Above And Beyond The Call Of Duty

[thea_447]

It's been said by some on these boards that Negroes in the South ran as fast as their legs could carry them as soon as the first hint of war came; that they couldn't get away from the terrible tyranny that they'd all been living under through the years.

I am not here to shout the praises of ficticious characters such as "Big Jim" of Gone With The Wind fame (notoriety?) but there is something about the Negro population that has not been touched on, I don't believe while I've been on these boards and that's been a while.

Surely it must be obvious to even the most devout Yank that the South couldn't have survived for four years with literally all the men gone to fight the war and only women, old men, little boys left to till the soil on the farms or if you prefer, Yanks, to work those vast lands that comprised the plantations of the South.


I've tried before to express a bit about the Southern way of life but apparently most people of Northern persuasion don't want to believe any of it because it wouldn't jive with their preconceived ideas about life on the plantations. (And I'm not forgetting for one moment that this war was fought primarily by ordinary farmers who didn't even own a slave.)

So many of the Southern records were lost during/after the war but especially those records of valiant deeds performed by individuals and more particularly by the Negroes of the Confederacy. To say that most were loyal to their white people is not only political incorrect today but it's absolutely taboo because too many people want to paint their version of this war against the background of a phony past.

But it must be obvious to anyone with the ability to even read that the Confederacy could not have made its brilliant record without its loyal Negroes, and no good purpose can be served by refusing to honor thos who merit honor. A few examples come to mind readily but they show the varied kinds of services performed.

Official Records (G.S.A.) verify that Private Levi Oxendine, colored, was present for duty Oct. 1, 1861 at Camp Myers, Tenn. (Savannah Morning News, 12 Feb. 1904, p.12, col.I) He had been mustered in July 30, 1861 by A.B. Hardcastle, designated as a free Negro, age 53, surely acting on his own free will. Alexander Harris and his lifelong friend, George Dwelle, entered Confederate service with the First Volunteer Regiment of Georgia, and both entered the ministry after the war. (Savannah Morning News, 10 Oct. 1909, p. 10, col. 3, also 12 Oct. 1909, p.4 col. 5) Harris was known for his brave service during the Savannah yellow fever epidemic of 1876. Amos Rucker served as a fighting soldier in the 7th Georgia Regiment. (Ibid, 30 Aug. 1905, p.5, col. 1) Moses Bentley and his brother, of Georgia, were at the Battle of Fredericksburg and helped carry the mortally wounded General Francis S. Bartow from the field. Another Georgia Negro, Richmond Elder went off to the war with Joe Elder, his young master. (Ibid, 18 Nov. 1906, p.4, cols. 4& 5). When Joe was mortally wounded, he gave his cap to Richmond. "Keep it for me, Rich", he said; and Rich kept it for 35 years and was buried with it. Devotion? Where can you find it like that today? (Ibid, 27 Feb. 1899, p. 6, col. 2)

A popular army saying was that Stonewall Jackson marched at dawn unless he started the day before; but whenever he marched, somebody had his horse saddled, his uniform and accoutrements ready and his breakfast cooked. This was always the unfailing rask of his orderly and cook Jim Lewis. In all Jackson's furious marching and counter-marching, advancing and retreating and fighting, weary men straggled and collapsed, supply wagons lagged and bogged down, but the ammunition wagons and Jim Lewis were always up front with the general.

Jim Lewis was said to have been a slave who had refused the freedom Jackson had offered him, but he may have been a free Negro. He was one of the magicians, of whom there were many, on Jackson's staff, and stood out among them superb in his own field. Jim worshipped Jackson and was inconsolable when he was killed. He was given the honor of leading Jackson's riderless horse. "Little Sorrel", in his Richmond funeral procession. Any individual of any rank in the Confederacy, yes and many in the Northern army would have deemt it the highest of honors to lead that horse up Broad Street that day.

Jim carried on in the war with Jackson's chief of staff officer, Sandie Peterson, and when Sandie was killed, it was Jim who carried the news to the Pendleton family in Stanton. (See H.K. Douglas, also Bean)

There was at least one other Negro on Jackson's staff, Jeff Shields, whose photograph is on display at Jackson's home in Lexington. His steady gaze and bushy white whiskers and his chest full of medals stamp him as a man of integrity, but little else is kn0wn about him.

Captain ****ins recalls some incidents of Negro loyalty above and beyond the call of duty. When he said good-bye to his badly wounded friend, Kit Gilmer on the field of Sharpsburg he never expected to see him again, but after crossing the swollen Potomac and covering the tortuous 40 miles of the retreat to Winchester, he found Gilmer there ahead of him. Gilmer's man Isaac had "borrowed" a horse from a Maryland farmer and, in some way, known only to himself, got his master back "where dem Yankees cain''t git Marse Kit". (James ****ins, Southern Historical Papers, N.O. Picayune, 13 Oct. 1907.)

(More stories to follow. PLEASE feel free to add your own.)

[ole]

Thea:
Thanks for opening this long-ignored facet of the southern black, free or slave.
You are correct in stating that a great many slaves remained to work the farms when the masters were gone -- and that for a discouraging length of time.

You did, however, drop controversial words: "most were loyal." I can't imagine that there would be any records kept of slaves except in the burned homes of the owners. But we can explore and guess at numbers.

First, if we set the number of slaves at 4mm -- men, women, and children -- some skedaddled at the first opportunity (which was most likely when a Federal presence was within reach), some remained loyal, and some joined the Federals as soldiers, civilian workers and camp followers.

We know that owners of more than 20 slaves were exempt from military service. No doubt quite a number went anyway. Of those that didn't go into service, their personal presence would influence loyalty.

There will be as many reasons why slaves did or didn't remain loyal as there were slaves. We might divide the "loyals" into those who were afraid to run (uncertainty, lack of a Federal Army to run to ...) and those who were truly loyal.

With you, I don't believe anywhere near "all" ran. That would be 4mm, and Sherman couldn't have been dragging around 1mm with him. Of course, Sherman wasn't the only route of escape, nor was any army, but I find it hard to believe that as many as 2mm reached the north, however the avenue.

Thanks for the post.
Ole

Did you have reference to any numbers? I don't want to buy another book on another subject, so if you say you read it somewhere, I'm inclined to believe you.

[dawna]

In Nashville a company of free blacks offered their services to the Confederate government, and in June the state legislature authorized Gov. Harris to accept into Tennessee service all male persons of color (Wesley, 1937, page 153).

In Memphis in 'September a procession of several hundred free blacks marched through the streets under the command of Confederate officers. "They were brimful of patriotism, shouting for Jeff Davis and singing war songs" (Memphis Avalanche, 3 Sept 1861).

In Montgomery, blacks were seen being drilled and armed for military duty (Wesley, 1919, p. 242).

Two companies of black Confederates were formed in Ft. Smith, Arkansas (Rebellion Record, 46, in Rollins 1994).

Similar occurrences took place in Virginia. In Lynchburg, 70 men enlisted to fight for the defense of Virginia soon after it seceded; a local newspaper raised "three cheers for the patriotic Negroes of Lynchburg" (Ibid; Wesley, 1937, p. 142).

One hundred free Negroes reported for service to aid the Confederacy in Petersburg, Virginia, on 26 April 1861, and were addressed by the mayor. One of the Negroes stepped forward to receive the Confederate flag, and said “We are willing to aid Virginia’s cause to the utmost of our ability … there is not an unwilling heart among us … we promise unhesitating obedience to all orders that may be given us” (Petersburg Daily Express, April 23, 26, 1861).

In late April 1861 in Richmond, 60 black men carrying a Confederate flag asked to be enlisted. In Hampton, 300 blacks volunteered to serve in Artillery batteries (Quarles, 1955, p. 36).

In Petersburg, a group of blacks who had volunteered to work on defenses held a mass rally at the courthouse square. The former Mayor, John Dodson, presented them with a Confederate flag, and promised them "a rich reward of praise, and merit, from a thankful people” (Oblatala, 1979, p. 94).

[russ_aukerman]

Thea -

"To say that most were loyal to their white people is not only political incorrect today but it's absolutely taboo because too many people want to paint their version of this war against the background of a phony past."

To say that most slaves were loyal to their masters is, IMO, unprovable and counter-intuitive. I'm sure that there were some blacks, free and slave, who were loyal to the Confederacy. I doubt that it was more than a slim minority.

Captivity and enslavement have a profound psychological impact on slaves. It would take years, perhaps generations or centuries, to erase the collective impact of slavery on the slaves. IMO, before any black could be said to be loyal of his/her own free will, free will would have to be restored.

[ole]

Originally Posted by russ_aukerman

Thea -

"To say that most were loyal to their white people is not only political incorrect today but it's absolutely taboo because too many people want to paint their version of this war against the background of a phony past."

To say that most slaves were loyal to their masters is, IMO, unprovable and counter-intuitive. I'm sure that there were some blacks, free and slave, who were loyal to the Confederacy. I doubt that it was more than a slim minority.

Captivity and enslavement have a profound psychological impact on slaves. It would take years, perhaps generations or centuries, to erase the collective impact of slavery on the slaves. IMO, before any black could be said to be loyal of his/her own free will, free will would have to be restored.

Thanks, Russ, for saying it better than I did; however, I have a problem with "free will would have to be restored." I believe free will exists in every individual, no matter how deep or how long an oppresion exists. Its emergence is dependent on the conditions under which it may be exercised. An opinion, of course.
Ole

[russ_aukerman]

Ole -

"I believe free will exists in every individual, no matter how deep or how long an oppresion exists. Its emergence is dependent on the conditions under which it may be exercised. An opinion, of course."

An opinion with which I fully agree.

[thea_447]

Perhaps it is not provable that so many blacks were loyal to their Southern families but four years of war certainly couldn't have been conducted if every black in the South ran off at the first sound of gunfire. Captain ****ins also records the experience of Dr. W.S.Christian, colonel of the 51st Virginia, captured at Gettysburg and sent to Johnson's Island. P.O.W. for officers. There were 13 Confederate officers present with their Negro servants. "The law allowed prisoners to keep their personal property and recognized slaves as "contraband" property.) The Negroes weren't recognized as prisoners, had no rights, were issued no rations, had no rights, and were constantly under pressure to leave but would not! The officers purchased extra fare from the sutler's shack for them but when it became clear that the Negroes would not desert the commander closed tthe shack down. The winter of 1863/4 was a dreadful one in Ohio and the Officers had only their meagre rations to divide with their servants, but they all stayed. Special pressure was put on George, servant of Col. I. G. W. Steadman of Alabama. He was repeatedly interviewed and offered freedom, good clothes, work at $2 a day (excellent pay then) and a good place to live, and as an alternative, no better fate than to starve to death with his master.

"And what did George sayd to Major Pearson?" he was asked. George replied, "I said, 'Sir, what you want me to do is desert , and I ain't no deserter. Down South, deserters disgrace their families and I am never going to do that." "And what did the major say to that, George?" "He said, "Git our of here you **** fool ****** and rot in prison".

[thea_447]

With all these **** in the midst of sentences it is hard to figure out what is being said. I must be sadly out of step with the world of what is considered unfit for human ears because the Captain in these two previous messages has a name that begins with capital D and that little middle word is what we all use to write with: ink.
Now put that together and I honestly cannot find a "bad" word.

I think it doesn't do justice to the good Captain that he can't be remembered properly in posterity.

[johan_steele]

I could spend a whole lot of time cutting and pasting but I believe this link will go a long way in proving how many served the flag.

http://www.civilwararchive.com/unioncol.htm

As near to 200,000 Black men served the Union Cause and a large portion of did so after leaving their benevolant masters... I believe it can be conclusivly documented (w/ names & regiments they served w/) about 300 Black Troops being accepted into the service of the CS. Perhaps another 1000 can be documented as having born arms. In most of a decade of r4eading I have come across specific reference to Black Troops fighting for the CS at Chickamauga, Mobile, 2 Co w/ Lee at the fall of Petersburg and perhaps as many as 300 at the skirmish at Dingles Mill. Though, that number has been shown to be suspect and it is most likely the total numebr of CS troops was 300 w/ no more than 30 Black Men in the Ranks.

Better than 2 Million Negroes became refugees during the War; not all fled North but they did leave their masters and gladly accepted freedom. Hardly a majority staying loyal to the CS; I would be inclined to believe the majority stayed loyal to the flag, the US Flag. Those who were happy in chattel slavery were a distinct minority and I have never read anything to make me believe otherwise.

I might suggest the excellent works of:

Berlin, Ira, Freedom: A Documentary History of Emancipation, 1861-1867. Series II: THe Black Military Experiance.
Brewer, James H., THe Confederate Negro: Virginia's Craftsmen and Military Laborers, 1861-1865.
Cornish, Dudley Taylor, The Sable Arm: Negro Troops in the Union Army, 18561-1865
Gladstone, William A. Men of Color
Glatthaar, Joseph T., Forged in Battle The Civil War Alliance of Black Soldiers and White Officers.
Jordon, Erwin, L., Black Confederates and Afro-Yankees in Civil War Virginia.
Hollandsworth, James G. The Louisiana Native Guards: The Black Military Experiance during the Civil War.
McPherson, James M., THe Negro's Civil War: How American Negros Felt and Acted During the War for the Union.
Trudeau, Noah Andre, Like Men of War.

[ole]

Thank you, Thea, for clarifying the **** in your recent post. I was about to message an inquiry because I couldn't figure it out. Usually I can, but that one escaped me.

Nemine. (Walt Kelly) Whether or not the majority left or remained loyal, I do appreciate the stories of loyalty I'm reading. It gives a unique perspective to the subject. Keep them coming.
Ole