St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1864-05-12
FROM PORT HUDSON.

EOxt1 hCOSON. !
Port Tudson.-C Characteristics of The Neoro
Soldier.- WclLkno,r, men IN commando
Ainnesotians at Port Hudson-Weather
andvegeta'ion. 12ts sat.
We take the following extracts of inter- :
est from private letter written by an Of
6cer stationed at Port Hudson, La. -
'Port Hudson is naturally very strong !
place and we'll fortified the lines are very !
extensive and would Accommodate a rarsi- |
sou of 30,000 men. Almost the entire gar
rlson here is made up of colored troops,
and there are some splendid regiments
among them. Tie object. Of the garrison J
is two fold: first, to hold the river sec
ond, as camp Of instruction where the
rough, filthy, uncouth looking darkey is
transformed in a few months into the neat,
Ftrim1y dressed, well-drilled colorcd soldier.
About one third of all who come here nev-
er reach that desirable state, but willing
|uudcr the new life which soldering re-
quir<s, theyz.are daily carried to garri
son the great sra:c yard outside the works.
''1t is only by watchfulneSs, .easeless
drill and the sternest discipline that any
thing can be made out Of the negro. With
these, he is just what a regular arm = Of
Ger would most dcsirc-a mere machine
subject to the will Of his commander. l
think colored will be just hat their officers
make ther,-good or poor, as they shall
determine. know that he lacks that fiery
and impetuous enthusiasm which often
| makes the white soldier irresistible; but
he can acquire the patient endurance and
: obstinate purpose which characterize old
regular troops TO greater degree than the
white regular himself. 4. all events, my
little experience shows that you can teach
. them to do anything, and it also shows me
e that if left to themselves they will Go moth
r ing. Why should it not be SO? 1t is
g scarcely possible for them at once to ge.
rid of their s!avish habits.
r. '.S There are four cavalry, eight
!, heavy artillery and nine,y-nine infantry
COlCICd iCSA1uCuiS uUh AA tuc SERVICE OI Tue
United States. and more are beng organ
:. 'zed. About forty of these regiments are
a now in this department. Col. Hamlin, q
son Of the Vice. President, has been here a
! long time il command Of black brigade ;
E lie lett with lis regiment (colorcd) this
: morning. Col. Nartindale, brother Of
u At = -, \
ola colored regiment. Our corps command
er is Brigadicr General Ullmann. Of New
. York Know Nothing notorie,y. The enc
r enly holds Tie country On both sides of the
liver, close up to our picket lines, end skir
+ mishing frequently occurs. We are quite
likely TO have warm work bef re breakfast
3 almost any morning.
; There are good many Minnesotians
e. ''cre-in my own regiment not less than
seven, three IF whom are captains. Col.
I. Edgcrton, formerly Captain in the Tenth
= Minnesota, has command Of the eth u S.
Infantry (colore1.) Our old St. Cloud
), friend, Laughlin, is kis Quartermaster
f Hubbard, Of Sauk Centre. is Captain in
e The 65lh. and Samuel Of Paynesv,lle, is in
. the same company as First Lieutenant
!. The Ninth Minnesota has furnished eight
a 9. of the officers in this brigade The First
n Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Minnesota have
: all representatives in the regiment to which
"a "a l belong. II is the unanimous opinion Of
e the Minnesotians here that oar State is the
n best portion of the country we have seen,
"a 4: and all are coming back when the war il
Il over
N y 1t. is now like midsummer ir
ID Minnesota Although very backward
t, spring, everything is in its g!cry hay,
" on my table beautiful boquet, made up o
" red roses, lilies and half dozen kinds o
r, the most brilliant flowers, the names O
t, which | do not know. Vegetation come
ID forward very slowly, but when once devel
&c &c oped there is a rich dark luxuriance abou
it which we do not see in Northern eli
,t rs mate. My boquet came from the fowe
es garden Of rich rebel. But he is not hc..
d. now: we have taken his grounds for
ct camp and his fine old mansion for hospi
st tai for negro soldiers ~
III