Comments on: UDC Uses and Abuses the History of Slavery http://cwmemory.com/2009/04/18/udc-uses-and-abuses-the-history-of-slavery/ Where History, Heritage, and Education Intersect Sun, 12 Feb 2012 14:34:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Kevin Levin http://cwmemory.com/2009/04/18/udc-uses-and-abuses-the-history-of-slavery/#comment-7211 Kevin Levin Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:10:33 +0000 http://cwmemory.com/?p=3443#comment-7211 Sorry about that. Sorry about that.

]]> By: Robert Moore http://cwmemory.com/2009/04/18/udc-uses-and-abuses-the-history-of-slavery/#comment-7210 Robert Moore Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:09:00 +0000 http://cwmemory.com/?p=3443#comment-7210 Kevin... please adjust the reference to my post. That should read "Robert" not "Richard" Moore. Thanks. Kevin… please adjust the reference to my post. That should read “Robert” not “Richard” Moore. Thanks.

]]> By: Kevin Levin http://cwmemory.com/2009/04/18/udc-uses-and-abuses-the-history-of-slavery/#comment-7188 Kevin Levin Sun, 19 Apr 2009 14:10:03 +0000 http://cwmemory.com/?p=3443#comment-7188 Lee, Thanks for taking the time to do a little research. I can't say I'm surprised by your lack of findings as most of these examples involved dubious research methods or no research at all. Perhaps his name will turn up, though that would constitute just the beginning of a detailed research project to uncover Henry Henderson's story. Lee,

Thanks for taking the time to do a little research. I can’t say I’m surprised by your lack of findings as most of these examples involved dubious research methods or no research at all. Perhaps his name will turn up, though that would constitute just the beginning of a detailed research project to uncover Henry Henderson’s story.

]]> By: Lee White http://cwmemory.com/2009/04/18/udc-uses-and-abuses-the-history-of-slavery/#comment-7187 Lee White Sun, 19 Apr 2009 14:04:50 +0000 http://cwmemory.com/?p=3443#comment-7187 This is interesting, I have looked up Henry's pension and it states that no regiment was given, and I have just checked Bruce Allardice's Confederate Colonels, Clark's North Carolina Regiments, A Biographical Roster of Davidson County Confederates, Crute's Units of the Confederate States Army, as well a thorough search of the internet and cant find Colonel William F. Henderson, Ive come across several privates, but no high ranking officer or surgeon. So, Im really wondering about this now. This is interesting, I have looked up Henry’s pension and it states that no regiment was given, and I have just checked Bruce Allardice’s Confederate Colonels, Clark’s North Carolina Regiments, A Biographical Roster of Davidson County Confederates, Crute’s Units of the Confederate States Army, as well a thorough search of the internet and cant find Colonel William F. Henderson, Ive come across several privates, but no high ranking officer or surgeon. So, Im really wondering about this now.

]]> By: Sherree Tannen http://cwmemory.com/2009/04/18/udc-uses-and-abuses-the-history-of-slavery/#comment-7186 Sherree Tannen Sun, 19 Apr 2009 10:41:53 +0000 http://cwmemory.com/?p=3443#comment-7186 Yes, that is a more accurate description, Kevin, but it seems that it is a good start to me. Thank you as well. This comparison won't hold for many reasons, and it is not historical analysis, but it may provide another view. If black men who were slaves who were forced to be camp servants in the Confederate army, were further forced to bear arms and fight the Union army, their experiences as soldiers, whether the Confederate officers and regular soldiers validated that experience or not, gave those men fleeting moments of autonomy, and they may have found themselves working against themselves, much like the British soldiers in the film "The Bridge over the River Kwai". I understand the complications with the comparison, starting with the fact that the film does not accurately portray a Japanese prisoner of war camp. Also, the British were soldiers and the black men who were slaves forced into the Confederate army remained slaves. In addition, the comparison will be denounced from both sides. Yet, it is still conceivable that a black man who was a slave and who was forced to fight acted bravely and died fighting the very men who were coming to free him, not because he wanted to remain a slave, but because he had become a soldier for those moments and hours when he was in battle, and that is a possible part of the narrative of the American Civil War that is not being told (to my knowledge) because we are locked in a battle over memory that centers around the tenacious hold the Lost Cause myth has on our memory, and a battle for memory that is necessary. I don't quite understand what I am trying to say myself, Kevin, so I will cease and desist. I will leave this to historians. Thank you. Sherree Yes, that is a more accurate description, Kevin, but it seems that it is a good start to me. Thank you as well.

This comparison won’t hold for many reasons, and it is not historical analysis, but it may provide another view. If black men who were slaves who were forced to be camp servants in the Confederate army, were further forced to bear arms and fight the Union army, their experiences as soldiers, whether the Confederate officers and regular soldiers validated that experience or not, gave those men fleeting moments of autonomy, and they may have found themselves working against themselves, much like the British soldiers in the film “The Bridge over the River Kwai”. I understand the complications with the comparison, starting with the fact that the film does not accurately portray a Japanese prisoner of war camp. Also, the British were soldiers and the black men who were slaves forced into the Confederate army remained slaves. In addition, the comparison will be denounced from both sides. Yet, it is still conceivable that a black man who was a slave and who was forced to fight acted bravely and died fighting the very men who were coming to free him, not because he wanted to remain a slave, but because he had become a soldier for those moments and hours when he was in battle, and that is a possible part of the narrative of the American Civil War that is not being told (to my knowledge) because we are locked in a battle over memory that centers around the tenacious hold the Lost Cause myth has on our memory, and a battle for memory that is necessary. I don’t quite understand what I am trying to say myself, Kevin, so I will cease and desist. I will leave this to historians. Thank you. Sherree

]]> By: Kevin Levin http://cwmemory.com/2009/04/18/udc-uses-and-abuses-the-history-of-slavery/#comment-7185 Kevin Levin Sun, 19 Apr 2009 09:39:10 +0000 http://cwmemory.com/?p=3443#comment-7185 Sherree, Well, I don't think I've told Henderson's story. I would like to think that taken together these posts help to put us in a position where we can begin to take their stories seriously. Thanks. Sherree,

Well, I don’t think I’ve told Henderson’s story. I would like to think that taken together these posts help to put us in a position where we can begin to take their stories seriously. Thanks.

]]> By: Sherree Tannen http://cwmemory.com/2009/04/18/udc-uses-and-abuses-the-history-of-slavery/#comment-7184 Sherree Tannen Sun, 19 Apr 2009 05:22:34 +0000 http://cwmemory.com/?p=3443#comment-7184 I knew you agreed with Marc, Kevin. And you did make your point. And you made it well. When modern men and women exploit the memory of an eleven year old child born into slavery who was forced to be a camp servant in a bloody war, there is nothing more to be said about what is wrong with this type of ceremony. It is disgraceful. And no argument about whether there were "black Confederates" or not, or if there were "black Confederates", how many? can make it otherwise. In fact, all arguments are moot. You have honored Henry Henderson here today on this blog by telling his true story. I hope that serious research into this subject is conducted so that all of the Henry Hendersons of the Civil War are remembered in a way that is worthy of who they actually were, and of how they actually lived their lives. I knew you agreed with Marc, Kevin. And you did make your point. And you made it well. When modern men and women exploit the memory of an eleven year old child born into slavery who was forced to be a camp servant in a bloody war, there is nothing more to be said about what is wrong with this type of ceremony. It is disgraceful. And no argument about whether there were “black Confederates” or not, or if there were “black Confederates”, how many? can make it otherwise. In fact, all arguments are moot. You have honored Henry Henderson here today on this blog by telling his true story. I hope that serious research into this subject is conducted so that all of the Henry Hendersons of the Civil War are remembered in a way that is worthy of who they actually were, and of how they actually lived their lives.

]]> By: Kevin Levin http://cwmemory.com/2009/04/18/udc-uses-and-abuses-the-history-of-slavery/#comment-7181 Kevin Levin Sat, 18 Apr 2009 22:42:43 +0000 http://cwmemory.com/?p=3443#comment-7181 I also agree with Marc, which is exactly what I was trying to point out in the post. The women pictured here are completely incapable of commemorating Henderson's life because they fail to acknowledge him for what he was - a slave. It is even worse given that the individual in question was a young boy, which only works to compound the tragedy of the story and the extent of the exploitation. I also agree with Marc, which is exactly what I was trying to point out in the post. The women pictured here are completely incapable of commemorating Henderson’s life because they fail to acknowledge him for what he was – a slave. It is even worse given that the individual in question was a young boy, which only works to compound the tragedy of the story and the extent of the exploitation.

]]> By: Crystal Marshall http://cwmemory.com/2009/04/18/udc-uses-and-abuses-the-history-of-slavery/#comment-7179 Crystal Marshall Sat, 18 Apr 2009 19:33:42 +0000 http://cwmemory.com/?p=3443#comment-7179 I could really care less about what these women are doing...it's their dresses that scare me :0) I'll stick with jeans and a t-shirt, thank you. I could really care less about what these women are doing…it’s their dresses that scare me :0) I’ll stick with jeans and a t-shirt, thank you.

]]> By: Sherree Tannen http://cwmemory.com/2009/04/18/udc-uses-and-abuses-the-history-of-slavery/#comment-7175 Sherree Tannen Sat, 18 Apr 2009 12:31:03 +0000 http://cwmemory.com/?p=3443#comment-7175 "The women in these images are not honoring a soldier, they are honoring a slave. " "Kevin, I would say that these women are not actually honoring a slave, but continuing to exploit that slave a century and a half after then end of slavery." Marc has it right. Eleven? So not only were adult black men who were slaves forced to be camp servants; children were forced to be camp servants, too. That puts it all in perspective. Marc has it right. “The women in these images are not honoring a soldier, they are honoring a slave. ”

“Kevin,
I would say that these women are not actually honoring a slave, but continuing to exploit that slave a century and a half after then end of slavery.”

Marc has it right. Eleven? So not only were adult black men who were slaves forced to be camp servants; children were forced to be camp servants, too. That puts it all in perspective.

Marc has it right.

]]> By: Marc Ferguson http://cwmemory.com/2009/04/18/udc-uses-and-abuses-the-history-of-slavery/#comment-7174 Marc Ferguson Sat, 18 Apr 2009 12:08:50 +0000 http://cwmemory.com/?p=3443#comment-7174 Kevin, I would say that these women are not actually honoring a slave, but continuing to exploit that slave a century and a half after then end of slavery. Marc Kevin,
I would say that these women are not actually honoring a slave, but continuing to exploit that slave a century and a half after then end of slavery.

Marc

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