Afro-Americans asked to honor black men who served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War - Say What?

Article 5 Volume 7
Reference our blog publication, Article 3 Vol 7
published May 27, 2016

Reference Article in Suffolk News Herald on February 2, 2015
titled, "Black history program set" by Tracey Agnew

Black History Program 

A program was held at Riddick's Folly on February 14, 2015 in Suffolk, Virginia to examine the history of Negroes who served for the Confederacy during the Civil War.

The program chairman for this event was Robert Archer.

The program intent was to offer some insight about the Negroes who served willingly in the Confederate Army.

The program intention, in part, was to put a positive light on the Negroes who served.

I will not go into detail about the program.  Instead I will present three reasons why there should not be any honoring, celebrating or giving special recognition to the Negro soldiers who fought for the Confederacy. 

My reasons:

     1.  They were traitors. Yes, the Confederate Army goal was to overthrow the U. S. Government.  So, the Negroes who served in the Confederacy Army was fighting for or supporting an Army whose goals included keeping them in slavery. 

Some lenience may be granted to the Negroes who served in support

personnel capacities. But lenience is only extended to those who were ignorant and compelled to follow the instructions of their slave masters or face execution. 

   2.   Most of the Negro soldiers were ignorant.  They did not fully understand what they were fighting for.  They generally were not allowed to read or write.  In most cases they had not traveled more than 5 miles from their place of birth or their master's plantation (the exceptions were the thousands of Negro soldiers who had came to America as slaves by ship or boat).

   3.  The Confederate Army instructed its soldiers not to take blacks as prisoners.  The Army's instructions were plain and simple, "Shoot them."  However, they were ordered to take the white soldiers as prisoners. Thus, thousands of black soldiers  who fought for the Union Army were murdered after they surrendered.

**Historical Bits

1. It has been estimated that more than 65,000 blacks were in the Confederate ranks. This number included more than 13,000 combat soldiers.

2.  These Negro Confederates included both slave and free.

3.  The Confederate Congress did not approve blacks to be officially enlisted as soldiers  (except musicians) until late in the war.

 In conclusion, thousands of Negroes served in the Confederate Army in a variety of jobs including infantry. They were loyal soldiers.  However, no matter how hard you try to convince me that they were heroes and should be honored by today's Afro-American citizens for their service, you cannot succeed.  I am stuck on the fact that they were traitors who supported the Confederacy in its attempt to overthrow the U. S. Government and keep our ancestors in slavery.  They were not heroes!

**from blackconfed.doc

See Article 3 Volume 7 below for lead into this publication

Next publication in this series will be July 15, 2016

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