I have stood by their side in the grim conflict,"" wrote Union Captain John Chamberlin. ""Woe to the nation that long upholds their rights from them."" Chamberlin, commander of the 1st Louisiana Native Guard, spent nearly five years in the South during and after the Civil War. A well read, observant and articulate writer, his letters and diaries record his unique perspective on commanding black soldiers and engineers in the Corps d'Afrique. More than an everyday account of camp life and battles, Chamberlin's writings-here presented in historical context-give an insider's view of the Union army's relationship with black troops and the political and social implications of wartime events. Late in the war, his correspondence focused on a schoolmate, Anna Bullock, and their burgeoning relationship.