, 1865-12-28
THE COLORED TROOPS.
Reports OF AdJutant General Lorenzo
Thomas and Of AAstAtank Adjutaut
General Foster-Total EnlIstmeuts
lsG,O57-TOtal CasuaItleA G8.I1S.

Thomas and Of Aastatant Adjutaut
General Foster-Total EnlIstments
lS6,O57-Total Casualties G8,I7S.
WAsursoTos. D. c.. Od- 5, 1865.
To the Hon- Edwin II. Stanton, Secretary Of War:
SIR: Your special instructions to me, dated
March IS, 1866, required that ! should pro.
coed TO the Mississippi River, nnd inspect the
troops operating in the field against the rebel
forces, 10 examine into oil operations in cot
nounce to the army the policy Of the General
tiuyernment respecting the negro race held
in bondage In The States in rebellion.
reported to you, from time to time, the
condition Of the troops, and their determine
ton to meet and beat the enemy. On the
ations In cotton, showing what frauds / had
detected and the difficulties had TO contend
with IN obtaining correct information, where
by the guilty persons might bc brought to
trial Ny operations In this respect were OF
little practical value, md only excited op-
acted inturiously upon the third and most im-
respecting the blacks.
The present report Is intended to give the
You undoubtedly recoilect that the deter
mination to send me on this duty was a sud-
den one, and the purpose was ouly unfolded
to me the day prior to the date Of the instruc-
tlons, and yor urged expedition as the motto.
The subject Was new to me, and entered up
" .1Ia .a5t a5 1..I' LIN ~ lSnt
ar ee-rios 1ra. St, q T., ,uss ~ ~ lny in'
and ~. ,,e.1a.i'. fa1,i1;ar ~ LIZ ;,i aea.a,,
life, felt that knew the pcculiarities Of the
whole race. I would. with the blessing of
Divine Providence, at least do something to
alleviate the condition of the numerous thou
lines IN 1rofect;nn .o18 "''iAn ou4 1tueass
~ Ta,ta ii;n".a s..+ o, T.. ,.,.
ui,1, 1rh.t .ha, a.iI:a ,e,t.hS san Ia Gnsas.
I'M men women and nh5,dra,, ''addi.5 3te1 ~
n,.thar T., ,ne,,t,e;aa. aa an ~ hnuusG MI -
iirs,"snat ~ ra4Saas Ta,, ~ scfs, ans nsapaess
f1,s eh1s hn1ied 1na,, s,,,1aEoS +, ~ nuu
dana ..1rs,,ts - 1'a carppn5,a.;t cp,o5 ~ X aus
r. lie erIent ther were re.n;red eon nan.a'
tinn I'm ~ mnrt., and 90 -.ttc,, -. 49,
Sca-sd X ,,nrtaiitr o+ tha a. e ,., uay.
.-a,. aat 1saas!a;, ~ pAsSe s1 H III occu
xeIy g1eat, 4peeaaaly among Lne cnilosen,
1ecnl;ar alsaasea o and p1h's smh.aanntIe "s rs
1onnd - ha1e beo, thn nu LIS a. st, a'
;tsd ~ ,a. ~ a. ~ poms1
~ Goir. wse ,,nt ~ = s,ra-,a. ,,is"a ~ the1,s
end thar r"rn soan ro,,pIoj % T. r.innd .St i1' ~
IN in ths W;sssssinn1 r;rcr be1ow tiis n1acc ~
Ia % 7 ee,;a.na ~ o1u" t."aa ,n,s laaIc
,nnraed - .a,,e sT+orty,sa ie't ha1 ~
e1nmcnt and herin~ IN 1ne ~ fhe XXX y ~ ~ Avn
- es1Arsi,., 'sssaa u ~, " " ~ w t oiIM " 1p1n
tist 5sy ro1nrennIe..S - no!r ~, a ~
Thase ,,e~a wars s,,,,soo ~ ,;ont,r wa ~ s,,,rnaS
,,nor ,s ron,. snta +enra ;9,,,ndi n nontsnt
viii la1ee % bodiss @ of trpo1,s @ and thnusaods % of
,,egro..s VIII i.nt - faw Ircant1on. an haI ~
tsl;n,s ns-sda5 nna ~ prio ~. 'u th .ne
hro,;r3,t tee,o,has H - .at - uau .1e
tho,E tha ,,r.a.a ~ ~ na, ~, a1a tt ~
renn,.<tcd ftha ho5r ~ a 4ha troo,,a NO -
ca5f m snch ofthefr canmanders os thev p7;rht
desire ~ 1nslc M address on ~ ~ % s1h;eti
had announced. In this Tav tho r,ews s ot menT
St1oct11 nv ~ ~ troons !y;,I e;nttio aeaan
t;on~fl,e ~ ,e-incnt % ran ch;e.ooWihe S no,;cr.
nm cnthnss,.tI"aiiv - .an,,.aS r. +,,a tlnnn; P
The prejudice avs,nst coiorei froons vas
nnifc ~eners1 ami T. ra1Sfrea n tha 6rs+ in,
stancs III nv 1 nart ~ nnTntnrant a. - M
eeITes. hv their goodness and dctern;natfon
1nnght ihcmse,yes info % 1hc,r @'rs nr.,sant h1ni,
r4uSa;,o. W Is1d;eas 1o'e t4'en peesent nlso
st1ne sa,tHj - ~ hotuse tssasr,t or tho
VOW snotar5s1Sv ~ ~ a;E,,at ,n1iIs ~
t,n1s and hv H. ~ ane,stinI ~ % i cn;r,ona soms
received them pladiV others Indiiarent1r e
s,nn vi1iiu ay,r i;mes n1a 5roI ~ ~ "
n,cIets T.v ~, 1nsa, nn1s tina nua an " sne
rn1,s cssts T.. 9st,,% ;atn a' asa,n' ~ ne
en1tod fo,3n va 49, that ~ .,o,;ys, T., .as
TO hen had lIs Mtn mae HU bnt soa
~ had nnnounccd hv ronr e,,tba.5es = e9Sa ~
vSeEp ~ ~ Psasi,en, ~ AZ rnnrsn5F ~ tne
f1FY n hnfr $f1fyn r. III
nect;on ~ mar tbat ~ aa lh1s ,e S0a
- has, a-1,.a o ,a,t e4s tes e. E. til
~ s+o. ~ aaride tha Her ~ .a. eo nooA
1uIa}c ~ 800 and AZ 5sfai1c% hnuena s oia,a uus,
~ % srrerinteniaents & of contrahand. s M aso
~ ssien. 49, ,ss,.n ~ Io ocuetAh " ~
ossas,ouo, .s,s " gase ne w neasty supp9r1, aoa
9ea va S esG 70 scona !, my viexs -, ine poi
a.y, ~ 4naonssu .s , IT. Nas; t9at AZ oncets
unu M ennste9 a,!, aen ne1s Eqneeo 70 treal inc
nlachs Alna1y' anu eucoufase tnelf seeking
tne pfotectlon o. t1e Troops: 70 &c led and
e!otneo, as iar ns Rossiole, unlA they eo1id
PC ape 70 pto'1oe lo1 lnsmseiEes- lac aplc'
ooMea men 70 % olgaAzeo Mto leg1mcns,
e1cepi suen !aoofeR u were Ieqnfcd IN tne
sevefh1 slaa cotps anu aepet1menta, eooks
lot tne tfoops3 ano se1san.s Ior NE omsers.
a4so Nsumeiy a.u announcea ~ tnat my Queer
sho11s slana u ~ We NY, or oppose tals pol
!fey, n9u.u ~ ~, nS MS a. uls1a'ss ntm IRON
Inc se!siee 81 " oa1ea ~ olaus-
AWA ~ AALA SHoGN kuE LtVDps NJ OOkQuk.