Worcester daily spy., 1863-07-29
The Brave Blacks in Charleston Harbor.
FroIy the New York Evening Pi,st


FROM the New York Evening Post
PoRr ROYAL, July 23-Fresh honors crown
the colored troops. SO fully had their char
acter for bravery and reliance been established
that IN the recent assault upon Fort Wagner
the 54th regiment were allowed to lead our
veteran troops, nor did they, to their honor
be II SAID, refuse either the lead or their sup
port On forming them into line Gen Strong,
who had by his sOderly and kind bearing to-
wards them secured their confidence, raising
his stentorian force, cried out, '.Is there a
man here who thinks himself unable to sleep
in that fort Tonight" The earth rang with
the thunder of their "No!" Turning to the
color-bearer, he said SIS there a man to take
his place if this brave color bearer should
tall?" With lifting of hands, and leaping, ard
almost yolling, all through the enthusiastic
ranks, came the response, ''Yes yes!"
GEN. sTRoNGs TESTIMONY.
From Gen. Strong himself. as he lay in
the hospital fur days afterward, suffering
from his ghastly wound, | learned that these
men had chad no sleep for three nights, no
food since morning and had marched several
miles" Under cover of darkness they storm
ed the fort, facing a stream of fire, taltering
not till the ranks were broken by shot and
shell, and in all these several tests, which
would have tried even veteran troops, ''they
fully met my expectations" said the General,
''tor many Of them were killed. wounded or
captured on the walls of the fort. No man
broke till fired upon" The 9th Connecticut,
who had honored themselves at jacksonville
cooperating with colored troops, supported
the 54th in the assault Several of the off
GERS lying in the hospital confirm the testi-
mony of Gen. Strong.
COLoRED SOLDIERS IN HOSPITAL
On the second and fourth days after the
light, passed through nearly all the wards of
the hospital. On the second day very large
proportion of their wounds had not been
dressed, and of course they were very painful.
Some Law with shattered legs or arms, or both;
others with limbs ampulated. Rebel bullets,
grape, shells and bayonets have made sad
havoc. Standing amidst large number,
said, ''Well, boys, this was not part of the
programme, was lt!" ''Oh, yes, indeed, we
expected to take all that comes" said some.
Others said, "rhank God, we went in to live
or die" If out of it and home, how many
would enlist again? With frightened faces,
and some raising of even wounded arms or
hands, all said, ''Oh yes, yes" Some sang
out, 'Oh, never give it up, till the last rebel
be dead" or ''the last brother breaks his
chains, or ''it all our people get their free
dom, we can afford to de- Frank Myers,
from Ohio, whose arm was badly shattered by
a shell, said Il thank God so much for the
privilege; | went in 10 live or die as he
please" He stood right under the uplifted
sword of their brave Col. Shaw, on the very
top of the parapet, as he cried, crush on,
boys!" and then suddenly fell, quickly fol.
lowed by Myers himself.
NEGRO SYMPATHY.
No man can pass among these sufferers, so
patient, so cheerful, hear them express their
desire for a speedy recovery, first and only,
that they may (the universal expression) ''try
it over again.; also their firm conviction that
they are soldiers for Jesus, to help on his war
of freedom for all the oppressed, and not be
inspired with deepest adherence of slavery
and unquenchahle desire Tor the freedom of
their race. have seen much to admire in
them as servants, laborers in the field, as SOL
diers III camp, and on the battlefield, but
never so much in all these relations that is so
truly manly, heroic and sublime as exhibited
in the furnace fires of war.
The sympathy and kind attentions of the
colored people are unmeasured. Yesterday,
Peter, from aplantatiUn seven miles distant,
calling on Gen. SaXton, said ''Gineral, L
bro't load of corn from ou' people for de So
gers in de hospital. Some gives two ears,
some four and some more, as dey be able.
May de poor wounded sogers have t?" Eyes,
yes thank, them for IT," said the general.
Men, women and children by the hundreds
have turned mnistering angels to their suffer
ing benefactors, as the baskets of corn, figs,
melons, pies, cakes, kettles of coffee, soup,
and numberless other tokens of sympathy
clearly evince.