through to 1939. I don't remember the number, but I believe there were two all-black infantry regiments as well.

I don't have access to sources at this time, but believe that there were no black men in the USMC prior to 1939.

Navy unknown.

"In March 1866, the U.S. Senate passed a bill establishing the Regular Army at 67 regiments. Six were to be composed of black troops with white officers. A further reorganization in 1869 reduced the six black regiments to four, the 9th and 10th Cavalry and the 24th and 25th Infantry.

The four regiments were scattered across the West to garrison posts in company or battalion size units. Their mission was to protect settlers moving west, suppress the hostile Indian tribes, guard the mail, and protect the railroad under construction. In addition, they often had to build their own quarters and forts.

To do this, they were issued "broken down" horses rejected by white cavalry units, deteriorating equipment, and grossly inadequate rations. Despite the adversities, the morale in these units was high and they enjoyed the lowest desertion rate of all the Army units.

Life on the western frontier was harsh and monotonous. Boredom was a continual problem for all soldiers, but particularly black ones. On paydays, there were few places to spend their money. Even if a town were near a black garrison, the townspeople generally refused service to blacks and heaped abuse upon them, even though the soliders constituted the town's only defense.

In 1881, for example, after several years of conflict with the citizens of San Angelo, Texas, soldiers posted the following handbill in town. "We, the soldiers of the United States Army, do hereby warn cowboys, etc., of San Angelo and vicinity, to recognize our rights of way as just and peacable men. If we do not receive just and fair play, which we must have, someone will suffer; if not the guilty, the innocent. It has gone too far; justice or death. U.S. Soldiers, one and all"

In addition to hostile climate and a hostile citizenry, black soldiers faced numerous Indian tribes who resented the encroachment of the "civilizing influence from the East." In over one hundred battles, black soldiers clashed with Indian warriors. Their bravery earned them the sobriquet "Buffalo Soldiers" from the Indians and 18 of 370 Medals of Honor awarded by the U.S. Government.

The first black American to receive the Medal of Honor during the Indian Campaigns was Sergeant Emanual Stance, Company F, 9th Cavalry. Stationed at Fort McKavett, Texas in 1870, Sergeant Stance and nine troopers commanded by Captain Henry Carroll left the fort on routine patrol. They were searching for Indians who had stolen two children during a raid. Approximately 14 miles from the fort, they observed a party of Indians escorting nine horses. They attacked and engaged in a running fight for eight miles when the Indians broke contact, abandoning the animals. Camping overnight, the soldiers headed back for the fort the next morning with the captured horses when they encountered about twenty Indians who were stalking a herd of government horses and a small detachment of guards. Again Stance and the men attacked. The Indians retreated, regrouped and counterattacked. Stance and several men constituted the left flank of the Army column. They outflanked the attacking Indians, who fled. Captain Carroll was full of praise for Sergeant Stance and recommended him for a medal which was awarded in June."

"When war broke out in Europe in 1914, most Americans were concerned with problems at home.
Within the regular army, the 9th and 10th Cavalry, plus the 24th and 25th Infantry, were still in the West. The Indian Campaigns were over but the Mexican Punitive Expedition against Poncho Villa and border patrol kept these black troops busy. They were not to see overseas service during the war in Europe even though they were probably the best trained and most experienced troops in the army.

As in previous wars, the burden of staffing the expanding military structure fell on the militia and on draftees. Also as in previous wars, the black community had to agitate and pressure for a role. The military establishment lacked a policy for utilization of black manpower in the war. Integrated units were ruled out as a matter of policy and age old questions of black fighting qualities were again raised. Eventually, two black divisions were formed, the 92nd and the 93rd. Neither received its full complement of combat support or support units. In fact, the 93rd was limited to four infantry regiments; three National Guard units and one comprised of draftees. When they arrived overseas, they were assigned to French divisions by General Pershing and they fought with French weapons, under French leadership until the end of the war.

When the first black combat troops arrived in France in December, 1917, there was some controversy as to what to do with them. Some leaders wanted to convert the four infantry regiments to S.O.S. units. Eventually, however, they were "loaned" to the French where they were given French rifles, helmets and other gear, including rations; although their uniform remained U.S. issue.

Three months after its arrival, the 369th Infantry joined the French 4th Army at the front. It stayed in the trenches for 191 days, the longest front line service of any American regiment. During that period, the regiment, as a unit as well as over 170 of its men and was awarded the French Croix de Guerre or the Legion of Honor for gallantry in action. The Germans called them "Hell Fighters", they called themselves "Black Rattlers."

The remainder of the 93rd Division arrived in France piecemeal, some six months after the 369th. The 370th, 371st and 372nd regiments all saw extensive action and garnered many awards. The division never fought as a unit. The 92nd Division saw less extensive combat. Since it was a part of the American Expeditionary Force, it fought as a unit."

Woodrow Wilson was the president who made segregation an official US government policy.

Prior to the Wilson administration, blacks had discovered that government service jobs were awarded as the result of written tests; which did not ask what race the applicant was.
the customs inspector for the city or New Orleans was black, for instance. (It was city of New Orleans or state of Louisiana- I forget which, actually.)
As a result, there were many blacks holding fairly high level beurocratic positions..Until Wilson decreed they could not and booted them out.

There was no policy of blacks not being allowed to serve in combat prior to Wilson, who was a democrat and was re-elected on a public promise to keep the US out of the European war then raging..Which was WW1.

I'll see if I can find any links online to this a bit later on- as this is strictly from memory of conversations I had with a friend who knows the history of this subject better than I do.

-Badger-

Woodrow Wislon was a Democrat. I am not surprised...