Subject: Re: It was with great pleasure...
Thank you so much for your kind letter! I am thrilled to learn of Terrell's Texans. I will visit your site often, indeed, and will, I hope have the pleasure of seeing the 37th in action somewhere soon. I am most pleased to see all the material you have collected on the whole issue of biracial and foreign-born Confederates--they get far too little attention in most works on the war ands their contributions were outstanding. Thank you again for writing and I hope we stay in touch. Cordially and gratefully yours Frank E. Vandiver (NOTE - Frank E. Vandiver, past president of Texas A&M University,
is director of the Mosher Institute for Defense Studies at Texas A&M.
He is well known for his writings on the Civil War and military history,
including "Mighty Stonewall," "Their Tattered Flags: The
Epic of the Confederacy," "1001 Things You Should know About the
Civil War,""Black Jack: The Life and Times of John J. Pershing,"
and "Blood Brothers: A Short History of the Civil War," all available
from Texas A&M University Press.) |
Subject: Black Confederate Troops at Gettysburg
Gentlemen, Please can you help. I am trying to assist a friend of mine who is doing his thesis at London University. His subject is the recruitment and employment of negroes in the Confederate armies. He is has had to come to an English university to do this as the subject does not find favour with many American universities and he is unwilling to apologise for what may have happened in the past. I found an account, which I have now mislaid and am unable to find again, of how the Northern hosts of one of the reunions of Gettysburg veterans were wrong footed by failing to provide accomodation for black Confederate veterans as they were unaware of their existence. One of the Confederate contingents saved the day by helping out. Are you able to help me identify the source of this story? Any useful material beyond this that you may wish to draw to my attention would be much appreciated. I also offered to gather material on negro sailors in the Confederate Navy; so far I have been spectacularly unsuccessful, possibly as many of the crewmen were recruited in England (at least we did something useful!) Any help would be much appreciated. Best regards, Jeremy Edwards |
Subject: Re: You are cordially invited... Dear Sir: In accordance with your courteous invitation, I have visited the website of the 34th. I found it informative and highly worthwhile. As noted in that message, my Great grandfather, Chesterfield James Hiter, served in Co. "A", 1st KY Cavalry in 1861-62, then as a Partisan Ranger until the end of the war. His body servant, John (Hiter) rode with him until, during John Hunt Morgan's Ohio Indiana raid (where my G-G-father was serving as Captain of Scouts to General Morgan), John was freed and sent home to Guthrie, KY, with my G-G-Father's muzzle loaders, they having been replaced with a captured Henry repeater. John got the guns home, received his freedom, went to Virginia and enlisted in a free black unit, and was killed, either at Petersburg or outside Richmond. The details are unclear. Anyway, the only Hiter man killed during the WBTS (and more than a half-dozen fought for the South and nearly as many for the north) was black, an ex-slave, and fighting for the Confederacy. I have long held that the war was not about slavery, and that slavery was not about race. I don't believe we can, today, even begin to understand the moral and social demands that slavery put on our people. What we should NOT do, however, is take away from the many brave black Confederates their history, and ours, as comrades in arms. Tom Hiter |
Subject: Congratulations! Dear Sir: My name is Dr Juan M Santos. I am Spanish and am working on a book about the Confederation. I have lots of sympathies for the South since 1994-1995, when I was living in Texas (San Antonio), which I miss deeply. This little e-mail is just to let you know how thanksful I am for all your work in the web page of the 34th. I think it is fantastic. I am finding it very helpful because the people of my country, unfortunately, are quite intoxicated with Northern propaganda. Showing them the amount of Blacks and Hispanics who fought for the CSA Armed Forces is a powerful antidote. I am finding useful information in your web page and just would like to encourage you to continue like that. God bless you and God Save the South! Yours sincerely, Juan M Santos, LMC, MD, CDM |
Subject: THE CHANDLER BOYS Dear 34th, A friend sent me a copy of the writing on "The Chandler Boys" -- Andrew Chandler (white) and Silas Chandler (black) who served the CSA side by side. Articles like this should be circulated more widely and might even relieve some of the racial tension in some areas. Many racial issues, as we all know, are based on ignorance and misinformation; the "other side of the story" should be revealed across America. My great-grandfather, Solomon Williamson, was a slaveholder, but when the slaves were freed, some stayed on the plantation and worked out a portion of it for themselves. When we started having family reunions in 1979, we invited descendants of his slaves to attend, and they did. Nettie Williamson Herrington, a daughter of Solomon's slave, Basil, was still living and always attended the reunion along with her family; to her, and to us, we were all the same family. She died last August at the age of 106; Many of the white Williamsons (including me), as well as other white people in the community, attended her funeral, which was a memorable event. She was a true Southern lady in every respect, and I'm grateful that I got to know and love her. May God bless your organization and help you to continue your good work! Olivia Williamson Saffold |
Subject: Thanks!!!! Hey, I am reenactor of the Olathe Union Guard And 8th Kansas Vol Inf Co E. I loved your website and I'm glad you have done so much research on the involvement of blacks and others in the Civil War. I don't think that many people realize that important detail. I hope to see you and your boys in the field someday! Your Obedient Servant, Private Bentley |
Subject: Thank you
Thanks for your wonderful and enlightening e-mail. We are Cherokee descendents of the Southern Cherokee Nation....disbanded by the fed govt in 1866 yet 132 yrs later we still survive and are rising from the ashes....We were the 1st Cherokee Mounted Rifle under the leadership of our Chief my 5th cousin, Brigadier General Stand Watie..The highest decorated General of the Civil War and who had the distinction of being the last General to surrender. You may want to visit our other site cherokeeland.base.org and pass the info on to any of your members who are of Cherokee descent Again I thank you Follow Your Heart Chief Gary Ridge |
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