Posted on 02/26/2005 9:53:22 PM PST by SmithL
The month of February has begun and so has the celebration of Black History Month in the nation, schools and communities. Throughout this time, many noteworthy leaders, citizens, scientists and soldiers who fought in wars and conflicts will be recognized.
However, there is one group of African Americans who will receive no recognition again this year during this month. I am speaking of black Confederates who served and fought to defend their homeland from what they believed to be an armed invasion.
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The South was home to some 4 million who lived there and had roots going back more than 200 years. Deep devotion, love of homeland and strong Christian faith joined black with white Confederate soldiers in defense of their homes and families.
A conservative estimate is that between 50,000 to 60,000 served in the Confederate units. Both slave and free black soldiers served as cooks, musicians and even combatants. The first northern officer killed in battle was Maj. Theodore Winthrop, who was shot by a black sniper of the Wythe Rifles of Hampton, Va.
The most amazing fact concerning black Confederates is that they served within the Confederate units alongside their white brothers in arms while their Union counterparts were kept separate in all-black units led by white officers (as portrayed in the movie "Glory").
In fact, it was not until 1950 that the U.S. military integrated its units at the start of the Korean War.
On Jan. 22, H.K. Edgerton, a former head of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in North Carolina, was the keynote speaker for the annual Sons of Confederate Veterans dinner in Knoxville. Although his scheduled appearance to speak on southern heritage and black Confederates was published a week ahead in the local paper, not one representative of any established mainstream news media was present to record his comments.
Edgerton was the second African American to speak on black Confederates and other historical facts in the last five years whose comments were only heard by the attendees and went unpublished. Dr. Leonard Haynes, a professor at Southern University, stated: "When you eliminate the black Confederate soldier, you've eliminated the history of the South."
For those who have been taught or misled to think the people in the northern cities were more tolerant and supportive of their black population, look up the Draft Riots of 1863.
Maj. Arthur Fremantle of the British Army was an observer for Queen Victoria and spent three months with the Army of Northern Virginia and Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Freemantle kept a diary and had arrived in New York City just in time to personally observe and witness the worst riots in our history.
He included in his diary seeing gangs of white men chasing, beating and even hanging blacks. Some black men and women were even pulled from their homes and beaten. Police and militias were called out, and more than 1,200 people lost their lives during the three days of riots.
The rioters resented free blacks being excluded from the draft since they were not considered citizens. The motion picture "Gangs of New York" shows some of this violence.
In closing, I have written this article in the hope that it will ignite people to research, read, study and discover the true historical facts. For me to remain silent as an American citizen, Southerner, retired soldier and living historian and ignore the service and sacrifices of these forgotten soldiers is unacceptable.
I quote the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who said: "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
dixiebump!
Still does, and it is free!
Preserve the Union ping!
"Whar's you gwine, Uncle Pomp? You isn't gwine up dar to have all de har scorched off yer head is you?" Uncle Pompey still persisted in advancing and shouldering a rifle, soon overtook his regiment. 'De Lor' hab mercy on us all, boys, here dey comes agin! Dar it is,' he exclaimed, as the Yankees fired an overshot, 'just as I taught! can't shoot worth a bad five-cent piece. Now's de time, boys!' and as the Alabamians returned a withering volley and closed up with the enemy, charging them furiously. Uncle Pompey forgot all about his church, his ministry, and sanctity, and while firing and dodging, as best he could, was heard to shout out: "Pitch in, White folks—Uncle Pomp's behind yer. Send all de Yankees to de 'ternal flames, whar dere's weeping and gnashing of—sail in Alabama; stick 'em wid de bayonet, and send all de blue ornary cusses to de state of eternal fire and brimstone! Push 'em hard, boys!—push 'em hard; and when dey's gone, may de Lor' hab marcy on de last one on 'em, and send dem to h-ll farder nor a pigin kin fly in a month! Stick de d—d sons of—! don't spare none on'em, for de good Lor' never made such as dem, no how you kin fix it: for it am said in de two-eyed chapter of de one-eyed John, somewhat in Collusions, dat—Hurray, boys, dat's you, sure—now you've got 'em goss! Show 'em a taste of ole Alabamy,' etc.I'd say Uncle Pomp was mighty proud to serve his country.
H.C. Blackerby, Blacks in Blue and Gray: Afro-American Service in the Civil War, Tuscaloosa, AL: Portals Press (1979), pp.11-12.
Preserve the Union ping list? I thought it was the:
"My leftist professors have brainwashed me into a hopeless politically correct position on the Civil War because we are weak-minded ping list.
The people of the south almost single-handedly gave us George Bush while keeping a traitor like John Kerry the hell out of the White House. Look at the Bush map and see who your friends are!!!
I was talking about what they showed in a documentary I watched called Slavery And The Making Of America.
You can see info about the documentary and it's sources here: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/slavery/
By the way, I like your tag line. Dixie is my oldest daughters name.
All I know is I was talking about what they showed in a documentary I watched called Slavery And The Making Of America.
You can see info about the documentary and it's sources here: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/slavery/
My family were at a reenactment at the Atlanta History Center and witnessed the curator argue with and turn away a black Confederate reenactor. The reenactor told them his ancestor had fought for the South and they basically told him he was CRAZY! We had dinner with him at Johnny Rockets later and he had a wealth of info to share with our children and us about a subject we knew nothing about...Black Confederate Soldiers.
Atlanta History Center=PC History ONLY
I have. Why do you think I want to preserve the Union???
And they also say that the losers write the myths. Looking at some of these posts it's plain that that is equally true.
So there were more than 4 million indentured servants in the North? I'd love to see the support that you have for that claim.
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