Black Confederates

Black Confederates Why haven't we heard more about them? National Park Service historian, Ed Bearrs, stated, "I don't want to call it a conspiracy to ignore the role of Blacks both above and below the Mason-Dixon line, but it was definitely a tendency that began around 1910" Historian, Erwin L. Jordan, Jr., calls it a "cover-up" which started back in 1865. He writes, "During my research, I came across instances where Black men stated they were soldiers, but you can plainly see where 'soldier' is crossed out and 'body servant' inserted, or 'teamster' on pension applications." Another black historian, Roland Young, says he is not surprised that blacks fought. He explains that "some, if not most, Black southerners would support their country" and that by doing so they were "demonstrating it's possible to hate the system of slavery and love one's country." This is the very same reaction that most African Americans showed during the American Revolution, where they fought for the colonies, even though the British offered them freedom if they fought for them.

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, an African-American professor at Southern University, stated, "When you eliminate the black Confederate soldier, you've eliminated the history of the South."

As the war came to an end, the Confederacy took progressive measures to build back up its 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).

4. Dr. Lewis Steiner, Chief Inspector of the United States Sanitary Commission while observing Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson's occupation of Frederick, Maryland, in 1862: "Over 3,000 Negroes must be included in this number [Confederate troops]. These were clad in all kinds of uniforms, not only in cast-off or captured United States uniforms, but in coats with Southern buttons, State buttons, etc. These were shabby, but not shabbier or seedier than those worn by white men in the rebel ranks. Most of the Negroes had arms, rifles, muskets, sabers, bowie-knives, dirks, etc.....and were manifestly an integral portion of the Southern Confederate Army."

5. Frederick Douglas reported, "There are at the present moment many Colored men in the Confederate Army doing duty not only as cooks, servants and laborers, but real soldiers, having musket on their shoulders, and bullets in their pockets, ready to shoot down any loyal troops and do all that soldiers may do to destroy the Federal government and build up that of the rebels."

6. Black and white militiamen returned heavy fire on Union troops at the Battle of Griswoldsville (near Macon, GA). Approximately 600 boys and elderly men were killed in this skirmish.

7. In 1864, President Jefferson Davis approved a plan that proposed the emancipation of slaves, in return for the official recognition of the Confederacy by Britain and France. France showed interest but Britain refused.

8. The Jackson Battalion included two companies of black soldiers. They saw combat at Petersburg under Col. Shipp. "My men acted with utmost promptness and goodwill...Allow me to state sir that they behaved in an extraordinary acceptable manner."

9. Recently the National Park Service, with a recent discovery, recognized that blacks were asked to help defend the city of Petersburg, Virginia and were offered their freedom if they did so. Regardless of their official classification, black Americans performed support functions that in today's army many would be classified as official military service. The successes of white Confederate troops in battle, could only have been achieved with the support these loyal black Southerners.

10. Confederate General John B. Gordon (Army of Northern Virginia) reported that all of his troops were in favor of Colored troops and that it's adoption would have "greatly encouraged the army". Gen. Lee was anxious to receive regiments of black soldiers. The Richmond Sentinel reported on 24 Mar 1864, "None will deny that our servants are more worthy of respect than the motley hordes which come against us." "Bad faith [to black Confederates] must be avoided as an indelible dishonor."

11. In March 1865, Judah P. Benjamin, Confederate Secretary Of State, promised freedom for blacks who served from the State of Virginia. Authority for this was finally received from the State of Virginia and on April 1st 1865, $100 bounties were offered to black soldiers. Benjamin exclaimed, "Let us say to every Negro who wants to go into the ranks, go and fight, and you are free Fight for your masters and you shall have your freedom." Confederate Officers were ordered to treat them humanely and protect them from "injustice and oppression".

12. A quota was set for 300,000 black soldiers for the Confederate States Colored Troops. 83% of Richmond's male slave population volunteered for duty. A special ball was held in Richmond to raise money for uniforms for these men. Before Richmond fell, black Confederates in gray uniforms drilled in the streets. Due to the war ending, it is believed only companies or squads of these troops ever saw any action. Many more black soldiers fought for the North, but that difference was simply a difference because the North instituted this progressive policy more sooner than the more conservative South. Black soldiers from both sides received discrimination from whites who opposed the concept .

13. Union General U.S. Grant in Feb 1865, ordered the capture of "all the Negro men before the enemy can put them in their ranks." Frederick Douglass warned Lincoln that unless slaves were guaranteed freedom (those in Union controlled areas were still slaves) and land bounties, "they would take up arms for the rebels".

14. On April 4, 1865 (Amelia County, VA), a Confederate supply train was exclusively manned and guarded by black Infantry. When attacked by Federal Cavalry, they stood their ground and fought off the charge, but on the second charge they were overwhelmed. These soldiers are believed to be from "Major Turner's" Confederate command.

15. A Black Confederate, George _____, when captured by Federals was bribed to desert to the other side. He defiantly spoke, "Sir, you want me to desert, and I ain't no deserter. Down South, deserters disgrace their families and I am never going to do that."

16. Former slave, Horace King, accumulated great wealth as a contractor to the Confederate Navy. He was also an expert engineer and became known as the "Bridge builder of the Confederacy." One of his bridges was burned in a Yankee raid. His home was pillaged by Union troops, as his wife pleaded for mercy.

17. As of Feb. 1865 1,150 black seamen served in the Confederate Navy. One of these was among the last Confederates to surrender, aboard the CSS Shenandoah, six months after the war ended. This surrender took place in England.

18. Nearly 180,000 Black Southerners, from Virginia alone, provided logistical support for the Confederate military. Many were highly skilled workers. These included a wide range of jobs: nurses, military engineers, teamsters, ordnance department workers, brakemen, firemen, harness makers, blacksmiths, wagonmakers, boatmen, mechanics, wheelwrights, etc. In the 1920'S Confederate pensions were finally allowed to some of those workers that were still living. Many thousands more served in other Confederate States.

19. During the early 1900's, many members of the United Confederate Veterans (UCV) advocated awarding former slaves rural acreage and a home. There was hope that justice could be given those slaves that were once promised "forty acres and a mule" but never received any. In the 1913 Confederate Veteran magazine published by the UCV, it was printed that this plan "If not Democratic, it is [the] Confederate" thing to do. There was much gratitude toward former slaves, which "thousands were loyal, to the last degree", now living with total poverty of the big cities. Unfortunately, their proposal fell on deaf ears on Capitol Hill.

20. During the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg in 1913, arrangements were made for a joint reunion of Union and Confederate veterans. The commission in charge of the event made sure they had enough accommodations for the black Union veterans, but were completely surprised when unexpected black Confederates arrived. The white Confederates immediately welcomed their old comrades, gave them one of their tents, and "saw to their every need". Nearly every Confederate reunion including those blacks that served with them, wearing the gray.

21. The first military monument in the US Capitol that honors an African-American soldier is the Confederate monument at Arlington National cemetery. The monument was designed 1914 by Moses Ezekiel, a Jewish Confederate. Who wanted to correctly portray the "racial makeup" in the Confederate Army. A black Confederate soldier is depicted marching in step with white Confederate soldiers. Also shown is one "white soldier giving his child to a black woman for protection".- source: Edward Smith, African American professor at the American University, Washington DC.

22. Black Confederate heritage is beginning to receive the attention it deserves. For instance, Terri Williams, a black journalist for the Suffolk "Virginia Pilot" newspaper, writes: "I've had to re-examine my feelings toward the [Confederate] flag started when I read a newspaper article about an elderly black man whose ancestor worked with the Confederate forces. The man spoke with pride about his family member's contribution to the cause, was photographed with the [Confederate] flag draped over his lap that's why I now have no definite stand on just what the flag symbolizes, because it no longer is their history, or my history, but our history."

You need to go to the search on slave ships on Yahoo and you will find you are absolutely dead, completely, without question wrong, wrong, wrong. This happened very much in the New England shipping industry, especially after they found out the slave trade was more lucrative than even whaling.

Also if you live in that area, I suggest you just trot yo' little peapicking heart down to Mystic Seaport Museum and see the replica of the slave ship they have there. Read also if you dare the fact that these "Yankee Clippers" were designed to carry the most human cargo based of what they had learned from the British. These ships were designed after the Revolutionary War and slavery had been outlawed.

Both I and AnAmericanMother believe slavery existed in the South because we are willing to study history and believe the facts, not what we want to believe.

If you don't believe that the New England shipping business was the biggest player in bringing basically 90% of their cargo to Cuba and surrounding areas and 10% of their cargo to be sold in the South which had a flourishing slave trade, by any chance do you believe in the Tooth Fairy and Easter Bunny.

Read, research and learn.

I had always thought the "clippers" were primarily designed for the tea trade, to get the tea back to New England ASAP.

But I went looking and found this article on "Baltimore Clippers" and, lo and behold,

Baltimore Clippers were often the ship of choice for slavers, smugglers, and West Indian pirate craft.
The use and manufacturing of Baltimore Clippers declined not because of their obsolescence but due to the reputation they gained. One part of this reputation was gained by being the ship of choice for South American raiding. Baltimore became one of the main supply ports for both the Spanish and revolutionary forces. With this reputation many respectable Baltimoreans backed away from any enterprises involving South America and indirectly the Baltimore Clipper.
Another reason for this disapproval was their use in the slave trade. When the slave trade was prohibited in 1808, the Clippers went into use as shipping vessels for the enslaved human cargo. Therefore, they were looked down upon for both their use in this controversial issue and for going against the laws of the United States. Thus the Baltimore Clippers faded away to be replaced by larger ships capable of carrying greater cargoes with the same speed that the Clippers were so famous for.

You learn something every day!

Clippers were basically called clippers because they "Clipped along at a great speed". I never knew until the last few days when all this came up that some were actually designed from the ground up as slavers.

As far as clipping along at a great speed, the "Flying Cloud" made 460 nautical miles in 24 hours in the 1840's or so. That is an average of over 19 knots!! The schooner "Atlantic" made it from the States to England in less than 10 days. That is also getting it. It took me 27 days to make it from the Canaries to the BVI's in my 36' Ketch which is not getting it but I did make it from Madeira to the Canaries in a storm while I was reefed down to less than 20% of my normal sail working area in less than 48 hours which was getting it but most of my crew almost quit on me since we were under water most on the way than we were on top of it.

I used New England Slave ships as my search and found an overwhelming amount of information that support your post of what happened after the American Revolution especially concerning the Triangle.

I also used the search of Georgia Black Confederates and found more information than I believe myself. I know that some of the militia black soldiers also received compensation from the State of Georgia, AFTER THE WAR WAS OVER.

As instructed, I also researched "Uncle Tom's Cabin" to find HB Stowe was much more kinder to the ways of the life in the South than I alway thought. This is surprising even though she was a staunch abolitionist. She in her work apparently did quite a bit of research herself and spread the guilt around. Check this out, what you find may surprise you.

Still, though I hate to admit it, I would have probably fought for the North to preserve the Union. The South with all it economic problems it had and that was to come with the industrial revolution would have never survived.

Yeah, I think if most Southerners had known then what we know now, there never would have been a war.

Hindsight being 20/20 and all that.

Biggest thing I've ever sailed was an old Lightning class, my parents live on the coast, but they putter around the tidal rivers in a 17' Whaler.

ouch! I can barely manage the mainsheet, two jib sheets and the tiller in a Lightning. They would just have to swat me over the head with a marlinspike and dump me overboard.

Have you read The Magic Pudding? An old Australian children's book with plenty of winks at the grownups. Great stuff in there (with tongue in cheek) about the supposedly Good Old Days:

"And that's the truth, mate," said Bill to Bunyip Bluegum. "There ain't no pirates nowadays at sea, except western ocean First Mates, and many's the bootin' I've had for not takin' in the slack of the topsail halyards fast enough to suit their fancy. It's a hard life, the sea, and Sam here'll bear me out when I say that bein' hit on the head with a belayin' pin while tryin' to pick up the weather earring is an experience that no man wants twice. But toon up, and a song all round."

A book worth reading, but not on line because you simply HAVE to have the illustrations by Norman Lindsey, who appears to have been better known for mildly naughty pictures of ladies than Bunyip Bluegum, Bill Barnacle and Sam Sawnoff . . . :-D

Read Dana's, "Two Years Before the Mast". Not at all like the book. Based on what he said, they didn't really have it that bad. He only spoke ill of one of his captains, not as being cruel but basically just a poor leader of men and a incompetant seaman.

I could compare his experiences and living conditions with some of mine when we crossed the North Atlantic in the winter time in my 36ft boat. I can tell you first hand what it was like to be in a Force 12 with 30 to 50 foot waves with wind I am sure in excess of 100mph at times. This went on for over 18 hours and we put the spreaders underwater at least three times when knocked down by large breaking waves. You don't understand the meaning of fear until you have been through something like that and understand why sailors were so religous.

By the way, I had on board at that time, my son Andrew who was 22 months and my daughter Rebecca who was 6 months. They stood it fine.

I've read Dana's book, as well as the afterword where he went back around and visited his old haunts, and does a riff on "where are they now." Pretty amazing tale even if it wasn't as awful as the movie (that is what you meant, right?) It was certainly the making of Dana, who was pretty much a Harvard aesthete before he saw the light before the mast.

Captain Thompson was pretty clearly incompetent all round. The story of what happened to him in the afterword is kind of sad.

Kids don't worry - they trust their parents. Now that I'm mother of two, I realize that more than ever.

Have you read the "Just Cruising" books, about the family with three young kids that sailed around the world? Shoot, you probably know them.

I still like Joshua Slocum's book the best - what a wonderful period piece.

I have read both of Slocum's books. I think "Voyage of the Liberdale", (not sure on spelling of that) was his greatest feat. What is lost on most people who read these books, especially the so called traditionalist, is the fact that the "Spray" was designed around and equipped with the lastest technoligy of that day. If GPS had been available to him, not doubt, he would have used it.

"I believe slavery would have ended on its own, either that or if people had been left alone and not be meddled with by carpetbagger libs from the North things would have advanced faster. Oh well...but that's just my opinion." The only people in America who believed slavery wouldn't end on its own were in the North. Ah, the "tolerant" North, where bands of rampaging whites set upon blacks and killed them DURING THE CIVIL WAR! Yeah, the Civil War was fought to free the slaves, alright .

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