Hi Bruce-Great hearing from you!

Actually, I think it was very common to have the Blacks incorporated in the various companies.

Of the three Blacks we know of from the reports by Lt. M L Sims who was captured at Ft Donelson and wrote about the three Blacks captured with him, two were slaves of two of his men.

The Black that escaped was Sim's servant. While I did not find that Sims, himself, owned slaves in 1860, I think his family in Tennessee did. I do not know where his servant came from-his family in Tennessee, or if he somewhere in Clarkesville acquired him . I would think the Black would have been acquired in Texas rather than Tennessee due to the time frame.

Sims seemed to have been very remorseful that the two died at Fort Donelson. In 1902 he sent money when the Fort cemetery was dedicated. The money was buy to flowers to be placed on the graves of the two Blacks if their graves could be located and otherwise to be shared with the graves of all the deceased soldiers.

If it were'nt for the comments of Sims there would be no record that I have found showing Blacks were in Gould's 3rd Tn Cav Co D company. However, in Gould's regiment, the 23rd Texas Cavalry, back in Texas which was formed after Fort Donelson, there are several Blacks listed in the compiled service record cards. They are cooks, etc.

Also, of interest, many of the men who were in Gould's company 3rd Tn Cav Co D and Goulds regiment, the 23rd Texas Cav were members of a Confederate Veterans Camp organized in the 1890's in Red River County. There are several (4 or 5? or so) Blacks who were members. I have not studied them yet to know if I can tell which units they may have served.