I'll try to get it to sound right Jim. In a post Alan mentioned the use of ones 'servant' (with the cost factor) in some situations where they may have been under staffed and over fired upon. I was thinking of the family of former slaves who continue to live in Elbert County, Georgia and how they were involved in every aspect of my family's life. They didn't want to leave the area. They were 'loyal' and trusted friends, though servants, and they also were loyal to the land. They obtained land in that area and still farm it today. Even after the war, when they were free, they chose to stay and work the same fields with my ancestors until they could establish their own farms. It wasn't tangible loyalty. It didn't have a price tag on it. It was just an emotion. Did they wish to remain slaves? No, I don't think so. I do think they would have been free anyway because the records from an ancestor show they were getting lower in number by slave listing but still there on the land. It may well be there were some who just didn't quite believe all the hype from the "Gummit" in DC. I'm sure relating to that emotion at this time.

I'm not saying there were a huge number or a brigade of them but there almost had to be some. We can look at numbers all day long and read records til the cows come home but we also need to understand there was human nature involved and no one can explain that at times. It just is. We have a woman from here, and who is buried a bit over in the same cemetery as Stephen Mallory who was granted a pension. She was just a girl but her mother and family followed her father's unit and they served as nurses. She's probably not the only one but I don't think I remember reading the exploits of a Brigade of Women or Girls. My Husbands best friend, from the time he was born was the neighbor boy, who was also African American. No one said anything bout Bubba. I mean, he's 6'5" and he has bigger brothers. Place that aside, if my Husband or Bubba need anything in this world, they know who they can call. Now, hubby moved from that house in 1948. It was his Grandfather's (who was the Chief of Police) and after his Grandfather died the family sold it and they all got their own house. Til that time, they all lived with "The Chief". That was waaaaay before the Civil Rights era began. Bubba thought it was all hooey anyway. His little brother was one of the boys who tried to tip a car over at the only small 'to do' here in town in that era and Bubba beat the snot out of him for it.

It's really hard to read other peoples minds but a lot more difficult to understand or accept what may be in their heart. Sometimes, it's not what one thinks it should be due to the sentiment in that time period.

On the Native American part being left out of the service information, the one I was thinking of is my GGGrandfather, James W Helton. His father Henry J. Helton was "Full Blood" Cherokee. His mother, we've not been able to figure out the degree but she was at least part Cherokee.
James is the one who went back for the horse at Murfreesboro and got his arm shot off. 32nd Alabama. May not have been the smartest idea but it is what he did.

Pam