Alan it would be unfair to compare the amount of archived documentation between Union and Confederate records. The Union reports must out number the Confederate at least 15 to 1. The amount of the Union reports of armed Black Confederates is a mear handful. What evidence there is enough for circumstantial evidence to the existance of these events.

"There are thousands of letters, diaries, journals, newspaper reports, official reports by Confederate officers and men that describe every aspect of the war."

Where do they talk of Black cooks, pioneers, sapper, teamsters-- by name, action or reward? We know they were there, we all know the Confederate laws and numbers request, how come these men are rarely mentioned?

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David Upton