Black Confederates?

Question

Were there any loyal black rebels?

Answer 1

i found this. perhaps it'll help.

Black historian, Roland Young, says he is not surprised that blacks fought. He explains that "some, if not most, Black southerners would support their country" and that by doing so they were "demonstrating it's possible to hate the system of slavery and love one's country." This is the very same reaction that most African Americans showed during the American Revolution, where they fought for the colonies, even though the British offered them freedom if they fought for them.

that explains it better than i ever could.

Answer 2

By golly there were!

There were Black Confederate soldiers. This is a fact, not fiction. Conservative estimates state that over 50,000 African-Confederates served in the Confederate Army. Many of these men saw combat and participated in it. Some died.

Although the Confederate Congress did not authorize Colored Units in the Confederate Army until 1865, when it was too late, there were many unofficial soldiers overlooked by officers who were desperate to fill the ranks so quickly dwindling. Also, many individual Southern states authorized colored militia units. For example, Alabama in 1862.

Some would ask, "Why would they serve; why would they fight?" They served and fought for the same reasons as their white counterparts. They felt that the South was their home, too. Whether slave or free, each had a stake in the society and each had a home they felt endeared to. For example, many Charleston negroes actually cheered at the possibility that they would be able to shoot Yankees shortly after the outbreak of War. (1)

African-Confederates not only offered their services as soldiers but also as laborers. Many colored communities took up collections for the Confederate War Effort. Even individual negroes, both free and slave, contributed their money for the Confederate Government.

The African-Confederate went to War for the South as body servants, teamsters, laborers, and even soldiers. Many saw action. Some were wounded and some were killed in defense of the South. Most were loyal and cared for their master with whom they went to war. Many cases tell of a body servant removing a wounded soldier to the surgeon or taking the body of a fallen soldier home for proper burial.

Their efforts remain largely forgotten as it does not fit into the well defined roles of the different races. It also causes the mold of the North as liberator and the South as an enslaver to crack just a little.

Answer 3

I know of no serious evidence there were large numbers of black soldiers in the Confederate army.

African-American slaves were requistioned from owners to work on Confederate fortifications and so on as laborers.

Blacks did accompany Confederate units as servants.

I don't know how this recent belief that there were large numbers of African-American Confederate soldiers has spread so widely in recently years.

Erwin Jordan's book on Afro-Confederates in Virginia makes the strongest case for the existence of black Confederates. I didn't find it entirely persuasive, but it is a serious scholarly attempt to research the prolem and as far as I know right now it's the best book on the subject.

Answer 4

Yes. They were called the Lobotomy Brigade.

Seriously though, there were thousands of black soldiers, both slave and free, that fought for the South.

There were also many interracial units that were organized informally.

The confederate government did not officially license the enlistment of black troops but many fought as parts of local militias with white troops from their same community.

Similarly, there were many black slaves that fought against the British as slaves during the American Revolutionary war.

There has been some effort by revisionist historians to alter the record of black troops fighting freely and voluntarily for the confederacy.

Answer 5

Yes there were, as explained by others. For those who have a problem believing this; why would they not want to fight? The Civil War was not fought over slavery, it was fought over the right of the State to govern itself. States rights, not slavery.....so the fact that black men fought in the war should not be amazing.

Answer 6

Not many, some officers took their slaves into battle, and a few divisions were imagined near the end of the war as they needed more men, but ultimately very few ever fought.

Answer 7

So much for Mighty" Abe.

Abraham Lincoln "I will say, then, that I am not, nor have ever been in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races ... I am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race."

Answer 8

Unfortunately there were. Some out of mis-guided loyalty, some were slave owners themselves and others were forced by the Confederacy, to take up arms to help keep them enslaved. You will also find Jews that supported Hitler and Arabs who fight for Israel. There is always an exception to the rule. Blacks have no lock on stupidity. It is a common trait shared by all races. Look at some of the comments on this topic.

Answer 9

Yes, there were. Not all blacks in the south were slaves. Some were free men land of their own.

Answer 10

I'm sure there were many African Americans who would have prefered staying slaves as to have and staying in a nice warm house as to being kicked out in the streets with no eduaction, and no land.