This is a subject that has been brought up from time to time by some American Civil War historians, namely ones who espouse the Confederate cause. The short answer is that the Confederate Forces barred the enlistment of blacks, slave or free, from serving as soldiers. Logic should prevail when this question is brought up. Slaves were forced into service by Confederate military units as civilian laborers, teamsters, cooks, hospital personnel and other non-combat duties, but these people do not fit the description of soldiers.
Soldiers are primarily citizens who are enlisted or commissioned by their government.
Soldiers are required to take an oath of allegiance. Soldiers are trained to bear and use arms. The pension records of Confederate Forces simply do not show any significant number of black veterans. Taylor s experience, taken from his own words in his pension records, illustrates my point concerning blacks serving with the Confederate Forces. I first served about 3 months as a cook in the Confederate Army during the summer of 1863.