It has been estimated that over 65,000 Southern blacks were in the
Confederate ranks. Over 13,000 of these, "saw the elephant"
also known
as meeting the enemy in combat. These Black Confederates included both
slave and free. The Confederate Congress did not approve blacks to be
officially enlisted as soldiers (except as musicians), until late in the war.
But
in the ranks it was a different story. Many Confederate officers did not
obey the mandates of politicians, they frequently enlisted blacks with the
simple criteria, "Will you fight?" Historian Ervin Jordan, explains
that
"biracial units" were frequently organized "by local Confederate
and State
militia Commanders in response to immediate threats in the form of Union
raids". Dr. Leonard Haynes, a African-American professor at Southern
University, stated, "When you eliminate the black Confederate soldier,
you've eliminated the history of the South."
Many Black Militiamen. were killed in action at Battle of Bull Run on behalf of the South
As the war came to an end, the Confederacy took progressive measures
to build back up it's army. The creation of the Confederate States Colored
Troops, copied after the segregated northern colored troops, came too
late to be successful. Had the Confederacy been successful, it would have
created the world's largest armies (at the time) consisting of black
soldiers,even larger than that of the North. This would have given the future
of the Confederacy a vastly different appearance than what modern day
racist or anti-Confederate liberals conjecture. Not only did Jefferson
Davis
envision black Confederate veterans receiving bounty lands for their
service, there would have been no future for slavery after the goal of
300,000 armed black CSA veterans came home after the war.
1. The "Richmond Howitzers" were partially manned by black militiamen.
They saw action at 1st Manassas (or 1st Battle of Bull Run) where they
operated battery no. 2. In addition two black "regiments", one free
and
one slave, participated in the battle on behalf of the South. "Many colored
people were killed in the action", recorded John Parker, a former slave.
2. At least one Black Confederate was a non-commissioned officer. James
Washington, Co. D 35th Texas Cavalry, Confederate States Army,
became it's 3rd Sergeant. Higher ranking black commissioned officers
served in militia units, but this was on the State militia level (Louisiana)and
not in the regular C.S. Army.
3. Free black musicians, cooks, soldiers and teamsters earned the same
pay as white confederate privates. This was not the case in the Union army
where blacks did not receive equal pay. At the Confederate Buffalo Forge
in Rockbridge County, Virginia, skilled black workers "earned on average
three times the wages of white Confederate soldiers and more than most
Confederate army officers ($350- $600 a year).
During Black History Month let us give thanks to the over 65,000 blacks