Robert L. Schuyler wrote:

 

> Small numbers of slaves (free African Americans ?) served in the 

> Confederate Army right at the end of the war. Are there any groups 

> of their descendants who are organized or do reenactments?

 

The Confederate Congress, after much rancorous debate, authorized the
enlistment of slaves as soldiers in mid-March 1865, about three weeks before
the evacuation of Richmond, and about four weeks before Appomattox. Robert
E. Lee had urged the government to take this action and offer emancipation
in return for military service, but in the end the C.S. Congress did not
include that provision, explicitly saying that nothing in the legislation
was intended to change the pre-existing relationship between those slaves
and their masters.

 

As I recall, two companies (i.e., a "paper" strength of about 200 men) were
formed from African American men who had been working in military hospitals
in Richmond. I do not believe that any muster rolls exist from those units,
nor have I seen any organizations of descendants of those men.

 

Andy Hall

Dead Confederates Blog

http://deadconfederates.wordpress.com/