"If we could bring back to life Confederate Brigadier General Edward L. Thomas, we could find out exactly what roles Blacks played in the Confederate Army. Two Black men served in the 14th Georgia that he commanded.

Near the end of the War General Thomas' men voted to petition their government to enlist Blacks in the Army to fight beside them. General Thomas forwarded this petition to his superiors. The Confederate Congress passed, and Confederate President Jefferson Davis signed, a bill authorizing the enlistment of Blacks.

The Roster of the Confederate Soldiers of Georgia, 1861-1865, Vol. 2, page 389 records: "Yopp, Bill (colored) - Drummer July 9, 1861. Surrendered, Appomattox, Va. Apr. 9, 1865"

Charles Hicks, Co. F, 14th Georgia, is pictured on this site in 1938, when he attended a Confederate reunion. The site is: http://www.forrestsescort.org/blacks.htm

It appears Cleburne was not the only General with the idea to enlist Blacks officially. On the NPS site, Bill Yopp does not appear, though his former owner does. Bill Yopp is the only Black buried in the Marietta Confederate cemetery. Stan