Date(s): June 13, 1864 Location: Washington D.C., Louisville, Kentucky Tag(s): Confederate, Soldiers, Telegram, Union, Telegraph, Black, African-Americans, Lincoln, Impressment, Civil War Noone doubted the existence of unlawful impressment of African-American soliders into the Confederate Army during the Civil War. On March 26, 1863, the Confederate Congress passed the Impressment Act, which allowed it "to impress, or seize, food, fuel, slaves, and other commodities to support armies in the field." A 1793 law prohibited African Americans from bearing arms in the U.S. Army, but...