William Pegram
Not only white men fought, but black men wanted to be a part of the war and they were willing to die. An artillerist named William Pegram wrote a letter on August 1, 1864 reflecting on the battle that occurred days earlier. He describes how black men fought and the outcome. "I think over two hundred negroes got into our lines ... Less than six hundred dead - - four hundred of whom were negroes." This shows that black men wanted to fight because there were many of them who were driven to keep fighting. 'Four hundred' out of 'six hundred dead' were black and this proves that black men wanted to fight and were driven to finish what they started and not retreat. Because there are 'over two hundred negroes' it shows the major quantity in the number of blacks that were willing to fight and many of them were dead. Throughout the Civil War, African men were driven to fight the many battles.
http://www.goordnance.army.mil/history/Staff%20Ride/ADDITIONAL%20READING/BATTLE%20OF%20THE%20CRATER/botc_Alleged_Massacre.pdf
http://www.goordnance.army.mil/history/Staff%20Ride/ADDITIONAL%20READING/BATTLE%20OF%20THE%20CRATER/botc_Alleged_Massacre.pdf