RE: [DL] Freeing the Slaves

["Clint Black" <cblack@ohtinc.com>]

I wasn't really talking about battle - if the South had armed enough slaves
to win the war (were that possible) they would have outnumbered the white
soldiers & revolted. The Slaves had no love for the country, they were
fighting because it meant freedom. Had they seen a quicker route the freedom
(i.e. taking over Richmond and surrendering to Grant) they would, of course
have done it. Hiring too many mercenaries (which is what they were - their
service being paid for with their freedom)  is always a bad idea - ask
Vortigern.
 
 
Okay, first of all, enslaved peoples amounted to about 35% of the population
of the South.  [This is without even touching the fact that often legal
voters (read men over 18) were the only ones counted for censuses while
slaves were kept track of in more exacting detail (men, women, and children)
basically as inventory.]
 
Secondly, your mercenary analogy is incorrect in that these men were not
experienced soldiers with their own commanders.  They have no concept that
taking Richmond would possibly end the war and gain their freedom.  And even
if they had "seen a quicker route the freedom," there is no one to lead
these men in a campaign to reach it.  Even in the "free" North, the first
black did not graduate from West Point until 1877, and he went through hell
to do so.  Also, the mercenaries didn't have Vortigern effectively holding
their families hostage.
 
 
 
Clint Black
 
"You smell that? Do you smell that? ...Ghost Rock, son. Nothing else in the
world smells like that. I love the smell of ghost rock in the morning. You
know, one time we had a hill bombed, for twelve hours. When it was all over
I walked up. We didn't find one of 'em, not one stinkin' Yank body. The
smell, you know that sulphurous smell, the whole hill. Smelled like...
victory. Someday this war's gonna end..."