Did blacks fight for the Confederacy?

[Kraig McNutt]

I wrote an essay recently that addresses the question "Did blacks fight for the Confederacy"?

http://civilwargazette.wordpress.com/2008/03/13/did-blacks-fight-in...

It is commonly taught or passed on that as many as 50,000 - 100,000 blacks (i.e., slaves) fought for the Confederacy?

I find the evidence for this next to minuscule.

After you read my article let's discuss it.

Where is my argument weak? Strong?

Kraig

[Darrin Dickey]

Kraig,

I think you're spot on with this. I've read lots of articles and books about how blacks fought in the Confederate ranks in the thousands. And, just like the arguments that the war had nothing to do with slavery, it just doesn't ring true. Were there African-Americans in the Confederate ranks? I'm sure there were, but not in truly significant numbers. And, as you say, they weren't "official" soldiers (until the waning weeks of the war). There are no multitude of muster roles or enlistment papers for them. There are no Union POW prison lists with lots of black Confederate soldiers. And consider many former Confederates attitudes toward blacks after the war, it's hard to imagine they served side-by-side with them in any meaningful numbers.

[Kraig McNutt]

The hard thing in this discussion is the logical fallacy people commit when they criticize me - that of a non sequitir. In other words, they think that because I take the view that I do, that I ipso facto discount or desire to dishonor the service of the blacks in general. Nothing could be further from the truth.

To truly honor an individual's service we must first get it right in terms of who served, why, when, etc. The thing that always surprises me is that people who want to defend the view that tens of thousands of slaves/blacks were formally enrolled into the army can never provide objective, first-hand evidence of such.

I do not deny there are anecdotal stories, many perhaps even true, of some slaves fighting for the Confederacy. But the evidence for large masses serving, to date at least, is found wanting.

[Darrin Dickey]

How funny. I just finished an extensive e-mail correspondence with another Nashville Civil War blogger. When I pointed him to Passport to History, he expressed an astonishment that the first thing he saw on the site was this post on Black Confederates. His feeling is that this is a non-issue (or should be) that mostly interests historical revisionists. (Not you, Kraig, but the people who continue to insist that the Confederate Army had 50,000 - 100,000 black soldiers enlisted.)

What was funny was I ended the conversation with this:
"Personally, I find history complex and amazing. I think too many times we attempt to define history, including both sides of racial issues, in terms too general. We want to define "our" side as virtuous and "their" side as evil. The truth is that none of us are saints, we are all sinners. I've decided that I just want to understand history, the good, the bad, the ugly. And appreciate that it was all lived and acted out by regular, everyday, complex people doing amazing things. I want to celebrate the amazingly good things they've done and learn from the amazingly bad things.

I think to do any less is a disservice to the people who came before us."

It's very similar to what you just said. Happily, the fellow I was corresponding with agreed wholeheartedly.

[Kraig McNutt]

At least we all agree on one thing - you ARE a sinner. See. We have common ground after all! ; )