Is there such a things as "hard evidence" when it comes to discussing this war? What are the sources of this "Hard Evidence". Is it only the O.R's? Because that cain't be, even they the most official souce of records for our studies that we have, contridict themselves and are incomplete. But even then the O.R.'s report from union sources that there were blacks in armed service of the south, as David Upton has pointed out in these discussions, and even that is not an umimpeachable source.

No matter what position a researcher takes, no matter what sources that are quoted, no matter what first person accounts are cited, someone has always come up with a counter argument which does not have to be documented. Even when southern sympathizers quote "official Union sources" or comments from staunce unionist, or abolishionist, like Frederick Douglas, the common reply is "Oh, They really didn't know what they were talking about' whenever those comment don't fit the commonly approved history, or reflects against the Unionist viewpoint.

The Library of Congress and National Military Parks gives the statement that since April 9th, 1865, almost 500,000 books, articles, or other publications have been written about that 4 year period of time. This is not counting the National Archives records.

So please tell me, who is this all knowledgeable expert who has the ability to declare without contridiction that anything did or did not happen with any positivity? Who has read all those books, those personal accounts, the MOLUS records, the Southern Historical Society Papers, and even unpublished accounts held in private collections? Who has cross referenced every account for accuracy? Who has compared the detaills of every battle to obtain the "proper" understanding of each event, to be the absolute expert on this subject or any other subject regarding the period of time known by over 50 different names, but most commonly called the American Civil War.

Mr. William is a highly educated and accomplished person. He has written several books in his own right on subject far more complicated that my understanding will allow. His personal accomplishment may not be in the arena of "pure" History, and may be in the study of Economic. But the practice of slavery was an economic issue to the southerners who owned them and to the United States as a whole prior to the Civil War. I am sure that Mr. Williams had a reasson to study the economics of that period in his many years as a noted educator and economist. I am sure his beliefs and comments are formed upon that study, as it is so contridictory to the "Normal" idealogy of our times.

The true is that 150 years later there are "NO EXPERTS" when it comes to the study of the American Civil War there are only people with "Personal opinions".