It seems I come from a long line of literacy advocates. Here is a bit I read about my great-great-grandfather, who commanded of the 62nd U.S. Colored Infantry (also called U.S. Colored Troops) at the end of the American Civil War.
Armies run on rules and regulations and any infraction of discipline at Brazos Santiago was punished by time in the guardhouse. For men in the 62nd USCT there was a more novel punishment. Any soldier caught playing cards was required to take a book and, while "standing in some prominent position in the camp," forced to "learn a considerable lesson in reading and spelling"—twin causes the regiment's White officers had been advocating since the 62nd's creation.
—Jeffrey William Hunt, The Last Battle of the Civil War: Palmetto Ranch
Apparently General Grandpa (as I call him) did quite a bit of work with the Lincoln Institute (now Lincoln University) of Missouri after the war. The school was established by the 62nd and 65th USCT for the benefit of freed slaves, and both (white) officers and the troops contributed financially to its establishment. There is a news story about it at the Hannibal Courier-Post and Lincoln University has a short blurb about it as well.
Way to go, Grandpa.
UPDATE: I found some of the literacy-related orders from the 62nd US Colored Infantry:
Morganzia, La. July 3rd 1864
All non-Commissioned officers of this command who shall fail to learn to read by or before the 1st day of January 1865 will be reduced to the ranks and their places filled by persons who can read. In the position of Sergeants preference will be given to men who can both read & write and are otherwise good soldiers. All soldiers of this command who have by any means learned to read or write, will aid and assist to the extent of their ability their fellow soldiers to learn these invaluable arts, without which no man is properly fitted to perform the duties of a free citizen.
Brazos Santiago, Texas. October 29th 1864
Hereafter when any soldier of this command is found to be, or to have been, playing cards, he will be placed, standing, in some prominent position in the camp with book in hand, and required then and there to learn a considerable lesson in reading and spelling: and if unwilling to learn, he will be compelled by hunger to do so. When men are found gambling in any way, the money at stake will be seized and turned into the Regt. Hospital fund. No freed slave who cannot read well has a right to waste the time and opportunity here given him to fit himself for the position of a free citizen. This order will be read twice to this command, and copied in each order book.
Brazos Santiago Texas January 25th 1865.
The Regimental Council of Administration having appropriated Fifty Dollars for the purchase of premiums for the encouragement of the enlisted men of this Regiment to learn to write it is hereby ordered. That a gold pen be given to the Sergeant in each Company, who shall learn to write the best by the fourth day of July 1865. That a gold pen be given the Corporal in each Company who shall learn to write the best by the 4th day of July 1865. That a good book be given the private of each Company who shall learn to write the best by the 4th day of July 1865. These rewards to be publicly given by a committee chosen as mentioned in orders.
Source: Buffalo Soldiers and Indian Wars
Did it work? You bet:
In his Farewell To Arms Ceremony, to the 62nd United States Colored Infantry on January, 4, 1866, Ringwald Texas, Colonel Theodore H. Barrett, stated, with the utmost of pride that, "of four hundred and thirty one men, ninety-nine have learned to read and write under-standingly; two hundred and eighty-four can read; three hundred and thirty-seven can spell in words of two syllables and are learning to read, not more than ten men have failed to learn the alphabet." [ibid]
Obviously those numbers are cumulative, not additive, but they add up to one of the highest literacy rates among African-American soldiers at the time. Pretty impressive considering the harsh conditions and abuse they were often subject to.
