Twitter and the Idiocracy...

Kevin Levin (A "historian" in denial)

       I've written a couple of blogs about Mr. Levin (the expert on the American Civil War) if you count re-writing history as being an expertise these days. My publisher has insisted that I become more active on social media and my wife has forced me to learn new things. One new thing she has introduced me to is something called twitter. My wife went and subscribed me to everyone that tweets on the Civil War and other history. That's how I came to hear the garbage that Mr. Levin is posting on social media. 

       He has written a book about the myth of the black Confederate soldier and I'm sure it's as accurate as the garbage he put out in his book on the Battle of the Crater. Mr. Levin doesn't allow the truth to get in the way of his version of history. I recently received a tweet from Mr. Levin with a picture of a black Confederate soldier sitting next to a young white lady at a Confederate reunion. Mr. Levin immediately tells his followers that "this individual showed up at a Confederate reunion in Tampa, Florida." Well, Mr. "Lying" Levin, you are wrong again. This individual happened to show up at a Confederate reunion in Memphis, Tennessee. He had his photograph taken with the granddaughter of the colonel of the regiment which happens to be the 5th Alabama Cavalry. This man is Reuben Patterson of Florence, Alabama.

       

As he was known in North Alabama "Uncle" Reuben Patterson

       This is probably over Kevin Levin's head, but in the South, if one is respected he is called "Uncle." This is what "Uncle" Reuben was called following the war. Once the war ended, Reuben ran a bootblack stand. His chairs, boot polish, and boot stands were purchased for him by the Daughters of the Confederacy. Uncle Reuben loved to tell tales of his war service. He often foraged for the colonel, and the colonel actually stated that he never worried about having a horse or food as long as Reuben was well. He also served as bugler of the regiment or as Reuben called it "the horn blower." 

       Uncle Reuben didn't just attend his regimental reunion, but was known to attend state and national reunions. His wife once stated that Reuben was the most unreconstructed Rebel around. Fortunately, Uncle Reuben's bugle, hat, and bootblack stand are preserved in Pope's Tavern Museum in Florence, Alabama. Also preserved in the museum is a photograph of a Confederate reunion held in Florence with several black Confederate's posing beside the white Confederate veterans. 

       About a mile from Pope's Tavern is the Florence City Cemetery where Uncle Reuben rests today. As per his request, he is buried beneath a marker designated for only Confederate soldiers. Beside him rests another black Confederate and the Sons of Confederate Veterans camp in Florence keeps a Confederate battle flag on these graves in their honor.

Grave of Uncle Reuben in Florence City Cemetery

       Now I've had numerous discussions with these New England "historians" about there being black Confederate soldiers. They always bring the subject around to these men are not listed on a muster role of the regiment so therefore they are not soldiers. If you go into battle (in cavalry regiments the bugler had to go into battle to sound the various orders to the troopers), do you think a bullet cares if you have your name on a piece of paper? The next thing they tell me is that these men were body servants and cooks. Well, I used to work with a guy that served in Vietnam a year as a cook. Although the United States Army calls him a veteran, by the New England "historians" perspective, he wasn't even a soldier. I mean you can't have it both ways. 

       Another question I would like answered is this: If these men weren't soldiers, why were they given Confederate pensions? In order for a white Confederate to receive a pension, he had to prove he served faithfully, and never deserted. Do you think the states in the financial shape they were in following the war would give these men money without proof of service? 

       There is the story of captured Federal prisoners at Murfreesboro being whacked over the head with a saber by a black man named Jake. These men were terrified to be captured thinking the Confederate soldiers might kill them. Jake advancing with the 8th Arkansas Infantry whacked these prisoners on the head and shouted, "You ought to get home, then!" I'm sure Jake wasn't a soldier, he probably just picked up a saber to beat his liberators over the head with (makes New England sense I guess). 

       Allow me to tell you another story of a black servant that also lived in Florence, Alabama when the war began. When William "Billy" Patton entered Confederate service, his best friend as a boy was a servant the same age and owned by Billy's father. This servant was named Sam. Sam promised Billy's mother that he would go to war with Billy and if anything should happen to his best friend he would bring the body home. William A. Patton was elected a lieutenant in Company C, 16th Alabama Infantry. At the Battle of Shiloh, the regiment was part of General Wood's Brigade. Wood was also from Florence, Alabama. Advancing past Shiloh Church the unit overran Waterhouse's artillery battery near Water Oaks Pond. During this assault, Lieutenant Billy Patton was killed. Sam brought the body back to the church and remained with it during the night. The next morning Sam found a mule and began the long road back to Corinth where he could place Billy's body on a train back to Alabama. 

       During the day, the Confederate army began its retreat to Corinth and coming upon Sam and his best friend's body, they confiscated his mule because they needed all they could get to pull off the wagons, captured artillery, etc. Sam would not let that stop him from keeping his promise, but placed William's body over his shoulder and continued to Corinth. He delivered the body to his home which is called the "Sweetwater Mansion." Thanks to Sam, Billy's funeral was held in the parlor of the home. The house still stands there today.

Sweetwater Mansion

       Now New England "historians" have a hard time understanding the South. Most know very little about how life was here, yet they can sit and proclaim how evil the South was and how holy the north was without daring to research their subject. They rely on presentism. Using modern standards to judge history. This is extremely unfair. One more question they can never seem to answer for me is this: If slavery were so bad and harsh, why didn't the slaves rise up in rebellion when Lincoln issued his emancipation proclamation? With all the white men gone to war, this would have helped the Union win the war, yet it never happened. This was one of Lincoln's hopes when he issued his proclamation. He was losing a war that was quickly becoming unpopular in the north. People were growing tired of the long casualty lists. Newspaper reporters were jailed for speaking the truth. Members of state legislatures (Maryland) were arrested in the dead of night. The largest mass execution of 38 Native Americans by the U.S. Government in 1862. Yet the New England "historian" ignores all the things that portray his side of the fight as evil. Thus Kevin Levin. 

The Northern Theory of Confederate White Supremacy

White and Black Confederate Soldier

       I've been reading online lately about the ongoing argument both for and against the theory that there were black Confederate soldiers. Sons of Confederate Veterans members argue that there were up to 90,000 black soldiers that fought for the Confederacy. I've also read many Northerners say there were no black soldiers fighting for the South. The argument goes on and on, both sides refusing to concede an inch. There is a reason for this argument and hopefully I can shed some light on which side is correct. 

       Now, if the Northerner agreed that some blacks fought for the Confederacy, it would destroy their entire argument that the war was only about slavery and the white supremacist Southerners desire to oppress another race of humans. The figure of 90,000 soldiers fighting for the South seems a bit high, if you consider being in actual combat with a gun is the only qualification of a soldier. There were numerous black men attached to Confederate armies as cooks, body servants, and even guards and pickets. Most of these men weren't armed, but the guards and pickets were. While Northerners argue that cooks are not soldiers, I used to work with a man that was a cook in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam war. He is a veteran, gets veterans benefits, but by the Northern way of thinking, he isn't a soldier. 

       In the above photograph you will find an armed black man dressed in a Confederate uniform. How much closer could he get to being a Confederate soldier. I've heard the argument made that because there are no muster rolls for black Confederate's means they weren't really soldiers. If you are in combat, firing a weapon, and someone is firing a weapon at you, then you are a soldier. Does a bullet care if you've been placed on a muster roll?

United States Colored Troops

       Another interesting fact that you will notice in all of the photographs of black troops in the Civil War is which side is actually segregated. There are numerous accounts of black men going into combat with white soldiers in Confederate units. You never see a Union regiment with white and black men. Union regiments had white officers, but that was because of the Northern belief that black men weren't intelligent enough to become officers. Accounts of black men going into battle with white men in the South are common. Segregation didn't occur in the South until after the war when Northern politicians began to use black men to retain their political superiority over the country. 

       There is another argument that the Northern people use to justify there being any black Confederates and that is the belief that black men who fought for the South were being forced to do so against their will. I find this idea preposterous. I can only ask, "Were these men also forced to attend Confederate Reunions following the war?"

Black Confederates at a reunion with White Confederates

       There's a lot more false beliefs about the War for Southern Independence. The idea that Southerners are all racists and white supremacists. I'll give you a few examples of some of those evil Southerners that fought to mistreat minorities. 

Confederate Cherokee Native Americans

       There were members of five tribes that fought for the Confederacy. They were the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole. The Cherokee even had a Confederate general. Brigadier General Stand Watie was born in Georgia in 1806 and signed the treaty moving the Cherokee's to Oklahoma. Less than 10% of Cherokee's owned slaves, so the theory of them fighting for slavery is pretty much eliminated from the argument. General Watie is famous for being the last Confederate general to surrender. 

Brigadier General Stand Watie

       What of other races that fought for the South. Below are photographs of just a few men that fought for the Confederacy who weren't white. 

Corporal Charlie Chan born in Shanghai, China fought in Company K, 24th Texas Cavalry (Dismounted) and was killed at the Battle of Franklin fighting in Granbury's Brigade, Cleburne's Division

Colonel Santos Benavides, a Mexican American commanded the 33rd Texas Cavalry Regiment during the war

Jewish Lieutenant Joshua Lazarus Moses commanded a battery of South Carolina Artillery and was murdered at Fort Blakely after having surrendered (more on this in the next blog)

Major General Camille Armand Jules Marie de Polignac was born in France and came to the United States just to fight for the Confederacy

Colonel Ambrosio Jose' Gonzales was born in Cuba who moved to the U.S. in 1849 and served as Chief of Artillery for the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida

Confederate Brigadier General Zebulon York born in Maine offered to raise a brigade of Polish troops for the Confederacy when the conflict began

Black Confederate pickets spotted through a telescope by a Union officer during McClellan's approach to Richmond in 1862

Below are listed examples of black Confederate troops in action

       "Officers of the 16th Virginia Infantry posted a young Black male named Ben to guard its surplus rations. When a white private approached and ignored commands to desist, the Afro-Virginian sentry fractured the man's skull with his rifle butt, mortally wounding him. Only after the intervention of General William Mahone himself prevented Ben from being lynched by the dead soldier's comrades. The service of Ben and other black Virginians influenced the 1928 amendment which awarded state pensions to Black males who served on military details or performed guard duty on behalf of the Confederacy."       

Written by a member of the 16th Virginia Infantry

      "Passing through the yard of a nice farmhouse, we captured some of the Federal outposts, who pleaded for mercy. General (St. John) Liddell swore at them, telling them they were fine fellows, invading our country and then asking pardon. Old Jake (a black man), the bugler, whacked one of them over the head with his saber, saying with an oath: 'You oust get home, den.'"

Private John Berry, 8th Arkansas Infantry, CSA at the Battle of Murfreesboro

       "Dan Robertson led Company B, 35th Alabama Infantry into all battles while playing his fife. It is said his fife was a bit shrill. He was fearless and owned by the LaGrange Military Institute. He survived the war and was treated as an equal at all Company reunions."

From the History of LaGrange College

       "At Greensport, Alabama, he (Brigadier General Alfred Holt Clanton) was outnumbered six to one by Federal troops, but the brave man decided to attack at dawn. He charged around the bend, personally leading his 200 troops. Pistol in hand and charging on foot. He was only twenty paces away when the Federals opened fire, armed with Spencer repeating rifles. His clothes were riddled with bullets, his entire staff killed or wounded. 

       During the fighting, a large black soldier named Griffin, a member of his command approached General Clanton and asked, "General, where is Marse Batt."

       Clanton was as calm as could be, pointed toward the Federal line and said, "There he is dead."

       Griffin charged forward, amid cries to stay back, through the smoke and bullets and picked up the young soldier and returned with him in his arms.

       "Is he dead?" Clanton asked. 

       "I don't know, Sir," he replied, "my Mammy was his nurse and I'm older than he is. I promised to take care of him and bring him to her. I'm carrying him home now.'"

See my blog A Knight Without Fear

And the last quote is from a Federal colonel discussing just how oppressed and mistreated the blacks in the South truly were

       "The poor whites are as poor as rot, and the rich are very rich. There is no substantial well-to-do middle class. The slaves are, in fact, the middle class here. They are not considered so good, of course, as their masters, but a great deal better than the white trash...The women sport flounces and the men canes...all are slaves."

Colonel John Beatty, 3rd Ohio Infantry, describing Murfreesboro, Tennessee

       If you think about it, nothing that I've written or quoted above was taught in school and probably never will be. As Napoleon once said, "History is a group of lies often agreed upon."