New-York daily tribune., 1863-07-14
Our CoIered Soldiers ns Port Hudson.
ndence Of The N. Y. Tribune

Correspondence of The N. Y. Tribune
PoRT HUDSON La, June "a, 1863
Northern papers have come 10 hand giving accounts
of the fight at Port Hudson on May 27 and the part
the negro regiments took in it. The description
given in Tie Times Of the 18th of June is in the
main correct The correspondent of that journal
should have stated that some Of the line officers OF
the let Native Guards are colored instead Of saying
the field officers are black-the officers composing
the field aud staff are all white. The TRIBUNE has
a few paragraphs about tie colored troops in Its
issue of June llth, but they are No far from being
correct as the following which Tor the FAKE OF COM
ment are extracted from Ihe Nsp. York Express.
CoSDucr or THE NEsRo TRooPs.-W lille su occasional
shot being fired before the battle commenced In Its
deadly fury rife as to the In which
the I'd Louisiana black troops would during the conflict
them Gen Banks however in order TO test their military
capacity ordered them the front. The at
they proceeded storm the Rebel position opposite to them
They rushed in body the and siege and
reached the interior Of the fort IN despite Of the opposition
Of large number Of Rebels The presence of the black
soldiers inside less than the probability that the pass they
shOG seemed 10 spirit OF fury
the enemy They lett their guns all points and rushed
the quarter wheie the had prepared to make
hand to hand conflict Unprecedented for 1t fsrocity
The egro-s in the conflict dsamcd aud In de-
Tending themselves they rapidly used the OF savage
humanity. In every position IN which the struggle placed
them they fought with their teeth biting their Asssants 10
Soon however they hsd to succumb the bsyene the tie
ger the revolver aud mercess hand. their thos doing
the work for them with fearful fatality. II msy be here
noted as KEY perhaps other battles that the presence Of
the black troops made the Rebels in the fort almost As rro
the ack In the attack the enemy did not content
himself in woundlng the A'ricsn' OF t0 htndIed ar hnnd
killed when wounded the assault
repeated till he died Finding themselves thus
powered hundred Of the negro troops rushed to
ihe guns, Jumped headons ever the walls and were
saved.
Now, to show how utterly false in every particu-
lar the statements of the correspondent OF The
Express are, j will say that the "2d Louisiana
black troops" are on Ship lsland and their com
commander, Col Daniels, IL or has recently been In
New Orleans under arrest. The % Regiment Lou
sana Native Guards has never been near Port Hud-
son. The coored regiments In the fight spoken OF
were the lst and 81 Regiments Native Guards lthe
name of the organization has been changed, and
these regiments are, by an order OF Gen. Banks
Issued since the fight, now cal ed the lst aud 80 In,
fantry L. 5. Nols, Corps d Afrique). The colored
soldiers were never placed in "the rear with white
troops leading them" No folders, white or black,
rushed in body over the Iarapets and slege guns,
and reached the interior OF the fort Ii Is not true
hat they the colored soSders) fought with their
teeth -" kicking and scratching
To show that the correspondent OF The EIpre"
was not prcsent, and that he was Ignorant of the
actual facts, will only add that the let Regiment
went into the fight with a few men short OF 800. OF
this number 81 known 10 be killed, 20 missing,
and $50 wounded, most Of them severely. The loss
OF TIE Ou htBlu4Cut WAS luiNc hr was hNs
much exposed to the enemys fire. The loss of both
regiments ia much smaller than ii otherwise would
have been, had they not been sheltered by the
woods. From the time these colored regiments be-
gan to enlist men, last August. till the present, the
Northern press has misTepresented the organization
and the ability of coored men TO become soldiers.
No one who has been conversant with either Of tho
four regiments composing the Native Gusrds, 90 far
as know, has ever lifted pen TO defend them from
the malicious attacks that have been made upon
them by many officers IN this Department. as well US
The Copperhead press OF the North.
The colored soldiers have said from the fret
4" Let US 20 into tie field and by the use OF arms
prove that We are men and that we are worthy TO
fight for the flag under which we Were born"
Every man Of them is patriot. lie does not count
the number Of days TO the eud Of his enlistment.
he has no sympathy with bis former oppessor;
he feels an honest prlde ia being soldier aud h.s
no desire 10 return 10 slavery Any orf can ina
gne the Joy Of the colored soldiers, after months Of
drudgery building forte. repairing bridges, cleans
ing sinks for white regiments, carrying baggage for
white officers and all SORTS Of dirty work, when thn
command was given for them to leave Baton Rouge
and march 10 Port Hudson. The regiment the let
broke out ia cheers for General Butler and Colonel
stafford, and marched of spging the song, John
BrOrB.
Tie correspondent Of TIE Time, has told how
these coored soldiers fought the 9Th, and need
not repeat the story here. The uniinching courage
shown On that day has been exhibited nearly every
day since, for they hsve had frequent skirmishes
with the Rebels, and IN every instance the latter
have been iyeu back with loss. Ony last week
one company Of the l, Regiment charged upon
ridge where there was company OF Rebels IN II
rife-pt who had annoyed our soldiers very much.
Tue Rebels were put TO flight and driven into Their
works with loss OF two killed and two or three
wounded, our loss was TIE same. The Rebels len
behind them their supper, cauteens, blankets, DC.
Our boys were much joyed with their success; aud
it may be added that they have been constantly ad
vanclng on the Rebel works, and have Htver eirea
up an inch of ground that they haze once gained.
All honor TO our brave colored soldiers.
Cen Banks has spoken in the highest terms Of the
fighting qualities Of the negro soldiers, aud it is
probable that they will no longer be kept in the
background for want OF Lis confidence.
The unhnching courage Of the black soldier, az
displayed at Port Hudson, shows that we may de-
pend upon him to do bis part III the present contest.
The siege is progressing favOrably and will soon
end in success 10 our arms. J. T. fAihf,
surgeonn-ehsse lt and Sd Infantry. U. s. VO!aaissn,
Corps dAinque