African Americans served on both the Confederate and the Union side. African Americans like Fredrick Douglas saw the fighting in the war as a means of proving their right to citizenship that was denied in the Dred Scott case. At first both the Union and Confederates did not allow Blacks to fight, but after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued slaves left to fight for the North. Overall about 180,000 black men fought for the North. One of the first black units in the U.S. Armed Forces was the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. Racism was common on both the Confederate and Union side. Black soldiers were paid less than white soldiers in the US Army, getting paid $10 per month, and $3 dollars was deducted from clothing. White soldiers were paid $13 per month. Generals believed black men were not as skilled as white soldiers, and were often given other jobs such as carpenters, cooks, and guards instead of combat roles. Blacks served as spies for the Union Army, named "Black Dispatches." Less African Americans served for the Confederates, and often served as a slave labor force. African Americans often built forts, and performed camp duities for the large majority of the war because the Confederacy refused to arm blacks. Blacks captured by the Confederates were treated much harsher than whites. The Confederacy did not enlist slaves until a month before the war ended, and by that time it too late.