... as to the hows and whys of people's beliefs, from the era - in my reading, especially in the memoirs and diaries I've read - the black/white relations were mostly talked about in the first person. They were not concerned about the black questions at large, as much as how these issues affected the important relationships they had with the individual blacks they knew, and often cared for as family (in fact, they sometimes were family). This makes it much easier to understand why slaves were not always and to-a-man in favor of emancipation. I remember one tale retold in the memoirs of an Irish immigrant from the 116th Penn. He said that he had a series of discussions with a slave in VA, a woman who cared for the kitchen in the home he was guarding. After some days of getting to know one another, in a mix of company - he was dumbfounded when the women was truly horrified to discover the Yankees were here to free the slaves! She loved her master and his family - what would become of her and the life she loved? The young Irish soldier had never thought anyone would feel that way.

Of course blacks who were happy with their white familes, even as slaves - would have mixed feelings. And there were whole segements of the white population who took seriously their role as caretaker, and 'family' to their slaves. So were there slaves who'd willingly pick up a rifle and actully fight against the Union? Sure - probably not in great numbers though. And I doubt very seriously that there many who felt as strongly as did the kitchen servent in the story above - at least not beyond a passing thought. The fact that were 'family' like relations, in many cases, albeit through slavery - does not change the fact that were certainly many horrendous and abusive relationships too. It must be remembered there were many kinds of relationships between blacks in whites throughout the history of slavery in America.

As far as great numbers of real black soldiers, I have to remember the facts we know about Patrick Cleburn - a highly successful and in fact great military leader for the South. After he received from Jeff Davis and his government a serious hearing of his proposal to emancipate the slaves, as part of the stratgey to win secession and end the war - his proposal was not only loudly turned down, but Cleburn was never again trusted by the Confederacy. His military career was immediately and completely stunted, even though he was known as a brave and brilliant military leader, and even though the South truly needed his leadership.

BLACK CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS? The Confederacy would never support such policy for blacks - of course there could be smaller incidents that did not require government approval.