This remindes me of a simular account in the Book "Tithles of Blood" a historical account of the 11th Mississippi Infantry (CS) in which a group of 12 slaves were brough from Jackson Mississippi to Virginia to be attached to that regiment as cooks. Interestingly we have 11 such slaves which would seem to mirror that account in the 33rd Arkansas. I know that there are many other accounts of blacks singularly serving in various jobs as body servants and cooks, musicians and even flag bearers in one case in South Carolina. But this seems to be reflective of groups employeed for a singular purpose.

I am wondering if this was just coincidence or was this a common practise? Was every Regiment allowed a dozen such "employees"? I know there were Confederate regulation which allowed for this type of usage of labor within the Confederate Army. And we have the names of those in the 33rd Arkansas, but I am struck by the 1 dozen figure being a common number or not.

If this theroy can be applied to the entire Confederate Army it could in fact explain the report in the Official Records of 3,000 negros accompaning Lee's ANV during the Maryland Campaign in Sept.1862. In the accounts of the 11th Mississippi and Kershaw Brigade many of these servants accompanied Lee's Army into Pennsylvania in 1863 also.

Any Thoughts?