The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1863-02-25
INTERESTING HISTORY CONCERN.
ING NEGRO SOLDIERS.
Their Services In the Revolution, and
In the War Of 1919,

The following portion of an article by
J. W. Forney, of the Philadelphia Press,
ON the subject of Negro Soldiers" con-
tains many interesting items of history,
and should he read by all:
Lot us look at the position of the Demo.
cratic l0adnre on this question. Ii there is
one point upon which they most iuduStr-
ously dwell it is that it will bc impossible
for the Government to recruit another large
white army in the loyal States aud, in
order to make this assertion prophecy, they
have oune. AID they do, everything to ere.
ate popular discontent, by disseminating
the falsehood that the South cannot he con-
quered, aud by inccssant camors for peace
ON any terms. They are even ready, as
/ their recent utterances prove, not alone to
acknoM lodge /, Vqlid Southern CoutedCracy,
hut to assist in the disintegrIiou .l he free
States to cut of the Pacific States on the
one hand. the Northwestern States on tho
other to tic Pennsylvania like n captive ut
| the chariot-wheels of the rebellion, and to
! leave New England out in the cold : and
when il il proposed to organize the negroes
! into separate army distinct nom The
white they cry out, oblivlous of their in-
consistency, THAT this is u white mans
war, and that the negroes must not ho per.
mttcd to tako part in it, even if in so doing
they save the white mon of the loyal Stntos
from the bullets of the enemy the privations
of the march, and the diseases of the camp
During the discussion on Mr.. Stevens's bill
| many wholesome facts were cIictcd. II
| was shown that nogroes had hoon employed
in the navy since the beginning of the Gov
ernment Commodore Perry won his most
brilliant victory on Lake Erie with the help
of black sailors. Commodore Stringmm.
still living tcstfics to the value OF black
men in the naval service and insists that
they shall be employed. Captain Wood
hull. also OF the navy, is full of laudation OF
the negroes under his command, and CON-
mendcd them warmly for the manner in
which they handled their guns, Und their
bravery ia battle, lie says ho has twenty
six on his vessel, the Cimerono, and they
are among his best sailors aud fighters.
| Admiral Dupont, a patriotic son OF Della
ware, so wei! known in PhladeIphia, in "A
letter written more than a year ago, speaking
! of the contrabauds of Port Royal said;
They serve US with zeal, make 10 bargains foy
their remuneration, go undeF fire wlthoNt the
slightest hesitation, and, indeed, in our cause are
AS mSenSible TO fear as Governor fiCkens. some
of them are very intelligent"
might continue these authorities, quo
| ting from the lips Of some of our most dis
tinguishcd naval commanders, but these
will suffice. Ga board a ship white men
and black mcn arc in constant contact, and
yet, to this hour, during AN experience of
more than half a century, We have to hear
the first word against their employment.
| have before me, as write, little pam
phlct, written and published by George Ii.
Moore, Esq, librarian of the New FORK Ills
| tQriCll Society, on the employment OF ne
groes i'll the American army o! the ltevou-
ton from which ! take the following ex-
traordinary and conclusive facts:
There can bo no doubt that osrOcs, bond
and free, were in the ranks of the Ameri-
can army during the entire period of the
war, or that they continued to be enlisted
or enrolled in most of the States, especially
as the pressure for recruits increased in the
later years of the struggle.
Graydon, whose Memoirs are so familiar
to the students Of Qur Revolutionary his
tory, III his famous description Gt the army
ut New York, III l1I0, makes favorable eX-
ccption OF Glover's regiment from Marble
head, Massachusetts, among the "miscrably
constituted bands from New England" ."
" But" he adds; "even i'll this regiment
there were number of negroes. which, to
persons unaccustomed to such associations,
had disagreeable, degrading effect
1t is to be hoped that the researches Of
our hiztnriua 2ci.nlars will develop more
accurate information an 10 this class of Rev
olutiOnary patriots. At present, def
cheney must be noted in this respect
The returns of their numbers, it is TO be
presumed, were rarely made separately, rs
they appear to have been scattered through
the entire force or, if made, have almost
entirely escaped notice.
The following return is one of the most
interesting memorials of the negro service
in the American Army of the Revolution
and may be relied on as authentic, as it is
official
A RETURN OF NEGROES IN THE ARMY,
AUGUST "a, 1888.