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 >http://www.aol.com. _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail to go? Get your Hotmail, news, sports and much more! http://mobile.msn.com