Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-10-28
Negro Troops---Leslie Coombs Falls.
living the Record

We have been permitted to perusc
letter from n Muscaline soldier at Nor
|ganza, La, in which reference is mad,
to an article published in the st. Louis
| Republican, Sept. 2Sth, headed: "a
Military Despotism-The Consequences
of Lincoln's Re-Election-Th Purpose
of Employing Negro Troops to KEEP
White People in Subjection-The par
TALLY now shown them over White
! Troops" This article is signed by Les
lie Coombs, the somewhat notorious
Kentucky sympathizer, and purports to
| give the observations and views of a
soldier at Morganza Bend, who writes
under date of Sept. 5th
1--WE are strongly fortified here, but
now they are completed, they are pour
| ing negro troops into them. Uncle Sam
| is getting very partial to the niggers.-
They are going around here with the
incest blue uniforms and white collars.
In few days from now l expect q Mig
ger can vote and white men can't"
Referring to this infamous extract,
our soldier friend writes:
AS to the partiality shown negro
troops, the graveyard tells the truth,
other places l could mention. The
negro troops that left st. Louis last
March and April, for Port Hudson and
below, now number about four hundred
to the regiment, or less, not more. They
were full, strong regiments when they
came down. They have been working
on the forts at Port Hudson and here
ever since they came down. The negroes
built this fort.
One would think by reading the letter
from NorganZa Bend that the white
troops built the fort and the colored
troops looked on. 1t was just the reverse
the black troops built the fort and the
whites looked on. Why was it thus -
will tell you: Gen. Candy was organ
ling his troops for active operations,
and wanted every available soldier
| Raw troops are not considered soldiers,
| tney must practice drilling, &c. The
weather was very warm. White men
! travel faster than blacks. Blacks work
the best in a warm climate. Now you
| have it. The fort at Morganza was built
| by black men. When we had the scare
| Tor Il few nights the white troops worked
at night.
As for negroes going around here with
white collars, and partiality shown to
negro troops, don't See it. Negro sol
diers draw the white wool shirts-most
of the white troops draw the gray shirts
(much preferred in the army, or any
where else) aud the grave yard tells
who has done the duty, the work, III
this unhealthy place. As to voting
| there are some negroes much more ell
titled to vote, both as to their intellect
and good, sound Union principles, than
some Of the seccsh sympathizerS i'll tiit
Union army, but l am happy 90 say
that they are few, very few, who vii
not support the present administr ation
If black men can build forts can,io
they, with proper instruction, de!en6
them? If we are TO fight for the hex
ten years, let Us get black men as sonl
as possible, learn them their duties a
soldiers, let our noble white men return
TO their families and homes, and let At
black be the soldier, as is his delight.
Copperheadism is the same every
where. Ii lies about the fighting quail
ties OF the negro and endeavors t
. increase the prejudice already existin:
against the black man. The only rea
son for this is, every negro i'll the Ian,
is in favor Of the Union and wishes tn
shareholders rebellion crushed.