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The Civil War
(1861-1865)



Black Americans in the Civil War


Black Americans in the Civil War
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 8 to 10
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   7.54

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    alienate, Bowser, coachman, unchallenged, ironclad, better, photographic, purposely, refusing, cache, contribution, housekeeper, slip, tactics, engineer, supportive
     content words:    George Scott, James River, John Scobell, Allen Pinkerton, General George McClellan, Mary Touvestre, Confederate Whitehouse, William A., Mary E., Harriet Tubman


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Black Americans in the Civil War
By Mary Lynn Bushong
  

1     While many people loyal to the Union lived in the South, no group was more supportive of the Union than the African slaves. They did not just spy, providing information on plans and troop movements, they also fought for the freedom they earnestly desired.
 
2     One of the most effective ways of helping the Union was through spying. One of the first spies was George Scott. He was a runaway slave with information about new fortifications near the mouth of the James River. Bad tactics on the side of the Union, not poor information, caused an attack there to fail.
 
3     One of the best men who spied for the Union was John Scobell. He'd been a slave before the war but was freed before it began. Recruited by Allen Pinkerton, the spy master for General George McClellan, he would often slip into Virginia and speak to slaves or leaders among the black community. They would provide information about troop movements and supplies.

Paragraphs 4 to 10:
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