Those numbers came from a readily available google link.
The source does not appear to me as pro-Confederate propaganda, so I have no reason to dispute it.
However, the important point to grasp here, as illustrated by the quote in post #84, is that these were virtually all slaves -- forced to serve at gun-point.
Tens of thousands were support workers -- cooking, cleaning, setting up camps, building fortifications, driving supply wagons, etc.
And smaller numbers of slaves were forced to stand and fight.
I don’t remember if you were around when swattie was fighting for the lost cause (if you weren’t you missed a truly bizarre individual). Amongst his many, many unattributed (and unattributable) claims was that there was a standing army of “100,ooo- 150,ooo” (whatever the heck that was!) all-volunteer black troops within the confederate forces.
As a matter of fact there is an epic battle between he and some of the rest of us over the book “Blacks in Blue and Gray” by Hubert Blackerby that swattie insisted supported his contention. The problem with making wild claims is that they are so easily refuted. (You can see the action here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2324846/posts?page=22#22).
I actually bought a (used) copy from Amazon and it comports with your post #84. Which leads us all the way ‘round the barn and back to where we began this silly voyage - the goofy agitations and strawmen of the lost cause losers.