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Were there any “camp followers,” women who were also slaves?

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I have no doubt that Black women performed certain services for Confederate soldiers, but I have yet to come across any accounts of women as body servants.

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Apologies if someone else already mentioned this. Today’s blog’s footnote 1 should refer to Eugene Genovese, not Genove.

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Hi Stiv,

Good catch. Glad to see you found this page. Hope you are doing well.

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A quick search found the best article on this topic is "The Diaries Left Behind by Confederate Soldiers Reveal the True Role of Enslaved Labor at Gettysburg" by one Kevin Levin, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/diaries-left-behind-confederate-soldiers-reveals-role-enslaved-labor-gettysburg-180972538/. And the following source mentions an enslaved cook who escaped, while focusing on the Confederate hunt for fugitive slaves (search for "slave" or "contraband") -- Jason Mann Frawley, "Marching Through Pennsylvania: The Story of Soldiers and Civilians During the Gettysburg Campaign," PhD Thesis, Texas Christian University, May 2008, https://repository.tcu.edu/bitstream/handle/116099117/4057/frawley.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.

Best, Lyle

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Thanks, Lyle. I wasn't aware of this dissertation.

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Love this series! Fascinating perspective I’ve never considered. I think that may be your point, Kevin!

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Thanks for the positive feedback. That's exactly the point.

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Paul Semmes, not Raphael, but that might be an error in Freemantle.

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Of course. Thanks, Jim.

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June 29, 2022
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It's an incredible resource. Thanks, Elizabeth.

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June 30, 2022
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Thanks again.

I highly recommend Carole Emberton's wonderful new book, TO WALK ABOUT IN FREEDOM, which relies heavily on the WPA Narratives.

https://amzn.to/3yp1la3

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