54th of Massachusetts

To My Dearest Mother,

"It's official...last week I volunteered to join an all black infantry. Mama, you don't know how bad I been wanting to fight! I was so happy in January when Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation so us coloreds could fight too!" "Them whites don't know that this war for the Union will be our personal war for our freedom. I hear we gonna' be called the 54th of Massachusetts...ain't that fancy! I know your going to be scared for me mama but I got God in my heart and freedom on my mind so if I get hurt I'll pray for him to ease my pain!"

" I heard from some ol' boys down the way that there's a lot of them whites that don't believe we can fight and they discriminate against us so bad it's almost like they want to be us! They told me we don't get paid as much as them whites either...now ain't that a crying shame? Well I'm tryin' not to assume the worst but by-golly it's gettin' harder every time I hear somethin' else bad about the draft and how they're treating coloreds!"

Well I am gonna' go ahead and get some shut eye so remember to get Leroy to write me back for you. I love you mama and tell lil' Suzan to be good and pray for her daddy every night okay!

Love,

Jackson

E.Q.

I think the use of any force, military or political, can be a good thing and a bad thing. It can be good in that it will keep our nation in order and organized. It can also be bad when the military or political world uses its powers to benefit them and ultimately hurt us. Too much unnecessary force could make a people rebel like the merchants at the Boston Tea Party. Everyone should know if you want your people to truly listen and appreciate your wishes so that they could move on and achieve their goals in life and preserve the nation all forces, political or military, should be just and right decisions.