▁( age ▁ 8 ). ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁Tr uth ▁helped ▁rec ruit ▁black ▁troops ▁for ▁the ▁Union ▁Army . ▁Her ▁grand son , ▁James ▁C ald well , ▁en list ed ▁in ▁the ▁ 5 4 th ▁Massachusetts ▁Regiment . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁Tr uth ▁was ▁employed ▁by ▁the ▁National ▁Fre ed man ' s ▁Rel ief ▁Association ▁in ▁Washington , ▁D . C ., ▁where ▁she ▁worked ▁dil ig ently ▁to ▁improve ▁conditions ▁for ▁African - Amer icans . ▁In ▁October ▁of ▁that ▁year , ▁she ▁met ▁President ▁Abraham ▁Lincoln . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 5 , ▁while ▁working ▁at ▁the ▁Fre ed man ' s ▁Hospital ▁in ▁Washington , ▁Tr uth ▁rode ▁in ▁the ▁street c ars ▁to ▁help ▁force ▁their ▁des eg reg ation . ▁ ▁Tr uth ▁is ▁cred ited ▁with ▁writing ▁a ▁song , ▁" The ▁V ali ant ▁Sold iers ", ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Michigan ▁Col ored ▁Regiment ; ▁it ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁composed ▁during ▁the ▁war ▁and ▁s ung ▁by ▁her ▁in ▁Detroit ▁and ▁Washington , ▁D . C . ▁It ▁is ▁s ung ▁to ▁the ▁t une ▁of ▁" John ▁Brown ' s ▁Body " ▁or ▁" The ▁Battle ▁H ymn ▁of ▁the ▁Republic ". ▁Although ▁Tr uth ▁claimed ▁to ▁have ▁written ▁the ▁words , ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁disput ed ▁( see ▁" M arch ing ▁Song ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁Ark ansas "). ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 7 , ▁Tr uth