Just a bit of history that hardly ever gets mentioned. [8D]
But here it is, from a NYC newspaper of that period.
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Yorktown. — Our Special Army Correspondence. — Camp Winfield Scott, Before Yorktown, April 27, 1862.
April 30, 1862, The New York Herald
http://www.pddoc.com/cw-chronicles/
…There are among the rebel sharpshooters a large number of negroes, who show a good deal of ability in the use of the rifle - in fact, our pickets declare that the best shot among them is a stalwart darkey, who climbs up inside the chimney of a recently burnt house, and, knocking out a brick for a porthole, sits perched inside watching his chance of a shot at our people. Our sharpshooters watch him very closely, so closely in fact, that he has been unable to reach his den, and is this morning fastened in behind an apple tree, where he will probably be kept from doing any harm today….
BG Ross McDaniel
2nd Bde, 3rd Div, III Corps, AoG, CSA
Surrender means that the history of this heroic struggle will be written by the enemy; that our youth will be trained by Northern school teachers; will learn from Northern school books their version of the War; will be impressed by all the influences of history and education to regard our gallant dead as traitors, and our maimed veterans as fit subjects for derision."
--- General Pat Cleburne, CSA