the first CSA "ALL-BLACK" units were formed in early 1861.
check out the LA Native Guards (who were FORCED in 1862 to fight for the union OR be sold INTO slavery!), the Mississippi Ethopian Free Rifles, The GA Sables & other all-black,Latino/black & mixed Indian/black units (like the SEMINOLE RIFLES for example, which was about 50% blacks. fyi, there were 2 white guys in that unit, as well.).
according to Dr H R Blackerby by mid-1862 the CSA military forces were DESEGREGATED down to company level. the damnyankees NEVER desegregated their military forces, period.
the CSA also had SEVERAL black commissioned officers;the damnyankees had NONE!
free dixie,sw
WRONG ANSWER! the first CSA "ALL-BLACK" units were formed in early 1861.
check out the LA Native Guards (who were FORCED in 1862 to fight for the union OR be sold INTO slavery!), the Mississippi Ethopian Free Rifles, The GA Sables & other all-black,Latino/black & mixed Indian/black units (like the SEMINOLE RIFLES for example, which was about 50% blacks. fyi, there were 2 white guys in that unit, as well.).
Well: I stand corrected on the Louisiana Native Guards. I overlooked them. You are correct: they were a black Confederate military formation right from the beginning, and even if, so far as I can tell, they were a state formation and not a national Confederate one, it's an important exception to make note of. Louisiana was in a somewhat unusual situation because of its unique societal structure, which included not only a large free black population but a larger mixed blood one as well, and it seems that led to more enlightened Louisiana attitudes (relatively speaking) on race.
Their later history under Union control does illustrate how badly black troops were treated by Union military commanders. But then anyone who has seen "Glory" knows that they had it rough. The Union used black troops for menial or garrison tasks wherever possible.
I confess my ignorance on the other units you speak of. Were they state formations or Confederate Army ones?
according to Dr H R Blackerby by mid-1862 the CSA military forces were DESEGREGATED down to company level. the damnyankees NEVER desegregated their military forces, period.
I agree on your latter point. I confess I am not familiar with Dr. Blackerby's work.
Even so I think there's a danger in stretching the enlightened character of the CS Army on black soldiery too far. There certainly were Indian and some mixed blood state units formed that served the southern cause; and the CS Army actually seems have treated black soldiers better than their Union counterparts at times, although as we have noted that's not exactly a difficult feat.
Most blacks seemed to favor the Union cause based on the evidence I have seen. When Lincoln visited Richmond in April 1865 he was greeted in rapturous tones by the local black population by all accounts. Some of that may have been opportunism, but many seemed to understand that the Union equaled freedom and the CSA equalled bondage. Of course, the former's promises took several generations to fulfill.