The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1863-10-20
From the list. Iowa Colored Regiment.

From the LIST. Iowa Colored Regiment.
Re-" The following letter is from ED-
WARD HERNDoN, better known as Capt.
Lees contraband, The letter is written
plainly, the words generally spelled cor
rectly, and the punctuation is quite cor
rect There are some faults OF gram
mar, but not so many or so grievous as
we have noted in many letters from men
of reputed intelligence. And yet this
poor negro was compelled to learn his
letters secretly, from books borrowed
from his misress's children, and was
several times whipped because caught
with book in his hand. Nearly all that
he has learned he has acquired since he
came to this County, only two years
since. And yet there are great, stupid,
ignorant loafers, who can scarcely write
their names, who will curse the negro
because he isn't human" and "you
can't learn him anything
CAMP LINCOLN, KEoKUK, 1owAJ
October llth, 1863
Mr., Wa, SAMPSON A few DAYS ago
| received an honorable letter from your
kind self and some of the rest of nv
friends, there about Independence, and
| considered it quite display of honor,
for which you all have my hearliest
thanks. | will now give my reason for
not wiring you before. We had not
been mustered, and was expecting the
mastering off er every day, so | thought
that | would not write until | knew for
certain what was what | am now han
py TO say that | can send you these lines
without any uncertainty about the COM
pany belong TO. We were mustered
in TO day, which is the 1lth day of Oc-
tober, 1868. There were six companies
mustered in, averaging about 81 men 10
each company, and there was 90 who
called themselves the battery men. The
six companies were all nicely clothed in
Uncle Sans uniform yesterday, and
know il would have done any Union
eyes good TO have seen us this morning,
every man with clean shirt, drawers.
socks and new shoes, also dress coats,
!, pantaoons, hats and overcoats. If they
will allow me TO Judge for the companies
| would say that do not believe that
any regiment Of United States Infantry
has ever worn any nicer uniform than
the one we received yesterday. Howev-
er, must make few remarks here be-
fore | proceed any further with my good
thanks TO our great government 1t
may be possible that our uniform looks
better on us than it would on a white
| regiment, at any rate guess it feels bet
ter on the majority of the boys, for ma
ny of them had on little or nothing until
they got their uniform. presume you
have heard that the officers were to have
a premium for every man enlisted BY
them, and the premium was to be 50,
{ and II was all true enough And the of
ticers thought so much of us that when
we were mustered in this morning they
gave US the two dollars ; so each one OF
US received two dollar bill this morn
, ing when we were mustered in
Der. l2rH.-l have but little time to
write as will soon be obliged TO come TO
close for roll call Since | wrote YOU
last have been appointed Orderly Ser
geant OF Company A. Some Of The bows
are quite unruly SO have my hands full
% see that things are kept straight. There
is only one Of Company AS commits
stoned officers commanding tie compa.
ny at this time Our Captain, Joseph
Ferlice, is commander of the barracks,
4 aud 1t. Williams has command of Com
pany A. There is 81 men in tho com
pany, including 5 sergeants, corporals
and 2 musicians. We have only one
. man sick in the hospital at this time, and
: he has the lung fever We have Is sick
in quarters, but they were all able to be
, in the ranks when we were mustered in,
but two. We have been furnished with
; some school books, and a number of the
men are learning very last | put my.
: self to considerable trouble 10 find out
something about the situation Of the
company's education and pieiy, and |
find II to be as follows: 9 church mem
bers, 4 seekers and 70 pro aners. 5 that
r can write, Is read, Is spoilers, and 90
} who have just learned their letters. We
have one Of the best Iieutenants that ey-
er lett home, his name is 1t. Bradley ;
he is our regimenal school teacher. He
sometimes breaches and holds prayer
} meeting, and at other times he makes eli ;
| vocational and pious speeches. indeed, be
makes himself very useful among the
men. There was one man Of our regi
ment who died the 18Th OF September
one the 25lh, one the Goth, one on the 9th
of October, and one on the 10Th. We
have suiler. but have no appointed
Chaplain. | was sergeant of the guard
the night before | received your letter
and | catched a bad cold and was quite
sick two or three days, and | am not
very well at this time. Neither OF the
commissioned officers has been near the
company this morning and it is now 10
o'clock. | must now close as | have To
uo to my other duties