"Perhaps one in six Union navy sailors was African American, many of them former slaves. This history shows that the free blacks and "contraband" slaves who joined the navy during the Civil War were essential to Northern victories at sea. Through their role in preserving the Union, they helped to win recognition for African Americans as full citizens." "African Americans joined the U.S. Navy from the first days of the war and soon demonstrated to a skeptical Northern population that they would fight for their freedom. Their service in the navy paved the way for their wider employment in the U.S. Army. Faced with the hazards of battle, African American sailors performed with great heroism, and several earned the nation's highest military tribute, the Medal of Honor." "Despite the lack of official records on the subject, Ramold has combed through mountains of memoirs, court documents, pension reports, and other sources to discover the true magnitude of African Americans' contribution to the naval effort. The book present a description of the lives of these sailors from enlistment of discharge, telling the story as much as possible in the words of the sailors themselves. A dozen rate photographs illustrate the range of African American service."--BOOK JACKET.