I took two years off and researched my ancestors in Georgia. I ran across a large number of old newspaper articles reporting of local activities.
I finally realized something. “Birth of a Nation” was far more like what was actually happening than any history text I have ever read. In fact reality might have been even worse than what the movie showed.
Black troops in control of large areas. Rape, murder, burning of people alive in their homes etc. The locals kept begging the Union general in charge to remove those Black troops.
After a long time, he finally decided it was getting too bad and did remove them.