'Black Confederates' enlisted and later dropped from rolls

jgoodguy

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Choate, Abraham

Age 22. Enrolled for active service April 20, 1861 at Portsmouth. Mustered into service April 30, 1861 at Naval Hospital. "Dropped from the roll by order of Col. Roger A. Pryor, Aug. 31, 1861, he being a slave."

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jgoodguy

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Cummings, Levi

Age 26; born in Duplin County NC. Enrolled for active service July 14, 1862 in Jones County NC. Mustered in July 22, 1862 for 3 years. Recorded on Co Muster Roll dated July/Aug 1863 "Not considered white and dropped by order." Listed on the Roll of Honor of the 61st NC with note, "discharged Nov. 16, 1863 by order of Genl Whiting."

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jgoodguy

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McCullers, Charles

Enlisted March 10, 1864 at Union Church, VA for two months. Recorded on Company Muster Rolls dated Mar/April and May/June 1864 as present. Recorded on Company Muster Roll dated July/Aug 1864 as dropped July 1 by order his owner.

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jgoodguy

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Griffin, Lucius

Enlisted May 10, 1862 at Macon, GA for 3 years or the war. Recorded on Company Muster Roll dated Jan/Feb 1863 as "colored man and dropped from the roll Jany 31-1863." Transferred to Field, Staff & Band Jan/Feb 1863 and Recorded on Company Muster Roll as "present, transferred from Co. G"

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jgoodguy

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Enlisted April 23, 1861 at Danville, VA for one year. Recorded on the Field & Staff Muster Roll dated July & August 1863 as "Discharged and dropped from Roll (col'd) Aug 31, 1863

Dix Austin

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jgoodguy

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What we have in this thread is a mixed bag.
Black men enlisted, some as riflemen so that happened.
But it also happened that as they were discovered and official notice was taken, they were dropped.
 

Kirk's Raider's

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What we have in this thread is a mixed bag.
Black men enlisted, some as riflemen so that happened.
But it also happened that as they were discovered and official notice was taken, they were dropped.
Vs other segregated militaries didn't drop black rifle men just because they were black .
I wonder why that is?
Kirk's Raider's
 

Tom

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What we have in this thread is a mixed bag.
Black men enlisted, some as riflemen so that happened.
But it also happened that as they were discovered and official notice was taken, they were dropped.
I notice that four of the five posted were musicians.
 

Tom

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"Make Exchange"

"Battery Marion, February 9, 1864
Brig. General Thomas Jordan,
Chief of Staff & Assistant Adjutant General

General:
Having agreed to the exchange of Private J. H. Roberts, Company B, 18th Battalion Georgia Volunteers, for Musician William Davidson of Company G, 1st Regiment Georgia Volunteers, we make application for an order to effect the exchange. Private Roberts is at present on detached service in Savannah. Both he and Davidson have agreed to the exchange.
[Signed:]
George D. Smith,
1st Lieutenant Commanding Co. B,
18th Georgia Battalion

Benjamin F. Cole,
1st Lieutenant Commanding Co. G,
1st Volunteer Regiment of Georgia

Note
Musician William Davidson is a free man of colour, was mustered into the company for the war....The Company is now with the Regiment and the Regiment Band is composed of white men while the band of the 18th Georgia Battalion are negroes. Davidson does not consent to the transfer, but he is of no use to the 1st Georgia and would be to the 18th Georgia making the transfer beneficial to the service.
B. F. Cole, Lt. Comdg. Co. G"

Endorsements on back (up the chain of command)-

William S. Basinger, Major, Commanding 18th Georgia Battalion:
"Approved."

Charles H. Olmstead, Colonel, 1st Georgia Volunteers:
"Approved and respectfully forwarded."

R. E. Colston, Brig. General, Colston's Brigade:
"Respectfully forwarded. I know of no authority under which a colored man can be enlisted or mustered into the Confederate service."

H. W. Mercer, Brig. General, District of Georgia:
"Respectfully forwarded."

John M. Otey ("JMO"), Assistant Adjutant General, Dept. of South Carolina, Georgia, & Florida (Beauregard's staff):
"Make exchange."
(my emphasis)
https://civilwartalk.com/threads/co...k-and-mulatto-men.142783/page-40#post-1865545
 

jgoodguy

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I notice that four of the five posted were musicians.
"Make Exchange"

"Battery Marion, February 9, 1864
Brig. General Thomas Jordan,
Chief of Staff & Assistant Adjutant General

General:
Having agreed to the exchange of Private J. H. Roberts, Company B, 18th Battalion Georgia Volunteers, for Musician William Davidson of Company G, 1st Regiment Georgia Volunteers, we make application for an order to effect the exchange. Private Roberts is at present on detached service in Savannah. Both he and Davidson have agreed to the exchange.
[Signed:]
George D. Smith,
1st Lieutenant Commanding Co. B,
18th Georgia Battalion

Benjamin F. Cole,
1st Lieutenant Commanding Co. G,
1st Volunteer Regiment of Georgia

Note
Musician William Davidson is a free man of colour, was mustered into the company for the war....The Company is now with the Regiment and the Regiment Band is composed of white men while the band of the 18th Georgia Battalion are negroes. Davidson does not consent to the transfer, but he is of no use to the 1st Georgia and would be to the 18th Georgia making the transfer beneficial to the service.
B. F. Cole, Lt. Comdg. Co. G"

Endorsements on back (up the chain of command)-

William S. Basinger, Major, Commanding 18th Georgia Battalion:
"Approved."

Charles H. Olmstead, Colonel, 1st Georgia Volunteers:
"Approved and respectfully forwarded."

R. E. Colston, Brig. General, Colston's Brigade:
"Respectfully forwarded. I know of no authority under which a colored man can be enlisted or mustered into the Confederate service."

H. W. Mercer, Brig. General, District of Georgia:
"Respectfully forwarded."

John M. Otey ("JMO"), Assistant Adjutant General, Dept. of South Carolina, Georgia, & Florida (Beauregard's staff):
"Make exchange."
(my emphasis)
https://civilwartalk.com/threads/co...k-and-mulatto-men.142783/page-40#post-1865545
Thanks for the find.

I saw the musicians and some were slaves.

re "R. E. Colston, Brig. General, Colston's Brigade:
"Respectfully forwarded. I know of no authority under which a colored man can be enlisted or mustered into the Confederate service."

Cooks could be enlisted under a 1862 law. In this case, IMHO, he was put on the rolls in order to get rations and pay.
 

Andersonh1

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R. E. Colston, Brig. General, Colston's Brigade:
"Respectfully forwarded. I know of no authority under which a colored man can be enlisted or mustered into the Confederate service."
Considering they had been enlisted since the beginning as cooks, musicians, etc., this is an odd statement to make. How do we account for it?
 

jgoodguy

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Considering they had been enlisted since the beginning as cooks, musicians, etc., this is an odd statement to make. How do we account for it?
IMHO Not a lawyer.
 

Tom

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Beauregard trumps Colston.
R. E. Colston, Brig. General, Colston's Brigade:
"Respectfully forwarded. I know of no authority under which a colored man can be enlisted or mustered into the Confederate service."
....
John M. Otey ("JMO"), Assistant Adjutant General, Dept. of South Carolina, Georgia, & Florida (Beauregard's staff):
"Make exchange."
 
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