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. 143 Through the decades after thatmomentous night, and well into the twentieth century, NewYear s Day would be celebrated in black communities asEmancipation Day.Lincoln s decision to liberate the slaves on Confederatesoil represented one of the most important public policyshifts for the president during the war.With the proclamation,another change soon took place.Blacks were allowed toenlist in the Union Army, with Lincoln pledging they wouldbe received into the armed service of the United States to 117Successful CampaignAfter the Emancipation Proclamation, slaves were permitted to serve inthe Union Army.By the end of the war, approximately 180,000 blackshad served in the Union Army in more than 160 colored regiments,including the 54th Massachusetts.Pictured here are two unidentifiedblack soldiers who served in the Union Army during the war.garrison forts, positions, stations, and other places, and toman vessels of all sorts in said service. 144 Blacks would nowbe fighting on behalf of both the Union and against slavery.Before the end of the war, nearly 180,000 black Americansserved in the Union Army in all-black units (although they 118The Abolitionist Movementwere commanded by white officers).Of that number, 37,000would die fighting for their country and for the freedom ofother blacks.Among those who fought were two sons ofFrederick Douglass, Lewis and Charles.They both joinedone of two regiments of black troops their father helpedorganize, the Massachusetts 54th.William Lloyd Garrison sson George also joined the 54th, as a second lieutenant,despite his father s wishes.William Lloyd Garrison was,personally, a pacifist.When the 54th engaged in its mostfamous fight, a direct frontal assault on Fort Wagner outsideCharleston, South Carolina, Harriet Tubman was with themand served the troops their last meal before the assault.Shealso tended their wounds after the assault failed and evenhelped bury some of the dead black soldiers.THE PROCLAMATION S SHORTCOMINGSEven as the Emancipation Proclamation went into effecton the first day of 1863, the nation s abolitionists were notsatisfied.The proclamation had provided only half a loaf.The document did not cover all slaves in all places in theUnited States.Later that same month, a delegation of Bostonabolitionists visited the White House and expressed theirconcerns to President Lincoln.Among them was WendellPhillips.Phillips asked the president whether he thoughtthe Emancipation Proclamation was working.Lincoln waspositive, believing the country was not dissatisfied withanything except our lack of military success. 145 Whensome abolitionists questioned whether Lincoln was pushingagainst slavery hard enough, the president answered that he did not believe his administration would have beensupported by the country in a policy of emancipation at anearlier stage of the war. 146Although the meeting between the abolitionists andPresident Lincoln went well and remained cordial, some 119Successful Campaignantislavery advocates, especially Phillips, would remain con-stant thorns in the side of the president.They wanted theongoing war between the North and South to lead to thedestruction of slavery.Lincoln remained aloof on the subjectand insisted that his most important goal of the war was toput the Union back together.If doing so meant slavery mustbe kept, he was noted as saying, then he would follow thatcourse.Phillips would soon launch a campaign that called fora constitutional amendment to end slavery.A year to the dayfollowing the public enactment of the Emancipation Procla-mation, Phillips would write in the year s first issue of TheLiberator: What I ask of Mr
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