What role did black troops play in the civil war?

In the war, both sides used African Americans for military purposes; in the South as slave labor and in the north as wage labor and military volunteers. Over 100,000 ex-slaves fought for the Union and over 500,000 fled their plantations for Union lines.

on the morning of  july 21,  1861, general mcdowell ordered the  unionarmy to attack. it was on this hill that  confederate  colonel thomas jackson and his forces held back theunion  troops.