Just figure, if 1% of the southern blacks were incorporated into the Confederate service you are talking about 40,000 men. 5% would have been a reasonable figure to assume even with no encourgaement from government sources when you consider all the jobs that could have been filled by loyal blacks without them ever being placed on the "Official" records.

Lets remember that the first person killed in the infamous John Brown's raid at Harpers Ferry, Va. was a free black telegrapher. So we are not just talking about the farm hand slave here. We are also talking about persons with skills.

Just with geometric logic you have to consider that the Confederate army could not have and did not have the manpower to stay in the field, against a superior federal army greater is size and resources, for four years without the help of loyal blacks in supporting and even combat roles after 1862. Blacksmiths, teamsters, distillers, miners, cooks, hospital stewards, mill workers, construction, you name it, blacks did it.

The problem is in the splitting hairs of trying to determine what was and what was not, "Confederate Service". Was it just the wearing of the Uniform that determined "Confederate service"?

As a comparison, I know of many a good modern day soldier who has proudly worn the Uniform of our nations armed forces and who do not qualify for "Veterans Benefits".