Former slaves did volunteer and actually raise money to support their units and the cause. It’s well documented.
How about the claims made in reply 57 and 81? Are those as well documented as your claim is?
I am aware of this (quite rare) phenomenon. Largely limited to LA, I believe, where the color line was not as distinct an issue as elsewhere in America.
I am unaware of any black units accepted into the regular CSA. I think all were volunteer units accepted (at best) into the state’s Home Guard.
The Georgia congresscritter I referenced in an earlier post was quoted by Foote as saying, “If slaves will make good soldiers our whole theory of slavery is wrong.”
As it turned out, they would and it was.
BTW, how do you explain the fact that the CSA refused to recognize captured black Union soldiers as being soldiers, but instead returned them to slavery? And that the CSA initially declared white Union officers leading black troops would also be viewed not as soldiers, but as pirates or bandits to be executed immediately on capture? (They gave up the latter idea due to the expressed determination of the Union to “execute man for man” of captured Confederate officers.)
As you no doubt know, this refusal of the CSA to accept black soldiers AS soldiers was what led directly to the breakdown of the prisoner exchange system and the greatest suffering among prisoners both North and South.