Black Conscription Disputes In Kentucky In The Early American Civil War

During the American Civil War,the Kentucky authorities and slave owners’ groups had serious disputes with the federal government on the issue of Kentucky’s recruitment of black soldiers.Tracing back to the root cause of this dispute,the Kentucky ruling group resolutely maintained slavery,and the progress of the war and the federal recruitment of black soldiers impacted black slavery.When the Civil War first broke out,both Lincoln and the Federal Congress stated that the goal of the war was to maintain the unity of the country and not to interfere with slavery in the slave states.But the Kentucky ruling group is still very sensitive to the fate of slavery and the phenomenon of black slaves entering the federal army.Political figures have expressed their opposition to interfering with slavery in Kentucky.The slave owners were very disturbed by the entry of federal troops from the northern free states into Kentucky,and resolutely resisted the actions of federal soldiers to damage slavery.For the "Emancipation Proclamation" issued by Lincoln,the Kentucky slave owner group strongly opposed it.Because the war required a large number of soldiers,the federal government finally took the road of recruiting black soldiers.After the Emancipation Proclamation,the federal government decided to call up black soldiers in Kentucky.Around the issue of black conscription,the federal government and the government of Kentucky,the army stationed in Kentucky and the army of the northern states,launched a series of struggles around black conscription for their own interests.Although Kentucky authorities tried their best to resist the drafting of black soldiers,their efforts were unsuccessful.Black slaves entered the federal army one after another,some became soldiers,and some became laborers.After the conscription work began,the black slaves showed great enthusiasm,and a large number of black soldiers entered the federal army,along with their black family members.In order to reduce the burden,the army ordered the family members of black soldiers to be expelled from the camp,which greatly discouraged the enthusiasm of black slaves to join the army.The persecution of black slaves and their families by slave owners fully proved their firm determination to defend slavery.During the process of conscription disputes,President Lincoln always insisted on responding to Kentucky’s rebellion with mild means,avoiding the use of military force to enforce the conscription policy,and avoiding direct interference in Kentucky’s slavery.Lincoln’s conciliatory approach ensured that Kentucky sided with the Union in the Civil War and stayed on the path to secession.