Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1865-02-21
TUESDAY MORNING, FEB. 81, 1865

BYT TYLER s. ALLEGRO.
----------.----------------
TUESDAY MORNING, FEB. 81. 1865
Tae opinion Of Tho soldiers Of the s,my upon
the question Of putting negroes in the ranks
rat having h,en given in any tffoial and Fosl
ti7o fcsu. has left opportunity for great ms'
understanding upon this point. There arc
many ps:soas who really heli.ve that tho army
- opposed to it. This is not tho faot. We have
many ASSURANCES 10 the contrary, but tho
strongest VIC have ye. sssn is the following
from tho 18Th Alabama regiment. The letters
will explain themselves:
HD'Qss 18th ALABAuA REGimRNT,
February II, 1865.
'L;tw' Col. y. H. Taylor:
C1lon.l--With this end paper, which. in
/. great degree, explains iteoli. IL ID the
work Of the enlisted men slons, and WAS hand
ell 60 nc after they had signed it. then sub
,nittsd j. to Tie officers, all Of whom. who
we're present with the regiment, signed it
.;I.c7e ere present for dasy Two hundred sfsc-
tvs man. out of that number you will ses
tina. Gee hundred and forty-thIes sigaed
this rarer and Of that oas hundred and tVI,y
three, aod TO whose names arc Annexed
c-Aas msIAs, there ers eighty ergkt Ise)
men wto arc willing to take the negroes
10 II. ranks with thsm. The officers presbnt
all CONSENT TO taking them in tho ranks. The
man who sent mo the paper tells me that Sc
ver&i moro would have signed it il they had
thought it would have any etfecs towards
bringing about tbe desired object of putting
tho negroes in tho army. Thinking thst Gen.
T. + lie, might like to get all thu inl%rm,
;,ua la could as to TIE feeling iii rho army I'll
The subject, concluded TO have 8 copy Of thin
paper mada for his nse and sbnd It To YOU
'Hth the request that you baud it to HIM
) ,me of the Congressmen seem 20 he very ten
ier-iootsd on this point but think here is
evidence that at least ono regiment means 10
liti5sl independence at any yr:ca. |. ID due
tina. should state that the eigb:y~sisht mol
who nrs willing to lake the negroes into
tis ranks arc AMONG tho best men
IN The regiment, young men If good families
III point of position AMI prop :rty. am eat
lsEot tlas .hsre are two ohsr regiments in
ibis (Law's) brigade that arc anxious 50 have
n.grGes pu. in the army, but OF course can
~. ,psnk as definitely - os my own regiment
There two regiments are the i Ii and nth AL
ALBANIA. send the original p.per, signed by
the msn in pencil, with the request that you
hand those papers to General Lse.
Is" am, Colonel, respectfully,
(Si3ned) "A. A. LoHfusR,
Colonel 18Th Alabama regiment"
eve, tho undersigned, soldiers Of the 18Th
regiment Alabama volunteers, infantry, Sec
iuu tie determ in alton Of Tho Federal govern.
meut to taaliy suljugste Us, oont ,oste Our
jends And property, tree our slaves, believe
The tims h .s como for the arn,ipg ana pntiing
iutU tie Confederate States service two hun
d'eA Thousand (2OO.O negroes, and most
respectfully urge thai Congress psso law TO
shAt eGeci or au,ll)riIs tho President 10 10
,lei's them IN any way that is constitutional"
Signed ny one hundred and forty.ltrse
names.
Hersi e reg ;mens in earnest, and which
means independence" ani which will hot
rsrJait any questions Of tasso or smell either
u ssshd hetTeeu them and freedom.
A gentleman, eve: the Signature of IN the
shelf" writ:a:
"Wh,n loft my home in South Caroline
fsT days ago, tho principal REASONS urged
against placing negroes in tho ranks VIA, tina.
our bravo boys would not tolsrete tho cd mix.
tufs or association, but ell mon wsro willing,
with few exceptions, to lend their sisvee to
tho Cause whenever General L,s though,
tban needed. have just como from visi,
to Bra:ton's brigade and others below here,
and, having sounded almost every man, | was
ploss$a to h,ar thsm So far from urging 40
objection, enthusiastically in favor If being
placed side by side with the fsithful slaves rom
home
Wens,er contemplated putting negroe, iu
she GIN ,n:s with tho oil solIiors against
The wishe, Of tho whites. W. would not ace
sly single soldier forced to fight by the side
Of anesro. But when the regiment is willing
to have its ranks filled up and its regimental
organization preserved, With oil it's gloriou.
nsme and i,mo, by negro recruits, there can
be no objection urged. Every soldier who
Objects to fighting with the negroes might b.
Transferred to sone other regiment. LIT
every regiment fellow tho example set by tho
18th Alabama, and every soldier express biz
Wit hes On paper, whether or not be is willing
to have the negroes put in the ssme rank With
himsslf, and forward such expression Of opin
ion to Gan. L,s's headquarters. The orgsui-
z.tion of tho army can thus q on intslligi,
bly,, and the wishes Of every colder DO oom>
piled With. PREJUDICE governs, more or less,
every man, and though discipline should nc.
respect tho opinion Of tho men as general
thing, set in tho radical change which the
introduction of negroes into ths army will
make, il would DO wiss policy to CONSULT tho
wishes Of the men and respect their opinionr
in this matter. Every anldier Who o!joots to
ti1h.ing side by side with The negroea should
b. transferred to some other regiment orgap-
ICED ron tie wbite basis exclusively.
II Ito army will consent to filing M its
companies with negroes, the efficiency of th.
negro soldiers we'll be greatly expedited, and
they will very much sooner 10 rsaIs fnr the
ted.
We call upon tho commanders Of regiments
to tske tbs sense of their mon, and psrmit
every soldier to give his wishes in this mat
ter. The example set by the l5:h Alabama
may we'll b followed by every regiment -
LIT Congress acs promptly. Precious time is
passing away. Every day now lost is .elsy
prealicial to the country and it's cause.
.N-S~
10 tie Editors Of the Enquirer:
WAsRESroN, Fsb'.y 10. 1865.
Ceutlemen. Will Won plssas piye the an
closed place in your pspsr, and obligs Your
friend, U. 8. BARrsN.
To the Editors Of the Richmond DISPATCH: