Makin' a Myth: Charley Benger and the Myth of Black Confederates

In this episode, Author and Historian Kevin Levin discusses the roles of Black men in the Confederate armed forces during the Civil War. Levin will also explore how the Civil War has been memorialized in the press and popular culture. He adds important context to the recent case of Charley Benger, a Macon Black musician who played for the Confederate army during the Civil War. A Civil War heritage group recently proposed installing a memorial plaque in Benger's memory at Rose Hill Cemetery.

Levin is the author of several books, including Searching for Black Confederates: The Civil War's Most Persistent Myth (University of North Carolina, 2019), which directly challenges claims that scores of Black men willingly served for the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Other works authored or edited by Levin include Remembering the Battle of the Crater: War as Murder (University of Kentucky, 2012) and Interpreting the Civil War at Museums and Historic Sites (Rowman & Littlefield, 2017).