I'm not saying there were a huge number or a brigade of them but there almost had to be some. We can look at numbers all day long and read records til the cows come home but we also need to understand there was human nature involved and no one can explain that at times. It just is. We have a woman from here, and who is buried a bit over in the same cemetery as Stephen Mallory who was granted a pension. She was just a girl but her mother and family followed her father's unit and they served as nurses. She's probably not the only one but I don't think I remember reading the exploits of a Brigade of Women or Girls. My Husbands best friend, from the time he was born was the neighbor boy, who was also African American. No one said anything bout Bubba. I mean, he's 6'5" and he has bigger brothers. Place that aside, if my Husband or Bubba need anything in this world, they know who they can call. Now, hubby moved from that house in 1948. It was his Grandfather's (who was the Chief of Police) and after his Grandfather died the family sold it and they all got their own house. Til that time, they all lived with "The Chief". That was waaaaay before the Civil Rights era began. Bubba thought it was all hooey anyway. His little brother was one of the boys who tried to tip a car over at the only small 'to do' here in town in that era and Bubba beat the snot out of him for it.
It's really hard to read other peoples minds but a lot more difficult to understand or accept what may be in their heart. Sometimes, it's not what one thinks it should be due to the sentiment in that time period.
On the Native American part being left out of the service information, the one I was thinking of is my GGGrandfather, James W Helton. His father Henry J. Helton was "Full Blood" Cherokee. His mother, we've not been able to figure out the degree but she was at least part Cherokee.
James is the one who went back for the horse at Murfreesboro and got his arm shot off. 32nd Alabama. May not have been the smartest idea but it is what he did.
Pam