The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1863-02-05
Negro So IdEers.


factiously resisting the passage ofStevens's
bill, authorizing the President to raise
and equip 10000 soldiers of African
descent. Meanwhile, in the Department
of the South full regiment of blacks has
been enlisted under Gen. Saxton, Is already
uniformed and armed, and has been ac
lively drilling for the last seven weeks
a letter from our special correspondent,
who is unusually well qualified to judge
of its military proficiency, says OF the
regiment that no honest minded, ,nnpreju-
diced observer could come to any other
conclusion than that it had attained
proficiency in the short period
during which it bas been drilled. We
have, in addition, from an officer of the
re giment, who is thoroughly informed as
to it, condition, a very interesting state
ment of its remarkable progress, and some
valuable suggestions on the employment
OF negro troops III general.
This reoiment-the 1st South Carolina
Volunteers, Col. Thomas Wentworth
Higginson-m marched on the 18th for the
first time through the streets OF Beaufort,
1t was the remark OF many sbitteriy Pro
Slavery officers that they looked splendid
ly" They marched through 5y Ilatoons
and returned by the flank the streets
were filled with soldiers and citizens, but
every man looked straight before him and
carried himself steadily. How many white
regiments do the same? One black
soldier said: ave didn't see ting In
Beaufort, every man hold he head straight
up to de front: every step was worth a
halfa dollar" "Many agreed with what
is my deliberate opinion" writes this ofh-
Ger, "that no regiment in this department.
can, even now, surpass this one. In
marching, IN regimeDtal line | have not
seen it equalled. In the different modes
OF passing from line into column, and from
column into line, in changing front, coun-
termarching, forming divisions, and form
ing square, whether by the common
methods or by Casey's methods, it does
itself the greatest credit. Nor have [ get
discovered the slightest ground OF infer l.
ority to white troops"
SO far it is from being true that the
blacks as material for soldiers are inferior
to whites, that9hev are In some respects
manitestly superior; especially in aptness
for drill, because of their imitativeness
and love of music docility in discipline,
when their confidence Is once acquired !;
and enthusiasm for the cause. They at
least know what they are fighting for
They have also pride as soldiers which is
not often found in our white regiments,
where every private is only too apt to
think himself especially qualified tosuper-
sede his officers. They are above all
IL f.,,t T,,l l,,fx-
from the start. In the best white regi
ments it has been found impossible to
trust newly y-enlisted troops with the coun-
tersign; they invariably betrayed it TO their
comrades There has been but one such
instance in this black regiment, and that
was the case of a mere boy, whose want of
fidelity excited the greatest indignation
among his comrades.
Drunkenness, the bane Of our army, does
not erist among the black troops. There
has not been one instance in the regiment,
though no steps have been taken to guard
against it. The only difficulty which
threatened to become at all serious was
that of absence without leave and over
staying passes, but this was checked by a
few decided measures aud has ceased en-
tircly.
When this regiment was first organized,
some months ago, it had to encounter bit
ter hostility from the white troops at Port
Royal, and there was great exultation
when Gen. Hunter, unable to get it paid,
found himself obliged to disband it. Since
its reorganization this feeling seems to
have mostly disappeared. There is no
complaint BY the priyates Of insult or i'll
treatment, formerly disgracefully common
from their white comrades, and the officers
of the regiment are treated By others with
invarable courtesy and even cordiaEty-
Col Higg;nson, by his military capacity,
good sense, and soldierly devotion to his
duty, has fairly earned the respect which
is universally conceded to him.
1t has been supposed that these black
troops would prove filter for garrison duty
than active service in the field. No i'm
preston could be more mistaken. Their
fidelity as sentinels adapts them especially
no doubt to garrison duty, but their natu-
raj place is in the advance. There is an
inherent dash and fire about them which
white troops of more sluggish Northern
blood do not emulate, and their hearty
enthusiasm shows itself in all ways. Such
qualities are betrayed even in drill, as
anybody may know who has witnessed the
dull, mechanical way in which ordinary
troops make. bayonet charge on the pa
rade ground, and contrasts it with the
spirit of these negro troops in the same
movement They are to be used, moreover,
in country which they know perfectly.
Merely from their knowledge of wood
craft and water craft, it would be sheer
waste of material to keep them in garrison.