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Re: Black Confederates
In Response To: Re: Black Confederates ()

For these questions, it's important to place them in context. Answers could change depending on place and time. For example, people frequently ask what uniform did a particular company wear? As if uniforms never wore out . . .

6. Why did the CS government let so few enlist?
More or less the same reasons that women were not allowed to enlist: most Congressmen believed that the war could be won by enrolling only white male citizens in combat units. Col. Wm C Oates of the 15th Alabama Regt wrote about a visit to his congressman in Feb 1863 to promote enlistment of slaves. His proposal wasn't well received.
7. Did the government just not know?
Know what? The military benefits of enrolling slaves? In my opinion, congressmen and others in government who understood law were unwilling to change it on the basis of citizenship. After April 1862, free white male citizens were required to serve. If slaves were required to enroll, it would follow that 1) slave owners lost their rights to the service of their slaves, and 2) slaves had rights as citizens, contrary to the Dred Scott ruling of 1857. That wasn't a popular idea anywhere at that time, North or South. Confederate Inspection reports written in 1864 list numbers enrolled in these services.
5. Did they actively enlist in the army?
Not until 1865 when Congress passed a law allowing slaves to enroll with permission of their owners. The law of Feb 17, 1864, gave the War Department permission to conscript free blacks, but only in non-combat services such as the Quartermaster Dept, the Commissary Dept, the Medical Dept &c

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Black Confederates at Chickasaw Bayou ?
Re: Black Confederates at Chickasaw Bayou ?
Re: Black Confederates at Chickasaw Bayou ?
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Re: Black Confederates at Chickasaw Bayou ?
Re: Black Confederates at Chickasaw Bayou ?
Re: Black Confederates at Chickasaw Bayou ?
Re: Black Confederates at Chickasaw Bayou ?
Re: Black Confederates at Chickasaw Bayou ?
Re: Black Confederates at Chickasaw Bayou ?
Re: Black Confederates at Chickasaw Bayou ?
Re: Black Confederates at Chickasaw Bayou ?
Re: Black Confederates at Chickasaw Bayou ?
Re: Black Confederates at Chickasaw Bayou ?
Re: Black Confederates at Chickasaw Bayou ?
Re: Black Confederates at Chickasaw Bayou ?
Re: Black Confederates at Chickasaw Bayou ?
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Re: Black Confederates at Chickasaw Bayou ?
Re: Black Confederates at Chickasaw Bayou ?
Re: Black Confederates at Chickasaw Bayou ?
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Re: Black Confederates at Chickasaw Bayou ?
Re: Black Confederates at Chickasaw Bayou ?
Eli Pickett Bartow County PensionBayou ?