'Better soldiers never shouldered arms' They were zealous, obedient and intelligent. No men in the Union army had such a stake in the contest as they. Few understood it as well as they.' Thus were the African-American soldiers who fought in the Civil War described by one of their officers. Their bravery under fire was praised by both the North and the South, and their contribution to the war effort remains undeniable. This is the story of some of those brave men and the refiments in which they fought.