Honoring African American Civil War Soldiers, But Still Searching for the Mythical “Black Confederat

http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2011/06/01/honoring-african-american-civil-war-soldiers-but-still-searching-for-the-mythical-black-confederates/

Even while trying to free our minds, there is much gunk and debris nested in the consciousness of those who were once colonized, excluded, made the Other, or oppressed. Consequently, those narratives that serve to legitimate Power are often reproduced by the very same individuals who are resisting it. In much the same way that a fish does not know that it lives in water, black Americans often accept and internalize White dominant scripts, frames, and narratives about both our history and present. Thus, we often see our selves through the White gaze.

When those moments are present and reproduced–especially by black folks who are trying to generate a counter-narrative in the face of White supremacist fictions about the humanity of black people–they are glaring. Consider the following quotation from The Tennessean’s piece “Black Soldiers Celebrated as Civil War’s Forgotten Heroes,” where one of the members of the 13th United States Colored Soldiers Living History Association, the group featured in the story, observes that:

“It was a painful time, yes. But I want people to understand that African-Americans were not all slaves and property and mindless and un-ambitious,” said Norman Hill, a retired executive with the Cracker Barrel restaurant chain. “We were strong; we weren’t all just raggedy slaves. These men marched for what they believed in.”

For lack of a better phrase, that just hurts. The irony is grand: A black man channeling the ancestors’ freedom struggle and expressing how manhood rights were earned, and freedom dues paid, in blood, yet still holding on to a white supremacist fiction of happy lazy slaves on the yee olde plantation, shiftless and weak, saved by the good graces of White civilization and the benevolent hand of the planter class.

Video and more at the link --

The myth of the Black CSA soldier has at least two possible origins. Near the end of the war, the CSA became so desperate that it began offering freedom to slaves who agreed to fight for the South and there were a handful of takers. They were very few near the end of the war and it is doubtful if they actually did any fighting.

The second possible orign comes from photos of Black men in CSA uniforms. It is likely, however, that these men were servants brought to the war by white officers. The uniforms indicated ownership and gave the slave POW rights if captured. Those rights included parole and return to his master if captured. I have to think the uniforms also made it hard for slaves to escape since eveyone in the army would know that the slave was with the army and not some local plantation.

OTOH, in the North Black men swamped recruiting offices. Less than 1% of the northern population was Black, yet Black men comprised 10% of the Union army and every one of them was a volunteer.

Yes, most blacks who served in the Confederate Army were there as a result of their master's will. But some weren't, and records of these can be found in places like the National Archive.

For instance there is the service record of Wiley Stewart, a "free person of color" who served with the 4th Tennessee Calvary. Or the service record of Alexander, another "free person of color" who served with Wilke's Regiment of the 24th Texas Cavalry.

No, the number of African Americans serving freely in the Confederate Army is not great. But it did happen, and it is one of those historical oddities that confound later generations who try to impose their own morals and believes upon historical figures and actions.

There are always exceptions the the rule.

When the Civil War Started the African American New Orleans Militia did serve the Confederate State of Louisiana till New Orleans was taken the the Union Navy in 1862. These units were then reformed into pro-union Militia and serve quite well while the North Occupied New Orleans (which was or the rest of the War).

There are also reports of African Americans standing guard, these tend to be Northern Reports the south seems NOT to make such reports. The reason for this was simple, the African American were slaves standing in for their masters (As they had been doing all their lives). The South did NOT want to recognize this for it shows a lack of Military discipline among their white enlisted ranks (And extended wholesale to the Officer ranks). When I use the term Discipline, is the willingness to obey lawful orders, even if distasteful, such as doing guard duty. This was a problem for the Southern Army throughout the Civil War, an unwillingness to follow basic Military discipline. Some Southerns even brag about it today, I have read stories of Southern Soldiers throwing away their coats, for it was the middle of the Summer and saw no need to keep them, and later on a few weeks later that unit has to be pulled out of combat do to the fact the men are freezing do to a lack of coats. You did NOT see that in the Northern Army as much (It occurred but the Soldiers quickly learn WHY you had to obey some on their face "stupid" orders like carrying coats on the March in the Middle of Summer (i.e. come cold weather, you wore what you had on you, you could NOT go to the local store and buy one). Other stories like this is heard from pro-Southern Articles and their brag about how it made the Southern Army better then the Northern Army. No one said so at the time, and the Northern soldiers themselves appear to view this attitude of Southern Soldiers made them inferior soldiers to Northern Troops.

Anyway, back to the Northern Reports of African American bearing arms. The reports are heard in 1861, but then disappear starting in 1862. This seems to be do to the fact when African American were performing the above mentioned Guard Duty, they saw it as the perfect opportunity to escape to Northern Lines. As soon as the news spread that Northern Units were NOT returning Slaves to Southern Units, these escape escalated. Thus by 1862 you stop reading about such reports.

Once the Slaves accepted the fact that if they reached Union Lines they would no longer be Slaves, the use of Slaves in Military Operations dropped like a rock. No more digging of trenches or other defenses near union lines, that was reserved to White Soldiers and Civilians. African American Slaves were used only in areas where escape to Union lines was impossible. Thus some use of African Americans in 1861 but the numbers dropped drastically after 1861.

Their job was less to guard NBF than to operate as scouts and a quick response fire brigade.

They were his personal slaves who were given the option of staying on the plantation or serving with him. He told them that would he grant them their freedom if the South won, and if they lost, well they'd be free anyway. None of them deserted him during the entire course of the war. Before the war ended Forrest did in fact have papers made up granting them their freedom but most opted to return MIssissippi with him.

There were also Federal accounts of armed blacks being captured at Gettysburg. Many may have been the personal valets of Confederate officers but they were still armed, black and Confederate.

Thus those black personnel, running his supplies, were in a way fighting for their freedom and the freedom of their wives and children. Forest knew what the African American wanted and Forest was willing to give it to the Slaves to keep Forest's unit supplied and intact. The problem was the South, as a whole (And that included Forest) were fighting to PRESERVE slavery not to help the African Americans. This can be seen when Forest, in a response to a Southern Politician claiming state rights and other reason for secession, commented, paraphrased "If we are NOT fighting or Slavery, why are we fighting?".

Thus those African Americans were Forest's own personal slaves, NOT volunteers to serve his troops out of any love for the South or Slavery, instead fighting for their own and their family freedom. Forest knew this and accepted it, most other Southerns refused to even considered such an offer to the Slaves (And when the Confederate Congress did so, in January 1865, it was with the offer that the owners of the Slaves would be paid for the value of the slaves that thus gained their freedom).