The following is an except from the book "Old Cahaba" by Anna Fry: "Many of the Cahaba Rifles had with them their bodyservants, who with gray blankets, haversacks, and cedar canteens strapped on their shoulders and wearing the Confederate gray uniform, marched behind the company as they all went aboard the boat."

Uniformed slaves certainly did serve the Confederacy willingly, but there weren't free. By and large, that didn't matter to them because there was a bond other than bondage!