The Negro as a soldier

Fleetwood was an African American who rose to rank of sergeant-major and received the Congressional Medal of Honor. He gives an account of the African American soldier from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War to show his suitability for military service, with concentration on the Civil War. He cites instances of valor and testimonials thereto, statistics on Black enlistments by state and on casualties, and lists African Americans who received the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Christian Abraham Fleetwood, was an African American non-commissioned officer in the United States Army, a commissioned officer in the D.C. National Guard, an editor, a musician, and a government official. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the American Civil War. He wrote "The Negro As a Soldier" for the Negro Congress at the Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia held in November 1895.