Charles, the colored servant of Adjutant Burk, unaided, captured a prisoner armed with gun and pistol, and turned him over to the commanding general of the First Brigade.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
R. C. W. RADFORD,
Colonel Thirtieth Virginia Cavalry.
I imagine that a lot of the slaves and free blacks serving in subordinate roles in the Confederate army fought on occasion.
I've posted to you before the link to 3,000 free blacks serving in the Confederate Native Guards throughout the state of Louisiana (Link). When the Feds took over a part of the state they made their own contingent of Native Guards.
Well, one at least. But as I've stated before nobody is denying that the confederate army brought along thousands of slaves to act as cooks, servants, teamsters, laborers, and the like. Here is an example of one of them. But Colonel Bradford doesn't describe him as a soldier, does he? He's a servant. He was no doubt Adjutant Burke's property. I doubt he had a lot of choice being there. And no doubt his actions caused a great deal of amusement among Bradford's fellow officers. But was he considered a soldier? Bradford doesn't seem to indicate that.
Your article mentions that 3,000 free blacks volunteered their services but fails to mention that that service was refused by the confederate authoritities who refused to allow blacks into the army in any capacity until much later in the war.