# When was the first time African-Americans were in command of Whites in the American Armed Forces? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 22, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-time-african-americans-were-in-command-of-whites-in-the-american-armed-forces/586388 "2011-06-22T04:42:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-time-african-americans-were-in-command-of-whites-in-the-american-armed-forces/586388/1 "2011-06-22T04:42:40Z")
When was the first time an African-American was in a chain of command above Whites in the American Armed Forces? Any branch, any rank, and however briefly. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-time-african-americans-were-in-command-of-whites-in-the-american-armed-forces/586388/2 "2011-06-22T05:07:14Z")
Earliest I can find is Col. Charles Young, who became commander of the 10th Cavalry in 1916. The 10th Cavalry was a black regiment, but it had some white officers, and as regimental commander, he’d be their superior. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-time-african-americans-were-in-command-of-whites-in-the-american-armed-forces/586388/3 "2011-06-22T05:39:28Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Earliest I can find is Col. Charles Young, who became commander of the 10th Cavalry in 1916. The 10th Cavalry was a black regiment, but it had some white officers, and as regimental commander, he’d be their superior. Thank you. I never imagined it would be that early. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-time-african-americans-were-in-command-of-whites-in-the-american-armed-forces/586388/4 "2011-06-22T06:28:15Z")
Outstanding post/ question. ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-time-african-americans-were-in-command-of-whites-in-the-american-armed-forces/586388/5 "2011-06-22T09:29:58Z")
As an aside, the first black British officer was [Walter Tull](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Tull) who was made Second Lieutenant in 1917, even though British army regs specifically excluded “Negroes”/“Mulattoes” from command. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-time-african-americans-were-in-command-of-whites-in-the-american-armed-forces/586388/6 "2011-06-22T13:10:06Z")
Not counting the two black British officers mentioned in that article before him, Post Captain John Perkins and Lieutenant Nathaniel Wells. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-time-african-americans-were-in-command-of-whites-in-the-american-armed-forces/586388/7 "2011-06-22T14:31:46Z")
There’s a scene in _Glory_ where the 54th Mass. sergeant played by Morgan Freeman tells some racist white soldiers to behave themselves. They give him some lip and he just points to his chevrons; they slink off. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-time-african-americans-were-in-command-of-whites-in-the-american-armed-forces/586388/8 "2011-06-22T14:47:35Z")
Do privateers count as American armed forces? I’ve read there was at least one Revolutionary War privateer ship which had a black captain. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-time-african-americans-were-in-command-of-whites-in-the-american-armed-forces/586388/9 "2011-06-22T19:04:56Z")
> [@chacoguy](#): > > Outstanding post/ question. Thank you. **Little Nemo** : That is an interesting point as well. I honestly don’t know if it’s reasonable to consider privateers as part of the Armed Forces. I suppose my next question is, how common was it when the Armed Forces were still segregated? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-time-african-americans-were-in-command-of-whites-in-the-american-armed-forces/586388/10 "2011-06-22T19:07:15Z")
No, privateers weren’t part of the U.S. military. They weren’t subject to naval discipline, their officers weren’t commissioned by the Continental Congress, they weren’t funded by Congress, etc. Congress just gave them approval to go and capture and sink British shipping. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-time-african-americans-were-in-command-of-whites-in-the-american-armed-forces/586388/11 "2011-06-22T19:10:14Z")
[Robert Smalls](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Smalls) qualified as a privateer I think. Not clear from the Wiki if he actually was in the military and commanded others though. He is listed as a pilot for a Union vessel. This would go back to the Civil War. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-time-african-americans-were-in-command-of-whites-in-the-american-armed-forces/586388/12 "2011-06-22T19:12:44Z")
During the US Civil War some blacks rose to Petty officer over a mixed crew: > **[Military history of African Americans in the American Civil War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_African_Americans_in_the_American_Civil_War#Union_Navy)** > > African Americans, including former slaves, served in the American Civil War. The 186,097 black men who joined the Union Army included 7,122 officers and 178,975 enlisted soldiers. Approximately 20,000 black sailors served in the Union Navy and formed a large percentage of many ships' crews. Later in the war, many regiments were recruited and organized as the United States Colored Troops, which reinforced the Northern forces substantially during the conflict's last two years. Both Northern For t... ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-first-time-african-americans-were-in-command-of-whites-in-the-american-armed-forces/586388/13 "2011-06-22T19:18:18Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > During the US Civil War some blacks rose to Petty officer over a mixed crew: > [Military history of African Americans in the American Civil War - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_African_Americans_in_the_American_Civil_War#Union_Navy) Very interesting as well.