The Southern white man’s laws that constituted what made a man “black”, required very little African American blood.

We do indeed agree that these men and their part in the history of the Civil War is lacking. I also agree that their very status as slaves “makes their story that much more admirable” as you’ve said. Though I get strange looks when I say this, I’ll post it here: It took great courage to be a slave: before, during and after the war. In that respect, I mean the dignity of their service, their very survival of that war, their willingness to carve out some sort of life afterwards. Aaron Perry, one of the ten pensioners of Union County, NC, is a fine example of this.

We must remember the southern states were their home, it was all they knew, and they, just like the soldiers they served, wanted to get back home in one piece. As far as their view of the war – we honestly don’t know – I’m fairly certain no one ever asked them. So in that respect towards your concern of the unfounded and “wild claims” — none of us, including those in the SCV, can rightfully claim what these men may have felt towards their masters, the war, even their way of life. (there is one WPA slave narrative out there about Moses Cuthbertson of Union County, NC who was Hamp Cuthbertson’s master…the interviewee was Mandy Coverson – notice the probable misprounciation of the surname and thus the misspelling of the name as we know it – this would give us a clue of Hamp’s slave life)

However, we’ve (or rather, I’ve) come back to Wary/Weary Clyburn and the stories his family has. We can’t discount their stories even though there is no documentation that supports their claims (other than his pension application). I must accept Clyburn’s daughter’s stories of her father’s time in the war.

I’ll take your suggestion at finding the book you recommend as it sounds interesting and informative.

And yes, that is simply what I meant, that their presence aided the Confederate army. Absurd as it may seem, I would say they were “support staff”. I would even dare to say that without them in those positions of support the war would have ended sooner. (but I suspect I’ll get some bashing for that claim…)

Thanks again for the comment. I think we are both in agreement that the stories of the slaves and free black men who were involved in the Confederate war effort are woefully lacking and need to be acknowledged whenever possible. I also think we agree that when we do so we have an ethical obligation to do our best to base our narratives around solid primary sources.

You asked: “[D]o you disbelieve that these men were ‘of service’ to the Confederate Army?”

I think we have to be very careful here. If we are talking about the thousands of slaves, who served as servants to their officer-masters than we need to understand their collective story as an extension of the master-slave relationship. I would suggest that even those slaves who were impressed by the Confederate government continued to function as an extension of the master’s will. As a citizen of the Confederacy the master was obligated to sacrifice for the cause as were other citizens through taxes, the draft, etc. It’s important that we be careful with how we characterize the presence of these men. As I’ve said all along there may have been a few free black men who served as soldiers in the army; however, they are an exception to the rule and ought not to be used to characterize the broader experiences of African Americans in the Confederacy. We need to acknowledge the vigorous debate that took place throughout the Confederacy over the question of how far the government could go in utilizing the assistance of slaves. Slaveowners fiercely protected their right to property and viewed the government as a threat to their direct control over their property. I highly recommend Stephanie McCurry’s new book, _Confederate Reckoning: Power and Politics in the Civil War South_ (Harvard Press), which includes an excellent chapter on just this issue.

If you simply mean that their presence aided the Confederate war effort than I agree. My concern is with those who make wild claims about how slaves viewed the war without any documentation whatsoever. This is what the Sons of Confederate Veterans does on a regular basis as well as others who use these men to satisfy their own beliefs about what they believe to be true. This, of course, is not to do history.

In the end, we need to acknowledge these men for what they were: slaves. Their is nothing to be ashamed about such a status. In fact, I believe it makes their story that much more admirable. First, it shows just how brutal the institution of slavery was given that these men were forced into harms way and separated once again from loved ones. And yet, we have countless stories of these men taking action to secure their freedom and possibly helping to bring about the defeat of the Confederacy.

Your statement is right on the mark. I had never thought or considered black men on the battlefield with their masters until recently. The recognition by the SCV brings these men into the public eye and hopefully will inspire further research. These men went through the greatest event in American history together and it had to have a physiological affect on all involved.
Thanks for sharing and good luck with your research.

Thanks so much for the comment. I think you summed it up beautifully. I’ve argued from the beginning that these men deserve to be remembered. As historians, like any subject, we need to take the evidence seriously by interpreting it carefully. I find the postwar evidence to be extremely interesting, but as you well know it tells us much more about the complexity of race relations during Jim Crow than anything having to do with the Civil War and the “service” of blacks in the Confederate army. Unfortunately, organizations like the SCV and others have used this body of evidence to infer back to the Civil War and in doing so have distorted the lives of these individuals. In doing so they have not honored the memories of these men, but instead have used them to satisfy their own agenda. That is inexcusable and I will continue to speak out in response to it. Finally, I agree entirely that we need to keep working to expand our understanding of this crucial aspect of Civil War history. Thanks again, Patricia.

Thanks for taking the time to write such a thoughtful comment. You are lucky to have even a brief narrative about your great-grandfather’s participation in the war. Think about the the countless number of slaves who have no written record whatsoever. Hamp, along with the rest of the slaves who were forced to participate in the Confederate war effort, but that recognition should be based on sound historical investigation and in a way that simply satisfies our own needs. That said, I don’t know if I agree with you that the pensions are evidence of blacks and whites transcending race. After all, the pension system was reflective of the political power structure in NC at that time as well as other southern states. Former slaves attended reunions and other celebrations throughout this period even before some received pensions, but that does not necessarily imply a lax racial code. In fact, the research on this shows that the opposite is true. I do agree with you that it is important to uncover these stories as part of our broader narratives. Unfortunately, the SCV and so-called professionals like Earl Ijames have done significant damage in the way they’ve handled stories such as Weary Clyburn’s. Finally, I agree that Clyburn’s family are entitled to their stories, but historians have to treat such evidence as we do anything else. It’s not a matter of disrespecting a family’s tradition. In fact, I would argue that the careful evaluation of all the evidence is ultimately a sign of respect for that family and their history. Thanks again.

What an absolutely unexpected and pleasant surprise! Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment. I will indeed visit your website. Wado, my friend, wado!

And thank you to our host as well for creating such possibilities of interaction across time, space, and differing cultures! I enjoyed your posts on Amsterdam, Kevin. I just returned from a trip to Rome to hear a young relative perform the lead role in a riveting production of Puccinis Suor Angelica. I am not quite back either, as you said of your first days back from Amsterdam. Zunnys beautiful commentary was certainly a pleasant way to come home, though, I must say.

My regards to you, to your truly beautiful wife, and to your readers.

Sherree

As a descendant of the Buffalo Ridge Cherokees and member of The Painted Gourd: Red Black Voices, I can tell you it is a long road to the understanding of why First Nation People took on the ominous task of slave holding. I can tell you that my research shows that most of the so-called five civilized tribes held slaves, educated their children in American schools and colleges and began to dress like the early white settlers to be like and get along. They thought that this behavior would make them accepted by white society. Unfortunately, they were wrong. My Choctaw ancestors were from Livingston, Alabama. Most Choctaws complied with every policy the whites established. It shocked me when I first learned that Choctaws were the first to be marched off to the reservations. Not all reservations where Native people were displaced, however, were in Oklahoma, some were in Arkansas and Georgia.

Records in Livingston, those that didnt get burned up in the two court house fires, showed a remarkably intercultural town with acknowledgment of the good, the bad and the ugly among most of the folks who lived there. I perform a one woman show about my ancestor, Poncohontas or Poky as she was called ( not Pocohantas though there does seem to be a Virginia connection) and the first 100 year history of Livingston.

Check out my website for information on issues pertaining to enslaved descendants from Virginia and parts south. I will soon be adding more to my main website, zsun-nee-matema.com. For 13 years (1991-2004), members of our group presented, performed and lectured our findings throughout the northeast and midwest US. We hosted a radio show, Indigenous Circle later, The Talking Feather, to answer questions just like the one you posed. Many of our audience members were as shocked as you to find that First Nation People held slaves. Its even harder for us to tell our mixed racial, family histories. There are many, Native, black and white who dont want to deal with what that implies. Im hoping that President Obamas mixed heritage can begin a dialogue on acceptance where little existed just a year ago.

I am encouraged by learning from a CNN story that a young Irish lad and over-the-seas supporter of Obama asked his dad if there were any African Americans in their town. When he learned that there were not, he told his dad that he was so disappointed because he was hoping to get to know them.

I wish you the best in your search for truth about your ancestors.
Aho,
Zunny