This article is so well done, especially in how to regard the accounts of slaveholders in the Confederate army regarding the happiness and undying loyalty of their slaves. He might have treated Moses well, but Moses was still a slave. The narratives of men like Evans are well ensconced in the Myth of the Noble South, which all to often is being returned to public school classrooms as the history or chattel slavery, emancipation, the roll of Blacks in securing their freedom, the violence against Blacks during and after Reconstruction, Jim Crow and continued violence, and the fight for civil rights are removed from textbooks and brushed over in state approved guidelines. My book, “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: Religion and the Politics of Race in the Civil War Era and Beyond” has a rather detailed chapter entitled “I Knew What I Was Fighting For: Black Soldiers in the Civil War and after.”
Thank you again. By the way, I like the picture of the “Neo-Confederate” battlefield tourists re-enacting Pickett’s Charge. I have been posting articles from my Gettysburg staff ride text, while will one day be my Gettysburg trilogy at my Substack site.
All the best. Happy 4th of July as we remember the 160th anniversary of “The Most Glorious Fourth.”
Thanks for the kind words, Steven. I agree with you that we still have a lot of work to do on the history education front, but I've seen a good deal of positive change over the past few decades. The current backlash against the teaching of the history of slavery and white supremacy is, to me, evidence of that change. I don't see any significant turn toward the Lost Cause in recent years in textbooks and curricula across the country.
Thank you for your reply and kind words. However, I didn’t say that the Lost Cause was returning to school curriculum, but the myth of the Noble South, which as you know presents the antebellum South as a kind, benevolent, and cultured society, where slaves were well treated and loved their owners. That is what is returning, especially in Texas and Florida.
"Perhaps he decided that the dangers of freedom were more risky than his current situation."
The "devil-you-know."
It's an individual calculation, and easily understandable in those terms, even if we know next to nothing about Moses' own perspective. Making that choice certainly doesn't tell us a great deal about what Moses actually wanted, or his supposed commitment to either Clement Evans or the Confederacy.
Nothing right now. I plan on writing a short book about enslaved labor during the Gettysburg Campaign after I complete my Shaw biography. I hope to be able to follow up on any leads re: Moses's life after the war. Perhaps Pete knows something.
At 10:30 on July 3rd, I will be leading a tour about enslaved men in in the Army of Northern Virginia. This walk is sponsored by CWI and the NPS. We will be meeting at the Lee monument. Your call to remember the enslaved has been answered!
I am pleased to see that Moses is getting attention on your blog after I shared the Evans diary entry with you. Reading against the grain when examining the Evans diary offers a unique opportunity to explore how a slave navigated life in the ranks. And to think that the NPS is sponsoring a tour on enslaved men on the anniversary of Picketts charge speaks to sweeping interpretive shifts at NPS sites . And to know that people of all perspectives can be part of the conversation tomorrow, that no one is going to be banned from attending the walk , and that free speech will be respected fulfills the promise of public history. I am very excited about tomorrow ‘s program as it builds upon our good work with Jill Titus at CWI last June. Pete
So glad to hear that you are leading another tour tomorrow about the enslaved at Gettysburg. Hope you have a good turn out. Thanks to the NPS for helping to make this possible. It's so important to tell these stories on site not as a sideshow to the experiences of the soldiers on both sides, but as an integral part of understanding how the battle unfolded and its broader significance.
Kevin,
This article is so well done, especially in how to regard the accounts of slaveholders in the Confederate army regarding the happiness and undying loyalty of their slaves. He might have treated Moses well, but Moses was still a slave. The narratives of men like Evans are well ensconced in the Myth of the Noble South, which all to often is being returned to public school classrooms as the history or chattel slavery, emancipation, the roll of Blacks in securing their freedom, the violence against Blacks during and after Reconstruction, Jim Crow and continued violence, and the fight for civil rights are removed from textbooks and brushed over in state approved guidelines. My book, “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: Religion and the Politics of Race in the Civil War Era and Beyond” has a rather detailed chapter entitled “I Knew What I Was Fighting For: Black Soldiers in the Civil War and after.”
Thank you again. By the way, I like the picture of the “Neo-Confederate” battlefield tourists re-enacting Pickett’s Charge. I have been posting articles from my Gettysburg staff ride text, while will one day be my Gettysburg trilogy at my Substack site.
All the best. Happy 4th of July as we remember the 160th anniversary of “The Most Glorious Fourth.”
Sincerely,
Steve+
Thanks for the kind words, Steven. I agree with you that we still have a lot of work to do on the history education front, but I've seen a good deal of positive change over the past few decades. The current backlash against the teaching of the history of slavery and white supremacy is, to me, evidence of that change. I don't see any significant turn toward the Lost Cause in recent years in textbooks and curricula across the country.
Happy 4th to you as well.
Kevin,
Thank you for your reply and kind words. However, I didn’t say that the Lost Cause was returning to school curriculum, but the myth of the Noble South, which as you know presents the antebellum South as a kind, benevolent, and cultured society, where slaves were well treated and loved their owners. That is what is returning, especially in Texas and Florida.
Have a happy 4th of July.
Peace
Steve
Got it. Thanks for the follow up.
"Perhaps he decided that the dangers of freedom were more risky than his current situation."
The "devil-you-know."
It's an individual calculation, and easily understandable in those terms, even if we know next to nothing about Moses' own perspective. Making that choice certainly doesn't tell us a great deal about what Moses actually wanted, or his supposed commitment to either Clement Evans or the Confederacy.
Exactly.
Do we know anything else about Moses than what is in Evans' diary? Last name? Post-war life?
Nothing right now. I plan on writing a short book about enslaved labor during the Gettysburg Campaign after I complete my Shaw biography. I hope to be able to follow up on any leads re: Moses's life after the war. Perhaps Pete knows something.
Can’t wait to read your Gettysburg book! Damn, if I wasn’t working tomorrow I’d drive from the Philly ‘burbs to attend Peters’s tour.
I am sure Pete would appreciate that.
At 10:30 on July 3rd, I will be leading a tour about enslaved men in in the Army of Northern Virginia. This walk is sponsored by CWI and the NPS. We will be meeting at the Lee monument. Your call to remember the enslaved has been answered!
I am pleased to see that Moses is getting attention on your blog after I shared the Evans diary entry with you. Reading against the grain when examining the Evans diary offers a unique opportunity to explore how a slave navigated life in the ranks. And to think that the NPS is sponsoring a tour on enslaved men on the anniversary of Picketts charge speaks to sweeping interpretive shifts at NPS sites . And to know that people of all perspectives can be part of the conversation tomorrow, that no one is going to be banned from attending the walk , and that free speech will be respected fulfills the promise of public history. I am very excited about tomorrow ‘s program as it builds upon our good work with Jill Titus at CWI last June. Pete
Hi Pete,
So glad to hear that you are leading another tour tomorrow about the enslaved at Gettysburg. Hope you have a good turn out. Thanks to the NPS for helping to make this possible. It's so important to tell these stories on site not as a sideshow to the experiences of the soldiers on both sides, but as an integral part of understanding how the battle unfolded and its broader significance.
Wish I could be there with you on the field.