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Yesterday I responded to a piece in the @TimesNewsOnline by @NDJ2ND that argued for the existence of black Confederate soldiers. It was only a screenshot, but the newspaper has since posted the entire article online. The author has chosen not to respond. https://twitter.com/KevinLevin/status/1252904952244174848
There is no evidence that the author is influenced by a neo-Confederate agenda. This is just another example of lazy research built on very little understanding of the relevant history. Once shared on the site of a reputable newspaper it gains legitimacy. https://www.timesnews.net/Blog/2020/04/22/div-class-libPageBodyLinebreak-Were-black-Confederate-soldiers-real-or-postwar-propaganda-div.html
It should come as no surprise that the section of the article that I did not initially see is just as bad. As I pointed out yesterday no black soldiers fought with Nathan Bedford Forrest. The historical record is crystal clear on that point. http://cwmemory.com/2019/03/10/nathan-bedford-forrests-black-confederates/
From there the author moves on to Robert "Bob" Stover who he claims as a, "former slave who served the Confederacy as a teamster and after the war filed an application to receive a pension for his service to the Southern army." Stover applied for a "colored" pension as a...
...camp slave similar to the one that Thomas Nelson applied for, which I discussed in the thread above. A few years ago the Sons of Confederate Veterans held a ceremony for this man claiming that he "served" the Confederacy faithfully. His pension application states otherwise.
It is clear that @NDJ2ND did little more than a Google search to uncover this information. He certainly did not take the time to consult the relevant historical sources. Even more troubling is his referencing of Edward C. Smith, who he claims "has studied the issue extensively.
Smith has no training in history and he has never published a single scholarly article on the subject. The only apparent reason why he was referenced at all comes at the very end of the article: "In case you are wondering, yes, Smith is black."
It should come as no surprise that Smith was a popular speaker at Sons of Confederate Veterans events. I don't expect a response from @timesnewsonline or @NDJ2ND. This thread is for all of you who have a sincere interest in the subject and are looking for reliable information.
If you are interested in learning more about Robert Stover, Thomas Nelson, and others I recommend my own book, which explores their history and how their stories have been distorted intentionally and unintentionally by folks like @NDJ2ND. http://cwmemory.com/searching-for-black-confederates-the-civil-wars-most-persistent-myth/
