Document text
- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us February 8, 2006 Confederate army had few blacks Jeff Cheek This is Black History month. The history of chattel slavery will be highlighted, but there is one tragic question of this period that can never be answered, because there is no empirical data to answer it. Slavery was the law in the United States from 1619, when the first slaves were sold in Virginia, until the 13th Amendment was ratified in l865. That is 246 years. In the 141 years since slavery was abolished, black Americans have won Nobel Prizes, Pulitzer Prizes, Oscars, Tonys, Grammys and thousands of other distinctions. The question is: How many black geniuses were never permitted to flower during those 246 years, when slaves were forbidden to read and write? Slavery was partially justified on Biblical grounds, like the Curse of Ham in Chapter 9 of Genesis. In the book of Philemon, Saint Paul sends a runaway slave back to his master. There was also a commonly held opinion, both north and south, that whites were inherently superior to blacks. Lincoln was aware of this prevailing attitude. He first authorized recruiting only 5,000 blacks. Two of the regiments came from Massachucetts. The Union Army paid privates $13 per month, but the blacks would receve only $10. Every black soldier refused to accept his pay. Governor Andrew arranged to have Massachucetts pay the remaining $3, but they still refused. The War Department finally agreed to pay them $13, just like the white soldiers. They had won a first, important battle in their fight for dignity and equality. As these first black soldiers proved their valor on the battlefield, they earned the respect of their white comrades. “They can stop a bullet jist about as well as we can,” one Yankee commented. By the end of the war, 186,000 blacks, most of them former slaves, had served in the Union Army. 4,300 of them were killed in action. These escaped slaves helped alleviate manpower shortages for the Union, but the Confederacy had no comparable option. The pillar justifying slavery was the idea that blacks were not equal to whites. Instead of using available black manpower, the Confederates drafted every white male between 15 and 45. Exempted from military service were ministers, state employees and anyone owning 16 or more slaves. By the spring of 1865, the situation was so desperate that the Confederate Congress finally acted. On March 23 they enacted a law, athorizing President Jeff Davis to recruit black slaves into the rebel army. They would be paid, fed, and wear the same uniform as the whites. It was a real Catch-22. If a black could be enslaved because he was not equal to a white, how could he serve in the same army? However, the law emphatically stated that “nothing changes the relationship of said slave to his owner.” It was a case of too little, too late. Only a handful of slaves started drilling in Confederate gray, and the Civil War ended at Appomattox 17 days later. Hopping Johnny is a traditional black American dish. Hopping Johnny 5 strips bacon cut in half-inch pieces 1 14 oz can black eyed peas, drained 1 large onion, chopped top to bottom 2 cups cooked rice Dash of hot sauce (optional) Fry bacon in large skillet until crisp. Remove with slotted spoon. Fry onions in drippings until soft, add peas, bacon bits and rice. Stir well and cook over medium heat until dish is warm. Serve. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Generic Viagra Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Sportsbook Absinthe Supply Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations African Safari Hammocks Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino King of Spirits ink cartridges Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams