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To: justshutupandtakeit
Still with the ludicrous claim that Black SOLDIERS fought, not orderlies, valets, bootblacks, teamsters, blacksmiths but SOLDIERS?

Given your hate-driven vitriol, you probably deny the many contributions of black Americans during the War for Independence. They too fought for slave-owners and slave-States despite British offers of immediate emancipation. Over five thousand black Americans fought in George Washington's Army. According to your line of logic, that would impossible. But it's true, they did. Their honor and glory is theirs forever, and all the propagandists and hate-mongers that dare to pick up a pen can't take it from them. The same is true of their descendants who fought for the Confederate Army. Here's what a REPUBLICAN (gasp) member of the US Sanitary Commission reported after being caught behind lines prior to the battle of Antietam. He observed Stonewall Jackson's Corps as it moved through the town of Frederick, Maryland:

"Over 3,000 Negroes must be included in this number [64,000]. These were clad in all kinds of uniforms, not only in cast-off or captured United States uniforms, but also in coats with Southern buttons, State buttons, etc. Most of the Negroes had arms, rifles, muskets, sabers, bowie knives, dirks, etc...and were manifestly an integral portion of the Southern Confederate Army." - Chief Inspector Lewis Steiner, 'Report from Antietam'

Tennessee authorised by State law the enlistment of "male persons of color between the ages of 15 and 50" in June of 1861. And yes, many were actual soldiers. The 14th Tennessee Volunteer Infantry (CSA) for example, listed numerous "men of color" on their Roll of Honor, including one who was killed in action carrying the unit's colors during the charge of Pickett, Pettigrew, and Trimble at Gettysburg. There are many memoirs and unit histories written by union veterans that testify to their encounters with armed and fighting black Confederate soldiers. Next time you visit Arlington Cemetery you might want to check out the Confederate Memorial. It was erected in 1912 and was sculpted by a jewish Confederate veteran named Moses Ezekiel. On one of its panels is a scene of Confederate soldiers marching off to war. One of them is black, with clear African features.

235 posted on 07/24/2003 8:29:18 PM PDT by thatdewd
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To: thatdewd
Nice post, dewd. First-hand factual accounts are hard to refute. Don't expect a response, those people don't take kindly to the facts.
236 posted on 07/24/2003 8:41:41 PM PDT by stainlessbanner
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To: thatdewd
Nice attempt to change the subject and put words into my mouth, but it is fruitless. Hamilton and his friend, John Laurens of South CArolina, proposed to Congress that it recruit Black soldiers in order to keep South Carolina and Georgia from falling to the British. Their proposal, of course, was fought bitterly by the slavers and defeated. Rhode Island was the only state I am aware of which actually recruited Black units and rewarded their members with freedom. Why would you be so silly as to believe I don't know that Blacks fought in the Revolution?

Inspector Steiner's report would have to be read in its entirety in order to know what he really said since misquoting and misrepresentation of such material in SOP for the D.S. side. But, even the part you quote says nothing of any units of Black men fighting. No doubt some of the cooks, valets, boot blacks, orderly, ditch diggers etc. who were dragged along with their masters would have had some degree of arms maybe even a gun or three. And it is a fact that proposals of to arm Blacks in military units to fight for the Slavers was resisted to the very end of the war.

I am sorry but I have been burnt too often accepting statements from the D.S.s wrt anything about the Slavers' Revolt much less Black soldiers fighting for the Slavers'. Most were subsequently shown to be misinformation at best and outright deceptions at worst.
265 posted on 07/25/2003 8:35:28 AM PDT by justshutupandtakeit (RATS will use any means to denigrate George Bush's Victory.)
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To: thatdewd
"Over 3,000 Negroes must be included in this number [64,000]. These were clad in all kinds of uniforms, not only in cast-off or captured United States uniforms, but also in coats with Southern buttons, State buttons, etc. Most of the Negroes had arms, rifles, muskets, sabers, bowie knives, dirks, etc...and were manifestly an integral portion of the Southern Confederate Army." - Chief Inspector Lewis Steiner, 'Report from Antietam'

What to you make of this quote from Dr. Steiner's report?

"The fact was patent, and rather, interesting when considered in connection with the horror the rebels expressed at the suggestion of black soldiers being employed for the National defense."

It's not hard to find, it is actually the second sentence following your quote. So if blacks were respected members of the confederate combat arms, if they were fully integrated in the confederate army then why would southern soldiers react with horror at the thought of facing black soldiers in the Union army? One would think that if they were fighting shoulder to shoulder with blacks in their own army then they would consider black Union troops as nothing special. Yet, according to Dr. Steiner, they didn't. Why is that, do you think?

322 posted on 07/26/2003 5:58:32 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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