Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-06-09
THE BLACK TROOPS IN LOUISIANA.

A correspondent of the Springfield Mass Journal,
writing from Louisiana speaks very dscouragngy for
the success OF the experiment of keeping in the field at the
South large body of coored troops According to this
writer, who to be intelligent person it appears
that the blacks not only less reliable than the whites
in the active duties and dangers of the field but that they
are more liable to perish in camps and garsons and in
other respects much expensive than the white
From his letter. dated at Port Hudson on the 18th
ulhmo, we extract the following
THE CORPS D'AFRIoUE.
This body Of trops organized and equipped by order
of Gen Banks and intended t. include about fifteen thou
sand having their headquarters at this post has
Gently been subjected to several important changes When
the order OF organic 4ton il
the formation OF eighteen regiments OF five hundred men,
with the number of officers in the regiments of one
thousand There already three full regiments organ
zed several months previous Louisiana Native Guards
and Gen Uman had already commenced recruiting for the
FIVE regiments known subsequently UiImaus brigade
These eight made the nucleus Of the
corps and during the and autumn If 1863 through
the channels opened by the of the campaign there
enough enlisted to swell the number of gmen
to about twenty FIVE, and Gen GEORGE L. Andrews was
placed command Of the corps But unfortunately, it
found that the physical qualifications Of the negroes
not equal 10 the bardships Of drill and fatigue duty
many Of them having in them the seeds of old ard surely
fatal diseases brought by the vicious habits Of plantation
life and many 9th being yet young aud immature in
body and marked by hereditary tants 1t surprising to
unacquained with the subject to contemplate the
rbe rate Of mortality ard to learn how many have lung
and heart Diseases broken down by rheumatic sfec
tons, overwok and i'll usage. Thousands died were dis
charged for d. ability, deerted The regiments dwn
died down from FIVE hundred to two hundred three hun
dred; recruiting Was stopped by order from General
Banks which contemplated the retention Of many able
bodied blacks possible the Government pauntions
officers began to grow discouraged; designations became
the order of the day. disappointment the pay question
demorazet the men, All these causes combined to have
| an unfavorable effect on the corps
When the campaign commenced this four regi-
ments ordered to the field To FIJI them up to
hundred each it ecesary TO transfer from three
to four other regmens leaving to each company in the
latter only its officers and Then came he action
Il the War Depa tment changing the regmenta be
and designations to United States infantry artillery &c
and requiring maximum Of one thousand. Very little
remains Of the original corps in the regretu reco
econs Of ts past officers and the formidable Qualifications
s have erected here since the surrender Of Port
Hudson Gen Andrews has gone North leave, Gen
Uman succeeding to the command, and full and careful
inspection Of all the works and forces here last week by
Grn T. w Sherman (who lost leg in the siege of Port
Hudson) has given to Of further change of
commanders
What the future of the corps will be depends now
upon the question of eIpedency will the possible interests
necessities of standing army the enormous
expense Of organizing and dr ling coored troops and bring
ing them up to the standard of white troops As the
OF the South, agrcuuraly called out the de-
mand for labor OF acclmated backs will increase if the
available number is diminished by the requireufents of
large army there will be increased opposition to mann
tanning black regiments The question is Of immediate
and great Importance. To fill Up the black regiments in
this department alone would require twenty thousand
recruits and the relative mortality OF VIII to and black
troops to indicate that it would be better to let the
present black die out and supply their places
the necessity continues from the army of foreigners now
seeking shores Besides this there another
entering into the consideration Of the subject namely the
great cost If maintaining coored troops They are IN
densby idle, lazy upproductive aud wasteu The loss
by snd tear such the expense of keeping up their
uniforms and equipments of camp and garrison esupsse
and all kinds OF military stores agd property promises to
exceed very greatly the corresponding expenditure for
white troops aud it is scarcely matter for doubt that
their services are far less valuable, both in quality and
quantity to the Government The subject is one which
commends itself very forcby to all who have interest
the character and condition Of our national troops