Lee.

This is coolbert:

Patrick Cleburne was NOT THE ONLY distinguished southerner that advocated the "use" of slaves as soldiers in the Confederate Army.

Robert E. Lee, at the VERY END OF THE WAR, when the position of the south had become very grave, also suggested that measures to enlist and "use" slaves as soldiers be implemented.

SUGGESTED!!

"The letter below from Robert E. Lee to Andrew Hunter presents Lee's view on using slaves in the confederate army. Lee's position, summarized below, will surprise many":

* "Lee Suggests that Negroes should be immediately recruited into the Confederate Army"
* "Lee suggests that in exchange for their service, they be granted freedom for themselves and their families"
* "Lee suggests that they should be welcome to live as free men in the south after the war"
* "Lee suggests that the men's families should be granted freedom even if the men did not survive the war"
* "Lee suggests that they should be paid a bounty for faithful service"
* "Lee believes that the freed slaves would make loyal and effective soldiers"
* "Lee suggests that the policy moving forward in the south should be emancipation of the slaves"
* "In fact, before the war was over, Robert E. Lee was effectively using former slaves as Confederate Soldiers "

This [the letter by Lee] all occurring ONLY AFTER JANUARY, 1865. BY THAT TIME, THE WAR WAS MORE OR LESS OVER [Lee surrendered in April of that same year]. AND WHEN THEY SAY "USING", WHAT DOES THAT MEAN??!! AS MENIAL LABORERS WITHIN THE ARMY, FREEING UP WHITE TROOPS FOR COMBAT SERVICE? I JUST CANNOT SAY!

Read the entire letter for yourself! As far as the Confederacy was concerned, the "suggestions" of Cleburne and Lee were too little, too late! The hand-writing was on the wall, and everyone knew it! At that point, even enlisting and "using" the services of slaves in the Confederate Army would not have mattered much anyhow?

I think not.

coolbert.