Letters to the Editor — May 2020

Originally published May 2020 · p. 4

While I appreciate the praise from Thomas Ryan in the April edition of the Civil War News, the expansion goes a bit farther than I intended in the article. I am aware of the capture of the signal station at Emmitsburg and it will form the basis of a future article. The two officers captured spent most of the war in Confederate prisons. The defense at Williamsport refers only to that of July 5-6, 1863. When General Lee arrived, he extended the line five miles to Falling Waters. Stuart’s cavalry and Imboden’s makeshift defense saved the Confederate wagon train on the sixth. From then on, what was left of the entire army was involved. Carl Sell To the Editor: HEADLINE – “MYTH: … African American Soldiers Fought for the Confederacy.” It’s a MYTH, but there is a photograph of an African American man right beside the headline in full Confederate uniform brandishing a pistol, a bowie knife, and a double barrel shotgun. Mr. Coski’s article also plainly states that the Confederate Army “formally enlisted hundreds of (African American) cooks and musicians who were paid.” And, the article goes on to state that they even received pensions for their war time service. So, let’s see, we’ve got men that were “formally enlisted,” men who were “paid” as soldiers, and men who received a “pension” for their war time service. And, heck, on top of that, we have photographic proof of African Americans in Confederate uniforms with weapons of war. This article is just further evidence of the kind of historical elitism that is so prevalent today. The author of this article is saying in essence, “Don’t believe what you plainly see, don’t believe what has been historically documented, or what you know to be the truth. Instead, “Believe What I Tell You!” Mr. Coski’s attempt to prove that African Americans did not serve willingly as soldiers, only proved that they did. Just because they served as “cooks and musicians” or in some other supportive role, did not make them any less than soldiers. In any army, those who have supportive roles far outnumber. those who pull the trigger and their service is just as important and essential. I dare Mr. Coski to tell any veteran today who served in these capacities that they were not soldiers. I suggest that Mr. Coski read the history of the 7th Tennessee

Cavalry Regiment. In this regiment alone, dozens of black men served under General Forrest in his escort company as soldiers who fought like tigers. You can read about them in Michael R. Bradley’s book, Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Escort and Staff. You will also find in J.P. Young’s book, The Seventh Tennessee Cavalry, A History, African American men included on the roster list of several companies. Some of these roster lists have a separate listing for the black soldiers who served, and some are listed without any reference to their skin color. I don’t usually respond in this manner to written articles of this type, but this one is so blatantly and outrageously wrong that I felt compelled to come to the defense of these brave African Americans who fought and died to defend their homeland and their families from an invading army that seemed bent on their total destruction. In West Tennessee and across the South, homes were pillaged and burned, women raped, and family members murdered—both white and black. That is the historical record. It seems only logical that thousands of African American men would willingly respond by standing with the Confederacy. Rex Brotherton Hickory Valley, Tenn. To the Editor: Response to Myth of the Black Confederate Soldier. I am responding to Jack Melton’s request in the March issue. I am an amateur historian who feels qualified to claim to be an expert on the Civil War at Sea. A few years ago I searched the available records for black officers in the Confederate Navy and found the following three: Moses Dallas: KIA while cutting out the USS Water Witch, there are two identical historical markers about him, one in Savanna and one in Columbus, This link, https://www.hmdb. org/m.asp?m=101347, is to the one in Columbus and includes everything we know about him. I don’t know this for a fact, but I think the text was written by Greg White. William Bugg: He disappeared and was listed as a deserter; I was unable to find any trace of him in the Federal Navy and think the deserter assumption is suspect. William Jones: Discharged for medical reasons. All three were pilots; pilots both white and black were considered to be officers, however, they did not have commissions or warrants and were not eligible for command. I always like to point out that there wasn’t a black officer, of any sort, in the Federal Navy until 1944. My research on these officers was donated to the Atlanta History Center Archive and is included in their collection as “Personality Files.” I am a retired architect and continue to pursue my interest in history which started after my first visit to Gettysburg in 1952, I was nine. Bill Dyer