You stated, "to assign motives or to call them loyal, disloyal, patriotic or any other similar term, I believe is unknowable."

I will simply reply as the Bible says, "By their fruits ye shall know them." That is the only way we can tell the intentions of anyone.

Splitting hairs over what the definition of what is is, or what determines the status of a "Loyal" Black makes no real sence. Many of these blacks that served as well as any other southern soldier and did not desert as many of the White southern soldiers did. And the Confederate army did not have the manpower to assign a personal guard to watch ever black that was "farmed out" at 33 dollars a month from their owners.

The term "Loyal" simply to me means that they did their duty. I am not saying that they did that duty under duress or freeing.