On October 29, 1862, formerly enslaved black men faced one of the Civil War’s earliest tests in battle, fighting with the knowledge that victory or death were their only likely outcomes because no quarter would be given to a black man who had taken up arms. Wearing uniforms issued on behalf of a country that had not yet emancipated them, they showed courage and tenacity under fire. The First Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry defeated a force rebellious to the Federal government, helping to end doubts that former slaves could serve effectively as soldiers and advancing the nation’s understanding of the founding fathers’ words that all men are created equal.