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Stayed? Well in total, over 2 million remained which included most of the women, children, elderly and those unable or unwilling to vacate. There were also large swaths of the south where Union forces did not enter until the very end of the war and those slaves simply did not have the opportunity. Yet, out of 3+ million slaves (men, women and children,) in the Confederate states, 100,000 served in the Union Army. That is sizeable percentage by any standard.

As with any human condition, those most fit and ambitious crossed the lines and a very high percentage volunteered for the military. As to my knowledge, no slaves were ever impressed against their will into the Union Army -- the draft did not include free blacks in the pool of eligible men.

Many, perhaps a majority of whites in some Union states, and a sizable percentage in the Regular US Army establishment, opposed Blacks being in uniform, and especially ex-slaves who were considered to be even inferior and less capable than free blacks.

Add on to that the official Confederate government policy to either summarily execute or to sell black soldiers into slavery if captured. And in many cases, the confederates followed through on those policies.

To imply that escaped slaves somehow served against their will is very disparaging against those men who volunteered to fight for their own freedom. It is a insult to their memory.

Don't let your overblown "Southern Pride" allow you to stoop to disparaging other brave men who did what they felt they had to do.

Here's a link to more information.

“Don’t let your overblown “Southern Pride” allow you to stoop to disparaging other brave men who did what they felt they had to do.”

Drawing conclusions of facts not in evidence. You didn’t address the conscription of blacks into the Union army much less the mistreatment they suffered at the hands of their “liberators”. There’s two sides to the story and I find it objectionable for one to glorify the one without giving the facts of the WHOLE story and sit in 21st century judgement on a time and people far removed without nod to their thoughts and actions at the time.

3% of 3 million is considered a sizeable percentage?