"Black men performed many duties for the South during the war. They earned pensions for serving as teamsters, shoemakers, breastworks builders, drummers, nurses, laborers, servants, and musicians. The most common roles were body servant and cook. There are also pension applications for "private soldier." At least three of these were filed in South Carolina by African-Americans."
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I hope that the above parargraph is read closely as it regards the duties of Black men and their service to the Confederate States of America.

For some reason this "recent" knowledge of pensions for Black men has taken on a different light. One that is equating the payment for service to the Confederacy as equal to the USCT's and their service to the Union.

So can we stop using the term Black Confedrate Soldier. These were not trained, gun-toting, marching men, mustered-in or mustered out, side by side FIGHTING men with ANY organized unit in the Army of the Confederacy. They were servants, very similar to the Contraband that followed the Union Armies.

A "private solider"........what is that? In a public war...is that like a mercenary?

Have I fallen into a revisionist trap by responding to this post?

Art Thomas