Why Did Enslaved People Fight for the Confederacy?

During the Civil War, a multitude of people found themselves on the battlefield. Some fought to protect their homes, families, and states, while others were forced into service without choice. This essay delves into the motivations of Enslaved people who found themselves fighting for the Confederate side, examining the myth and reality of their involvement.

Enslaved People's Motivations

Many proponents of the “lost cause” narrative argue that Black people fought for the South to preserve slavery and protect their livelihoods. However, these claims are overly simplistic and fail to account for the realities of their conditions and the motivations behind their actions.

Enslaved people, many of whom were coerced by their masters into service, likely fought for several reasons. Primarily, they saw fighting in the Confederate ranks as a means to avoid physical punishment or further abuse by their owners. Additionally, some freedom-seeking individuals might have believed that if the Confederacy won, they could gain their freedom. However, the vast majority of slaves were aware that their circumstances would not improve with Confederate victory; in fact, they often did not have a home or country as we understand it, making the notion of protecting it nonsensical.

The Reality of Black Confederate Soldiers

Contrary to popular belief, most so-called Black Confederate soldiers were not free or even free-born civilians but were enslaved individuals. These men, known as “forced laborers” or “teamsters,” were often tasked with tasks such as driving wagons, performing menial labor, and providing other support roles. These roles were extensions of their slavery and did not offer the same protections or status afforded to white soldiers.

Nathan Bedford Forrest, a prominent Confederate general, spoke candidly about these individuals in his 1868 interview. He described them as workers, not soldiers, stating, “When I entered the army, I took forty-seven Negroes into the army with me and forty-five of them were surrendered with me. I said to them at the start: ‘This fight is against slavery, if we lose it you will be made free if we whip in the fight and if you stay with me and be good boys, I will set you free. In either case, you will be free.’”

Myth vs. Reality: The 1st Louisiana Native Guard

Another myth is the involvement of the 1st Louisiana Native Guard, a unit of Black soldiers formed as Confederate militia. Early efforts to enlist Black soldiers were often met with resistance from Confederate lawmakers. However, there is little evidence that these soldiers ever saw combat. Additionally, many of these men later joined the Union army, transferring to the 73rd Regiment Infantry of the United States Colored Troops, where they played a significant role in the emancipation of their fellow enslaved people.

Conclusion

While myths persist about the motivations and involvement of Enslaved people in the Confederate war effort, historical evidence reveals a more complex and nuanced reality. The vast majority of these individuals were enslaved and were forced into service. Their brief, if any, engagement in combat was more a result of coercion and economic necessity than any ideological commitment to the Confederate cause. The narrative of these individuals as full-fledged Confederate soldiers does a disservice to their history and the real struggles they faced.

The digitization of Confederate slave payrolls by the National Archives further substantiates the notion that Enslaved people's status did not change during the war. They remained property, used for various tasks to support the Confederacy, but not for the cause of independence or freedom.