Mr. Williams point of the article; [William & Mary historian Carol Sheriff said, "It is disconcerting that the next generation is being taught history based on an unfounded claim instead of accepted scholarship"...{this thought is}... denying the role, and thereby cheapening the memory, of the Confederacy's slaves and freemen who fought in a failed war of independence is part of the agenda to cover up Abraham Lincoln's unconstitutional acts to prevent Southern secession.]

...his main point is being overshadowed over the details of sources he states, which on careful examination, are valid sources when traced back to origin. The facts of these references are questionable since the whole context of the information is not available. However, a collection of news stories from the same section of the country, from the same time period, all have the same basic theme; that Black men marched off to support the Confederate Army, willingly and or not willingly, from the very early days of the conflict; and it seems that Black volunteerism for the Confederate cause was at one period wide spread and abundant (this would only apply to free men of course.)

I think his argument "part of the agenda to cover up Abraham Lincoln's unconstitutional acts" is to simplistic as to the goals of those who strongly oppose such historical images as Black Confederates. I believe the agendas are much more complicated as to why "accepted scholarship" is denying (trying to eliminate any thought of) these roles of Black men who served the Confederate armed forces.

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David Upton