The Gray and the Black: The Confederate Debate on Emancipation

The Gray and the Black, Professor of history emeritus at Duke University, Robert F. Durden reconstructs the debate of the attempt to force the South to face the desperate alternative of initiating a program of emancipation as part of a plan to recruit black soldiers, which would have sacrificed one of its war aims-the preservation of slavery-in order to achieve the other-an independent southern nation. Throughout his narrative, Durden lets the participants speak for themselves-in journal extracts, newspaper articles, letters, and speeches. These documents and Durden's commentary conclude that when the South was faced with this ultimate choice, they could not bring themselves to abandon their aim.