The Black Confederate

[william42]

Well, I'd personally like to see it go on ad infinitum/ad nauseum just to see how many others will be driven to post stuff that will be "edited for profanity".

Tw

[Battalion]

Originally Posted by matthew mckeon

Gentlemen,

I think this topic has been officially beaten to death. We are now in the position of proving a negative, there were no black soldiers fighting for the Confederacy, beyond a few anomalies. We go from confident assertions of 60-80,000 blacks "serving" in the CS armies, to maybe a single Louisania militia unit(and that officially refused). Now we're ferreting into distant corners of the Confederacy in its final two months, hunting for the elusive African American Confederate soldier, or scouring photographs for dark looking faces.

A blogger, civil war scholar, and teacher I respect, Kevin Levin, cited this forum and specifically this thread as a reason he doesn't join forums like CWT. I think Levin is wrong--there's a ton of great info and great people on the CWT--but this has become fruitless.

That's OK......

You can keep denying......

.....and I'll keep finding......


Penninsular Campaign

Report of Brigadier General John W. Davidson, U. S. Army, commanding Third Brigade, Smith's division, of operations April 22.

"HEADQUARTERS THIRD BRIGADE, SMITH'S DIVISION,
April 22, 1862

CAPTAIN: I respectfully report to the general of division that about 12 m. a party of the enemy., in my judgment about 150 to 200 strong, attacked the pickets in front of my brigade, the pickets concentrating on the supports, and the supports and reserves were at once advanced under my orders and the enemy driven back. I cannot tell whether the movement was supported by other troops of the enemy. The dense woods hide everything in this line they do.

I desire (more particularly it is the object of this report) to mention the soldierly conduct of Captain Morse, of the Seventh Maine Regiment. Finding the pickets present in his front, he concentrated all the men he could raise, and with a rapid advance and shout drove them through the woods across the opening this side the creek to their dens again.

I had 2 men of the Seventh Maine killed and 3 wounded, 2 mortally.

The Tenth Massachusetts was advanced along the road leading to Lee's Mill, but discovered no movement of the enemy from that direction .

Captain Morse reports quite a number of negroes among the enemy in their advance.

Respectfully submitted.
J. W. DAVIDSON,
Brigadier-General."

http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-b...3DANU4519-0012

[ole]

I think this topic has been officially beaten to death.

Matthew: You are, of course, entirely correct. Again. However, I could swear I saw that horse twitch and determined to give him another whack. It is too bad that your Mr. Levin finds us tedious. His problem. He's missing some great stuff scattered here and there under the chaff.
Ole

[ami]

ok, I am going to drag the dead horse away and bury it. Sorry guys, but it still seems to have a nasty edge to it.

I am closing the thread. no if's and's or but's