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| Sgt. Nimrod Burke, 23rd U.S. Colored Infantry |
"We fought like men. The bullets came like hail, but we did not run.”
Nimrod Burke was born enslaved in Virginia, escaped to Ohio, and enlisted in the Union Army in 1864. He served with the 23rd United States Colored Troops and saw combat at the Battle of the Crater and Petersburg. His letters and later interviews reflect pride, resilience, and a deep sense of justice.
He lived to be over 100 years old and gave interviews late in life, recalling the chaos of battle and the dignity of service. His voice was steady and unflinching—a man who had seen the worst and still believed in the cause.
“I was a soldier. I wore the blue. And I never shamed it.”
There are millions of stories from the Irrepressible Conflict. This was just one of them.
Mac
Works Cited
[1] National Park Service. Voices of the Civil War: Nimrod Burke. U.S. Department of the Interior. Accessed June 29, 2025.
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