Good Evening Bennie,

Great questions on your posting.I will answer as best as my research will allow.Early in the Civil War only one Black Confederate Unit was in existance in 1861 .The First Native Guards,Loiusiana Militia,CSA.Since that point you saw thousands of individual free Blacks and Slaves serving as Soldiers.Some were Sharpshooters(known as snipers today),Infanrty,artillery,and Cavalry.Many slaves that volunteered initially went as body servants,cooks,teamsters and laborers and engaged in fighting as well.

Now for the Confederate Congress Act-The Confederacy was almost totally exhausted at this point of man power.The last choice was to raise Black Regimental and company sized units to make up for man power.Equipment was getting scarce and Black slaves and freedmen who had not already been utilized were the only manforce left in numbers .
My Ancestor John Jenkins that Jim Ball mentions in aprevious post,was a free black who enlisted in 1862.Fought in the Peach Orchard at Gettysburg,and spoke of Confederate service until his death in 1912.

Please see sources that I posted earlier more intetresting facts.

Thanks for your info,

Richard ford