<P> Choctaw Confederate battalions were formed in Indian Territory and later in Mississippi in support of the southern cause . The Choctaws, who were expecting support from the Confederates, got little . Webb Garrison, a Civil War historian, describes their response: when Confederate Brigadier General Albert Pike authorized the raising of regiments during the fall of 1860, Creeks, Choctaws, and Cherokees responded with considerable enthusiasm . Their zeal for the Confederate cause, however, began to evaporate when they found that neither arms nor pay had been arranged for them . A disgusted officer later acknowledged that "with the exception of a partial supply for the Choctaw regiment, no tents, clothing, or camp and garrison equipage was furnished to any of them ." </P> <P> With so many white males conscripted into the army and roughly 40% of its population unfree, the work required to maintain a functioning society in the Confederacy ended up largely on the backs of slaves . Even Georgian governor Joseph E. Brown noted that "the country and the army are mainly dependent upon slave labor for support ." African American slave labor was used in a wide variety of logistical support roles for the Confederacy, from infrastructure and mining, to teamster and medical roles such as hospital attendants and nurses . </P> <P> The Confederacy did not allow African Americans to join the army, including both free blacks and slaves . The idea of arming the Confederacy's slaves for use as soldiers was speculated on from the onset of the war, but such proposals were not seriously considered by Jefferson Davis or others in the Confederate administration until late in the war, when severe manpower shortages were faced . Gary Gallagher says, "When Lee publicly advocated arming slaves in early 1865, he did so as a desperate expedient that might prolong Southern military resistance .". After acrimonious debate the Confederate Congress agreed in March, 1865 . The war was nearly over by then and very few slaves ended up being enlisted before the Confederate armies all surrendered . </P> <P> As early as November 1864, some Confederates knew that the chance of securing victory against the U.S. was slim . Despite lacking foreign assistance and recognition and facing slim chances of victory against superior U.S. assets, Confederate newspapers such as the Georgian Atlanta Southern Confederacy continued to maintain their position and oppose the idea of armed black men in the Confederate army, even late in the war as January 1865 . They stated that it was incongruous with the Confederacy's goals and views regarding African Americans and slavery . The Georgian newspaper opined that using black men as soldiers would be an embarrassment to Confederates and their children, saying that although African Americans should be used for slave labor, they should not be used as armed soldiers, opining that: </P>

Where did most confederate and union soldiers come from