This may seem Superlegalistic. And the common southern soldiers probably did not think on these things in this manner. But I am sure that Jeff Davis and his Cabinet did when he issued his responce in January 1863, to the enlisting of blacks to serve in the Union Army.

Other points were;

- Most black in uniform were from the South. As you said a lot of those at Fort Pillow were the runaway slaves of many of the men in Forrest command. Therefore they were viewed by southerners as being slaves in rebellion. And being from the south as traitors. There was no justification because they were fighting for their supposed freedom.

- Black in the Union army were not citizens of the United States. They were not granted citizenship until the passage of the 14th Amendment. And they were not given civil rights until 1964. Therefore they were in some ways considered as mercanaries. Stateless persons in the employ of an occuping military force of a foriegn power.

- Southern Whites were well aware of the real purpose and intent of the Emancipation Proclaimation. And that it was meant to incite the slave to rebellion against the southerners.

- Southerners were also aware that Black Union Troops were being used to keep White Union soldiers from being killed. thsi seemeed to be political in nature to keep the public war sentiment in the north from turning against Lincoln's re-election in November 1864.

- Grant was in fact investigated for this charge by the United States Congress in 1864 because of the high losses among Black Union Regiments. In fact there is much debate about the changing of the orders for the Union assualt at the Battle of the Crater, at Petersburg, Virginia, over this very matter.

- Contrary to modern popular misconception there was no "right" to choose one alliegence. If you were from the North you were considered to be a traitor if you fought in the southern army for whatever reason. The same was true in the south. Since most blacks lived in the south their choices were work for the southern arms or remain neutral on the plntations. Joining the Union Army was not an option for southern blacks that the southern soldiers approved of.

Was racism, as we understand it today, a part of it? YES, racism was an engrained part of societies in the North and South.

Was there hate involved in these matters like Fort Pillow? Most likely. Hate is always a part of War especially one which is so personal to people.

Was hate an racism the only factors which lead to Fort Pillow and many other simular events throughtout the war? NO. But, there are many today who would make you to think it was so.

- And finally part of the problem that we experience in examining such topics as Fort Pillow is that we assign our own modern day concepts of Morality, Civil Rights and Justice to those people who lived in 1864 when those concepts were just begining to be formed, or did not exist at all.

It is like the vegan condeaming the caveman for the extinction of the Wooley Mammoth. Both have different concepts of how to live life because of their circumstances. In fact the Caveman was probably more Vegan that todays Vegan is. But our concept of the caveman does not allow us to concieve of him in that manner.