My ancestors fought for the Union, but I do understand why some blacks would 
fight for the confederates. They may have been promised freedom, in exchange 
for their service.  One of my Revolutionary War Ancestors signed on as a 
Seamen, in order to get out of a twenty year indenture. They may have had 
little understanding of the implications of winning the war.

Anita


>From: David Kiracofe <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history         
>      <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Black Confederates
>Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2007 10:50:18 -0400
>
>There is some useful new scholarship on this question.  See Bruce
>Levine: CONFEDERATE EMANCIPATION on the plans to (and the resistance
>against) more fully exploiting the African American numbers in the
>Confederate South.   Levine also takes up the issue of motivation of
>Black recruits.   Although the Confederate offer of emancipation was
>taken up by some southern blacks, far more found the Union's offer of
>freedom to be more promising; no doubt the experiences of dealing with
>white slaveholders made the enslaved, shall we say,  wary of southern
>promises.
>
>One can also turn to Robert Durden's older work: THE GRAY AND THE BLACK.
>
>David Kiracofe
>
>David Kiracofe
>History
>Tidewater Community College
>Chesapeake Campus
>1428 Cedar Road
>Chesapeake, Virginia 23322
>757-822-5136
> >>> <[log in to unmask]> 06/15/07 9:07 AM >>>
>Another curious aspect of the realities of Black slavery are  the
>accounts of
>Black slaves and freemen serving in the army of the  Confederacy.  C.F.
>Black
>Confederates and Afro-Yankees in the Civil War  Virginia by Jordan; The
>Louisiana Native Guard by Hollandsworth;  Black Confederates by Barrow,
>Segars and
>Rosenburg; Black  Southerners in Gray by Bataile, et. al; and Black
>Southerners in  Confederate Armies by Segars and Barrow.
>
>I find it hard to believe that these slaves and former slaves served out
>of
>fear of being whipped.  Rather, they must have had some deep felt
>feelings
>for the South to risk their lives in battle for "the cause".
>
>J South
>
>
>
>************************************** See what's free at
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