The below is an opinion of an English born Confederate Private/Lieut. Thomas E. Caffey of Company D of the 18th Miss./ Staff to the Chief of Artillery of his Division, in 1862.
From the book "Battle-fields of the South" Smith, Elder and co., 1863
"In our whole army there must be at least 30,000 coloured servants who do nothing but cook and wash— nine-tenths of the ditching falls to our share—yet in all these thousands I have yet to hear of more than 100 who have run away from their owners ! This is true, although they are continually moving about with ' passes' at all hours, and ten times more frequently than masters : what greater opportunities could be presented for escape ? They are roaming in and out of the lines at all times, tramping over every acre of country daily, and I have not heard of more than six instances of runaways in our whole brigade, which has a cooking and washing corps of negroes at least 150 strong!"...
" Did you ever remark our servants on a march ? They make me laugh. Soon as the word ' march' is whispered abroad, these fellows bundle up their traps, and get them into the waggons, by some sort of sleight of hand, for I know that my baggage with ' little tricks' added, far outweighs the authorized sixty pounds—a captain's allowance. After safely stowing away all they can, the cooks shoulder some large bundle ot curiosities of their own, and with a saucepan, skillet, or frying-pan, all march some fifty yards in front of the band, whistling and singing, forming in regular or irregular files, commanded by some big black rogue, who with a stick and a loud voice enforces discipline among his heavy-heeled corps. And thus they proceed far ahead, monopolizing all attention as we pass through towns and villages, grinning and singing as they go, and frequently dressed up in the full regimentals of some unfortunate Yankee or other."
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David Upton