George C. Lamb

George C. Lamb, son of Harriet Lamb, was born a free "negro" in 1834 within Fairfax County.

Before Lamb served in the 17th VA Infantry, it was said that he served in The Fairfax Rifles which was formed by Dulany on December 1, 1859. The Fairfax Rifle Rangers were attached to the 60th Regiment VA Militia and stationed in a barracks on Prince Street, which was near Fairfax Street. Lamb served as a Body Servant to Capt. William H. Dulany of the 17th Virginia Infantry, until Dulany was reportedly wounded and disabled in July 1861. Even with Dulany out of commission, Lamb stayed with the Confederate Army and received a Confederate pension.

Lamb was one of six known black confederates who served with the Confederacy from Fairfax County. The other five being: Edward Chiles, Elijah Cole, Lindsay Ford, Robert M. Gofney and William Lee. More information about this can be found in William Page Johnsons' book, Brothers and Cousins: Confederate Soldiers and Sailors of Fairfax County.

Lamb came from a poor family, but like the other black men who join the Confederacy, only seemed to join for one of two reasons. Either they were forced to accompany their masters or they joined to advance their status. To go from a poor slave or former slave to a freed man witha little more money in his pocket was a crucial pull factor to the Confederate Army. While this pulled in a handful of black men, the majority of African Americans during this time did not join the Confederate Army, and for those who did pensions were not guaranteed. Freed men like Lamb only served to advance their status and gain the Confederate pension that was promised at the end of the war.

It wasn't about being honorable or fighting against for freedom; these men would have left the South if they could. For the black men of the South who served in the Confederacy, it was about taking the opportunity to better their lives for the future. More information about this can be read in Robert Scott Davis' journal article, "Near Andersonville": An Historical Note on Civil War Legend and Reality.

The fact that Lamb and a handful of other freed black men willingly joined the Confederacy was not because they supported slavery or because they liked Southern oppression, but because it was an opportunity for the black men stuck within the confines of the South to raise their status and earn some money.

A Man of Honor?