for the South. In addition, many were conscripted by the South because of a program suggested by General Pat Cleburne, who raised the issue at an officers' meeting in 1864:
Since every slave, in Cleburne's view, was a potential free man, he constituted an ever-present source of rebellion within the Confederacy itself, as well as an instant collaborator with Union troops (Ploski and Williams).
This population was now seen as a weakness, and to combat this weakness, Cleburne suggested that the South promise freedom to all slaves who enlisted. Blacks would thus fight for the South to achieve personal freedom and might even assume that taking this action would assure them freedom no matter which side won. However, the proposal was rejected by other leaders in the South as something that would lead to "the total disintegration of the Army" (Ploski and Williams). However, there is evidence that while there was no formal agreement to this effect, slaves were used in combat: "However, the number of slaves and freed black men in
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