The vast majority of Union soldiers were fighting either, because they had to, (drafted) or to hold the country together. I seriously doubt that more than 5% would have fought to free the slaves and their moral would have taken a nosedive had they known the true number of Southern Blacks who were fightin for the Confederacy therefore YES the Yankee`s did everything they could to prevent their troops from finding out. I would suggest more Union soldiers fought for the "bounty" the Federals paid than to free the slaves...Wasn`t it Genl Grant who said "If I tell my men they are fighting to free the slaves, I will not be able to field a brigade.

The "myth" applies to the Federal Govt.(after 1862) claiming they were fighting to free the slaves which was primarily advertized to keep England & France from entering the war on the side of the South and in hopes it would cause the slaves to revolt and slaughter a few hundred thousand women and children.

Bye the same token, I doubt the Confederates who have been able to field an army if they had told their soldiers they were fighting primarily for slavery. The average Reb was fighting for States Rights and because they were being INVADED.

That this old man opinion anyway.....