Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-03-02

Army OF tie kepubl1c, y. u.
Adiutant of the Post, and who had oeen
an officer in one Of the regiments OF COL.
ored soldiers, was detailed to prepare ana
read an essay on sColored or Negro Soi.
diers," and the reading of it was assigned
for Friday evening of last week, but IN
consequence Of the wish of many OF the
/ comrades and their friends to attend the
BAPTIST Fair and Festival, the reading OF
the ESSAY was deferred until last (Friday)
evening.
He commenced by abiding to the diff
ficulty under which the negroes were al
lowed to serve in the army for the sup
preston of the rebellion, stating that Gen.
Hunter at Hilton Head, in the spring OF
1852, was the first to openly organize coll
ored men as soldiers Immediately upon
information of his action being received
a resolution of inquiry was introduced in
Congress. To this resolution Secretary
Stanton replied, stating that no regiment
Of fugitive slaves had been organized bat,
that there was a fine regiment of persons
whose late masters were fugitive rebels,
etc. Gen. Butler after causing the re.
moval of Gen. Phelps in July 1862, for or
ganizing colored regiments, four weeks
after Welded and called for colored vol
unteers. During the same month jeff
Davis "outlawed" Gems. Hunter, Phelps
and Butler and all commissioned officers
of colored troops. After McClellan's defeat
in July, 1862, objection to this class of citi-
zens began to be waived and Congress
authorized the enrolment of all able
bodied citizens.
In January, 1868, Gov. Andrew, by au.
thority of Secretary Stanton, organized
the 54th and 55th Regiments of Massa-
chusetts Infantry, composed of oolored
troops, and few months after two col
cred regiments were raised in New York
City by the Loyal League. At first the
pay of the officers and men were limited
to ten dollars per month, but finally they
were allowed and received the same pay
as the officers and men of other regiments.
Early in the summer of the same year the
j United States commenced the organizes
ton of colored regiments. A board Of
officers was detailed to examine the ap-
plicants for commissions, and before this
board the speaker appeared for examine
ton. This was his first connection with
} this branch of troops, and in reference to
the examination he narrated an amusing
anecdote of Surgeon, who answered the
question of how he would cause his
patti ents to perspire in the shortest pos
sible time, promptly answered, "by send
ing them before this board for examine
ton"
AS the result of the examination he
was commissioned by the President a Lieu
tenant in the 9th Regiment of United
States Colored Troops and ordered to re-
port at Camp "Wm. Penn" near Phila-
delphia There in the mess room he met
his future comrades, officers coming from
more than a dozen different States, Yam
KEGS, Pennsylvanians and Germans, while
the privates were mostly from Pennsyl-
vania, Maryland and Delaware. Most of
these privates could both read and write,
and nearly all could sing, and of course
could dance. The prevalent idea was
soon dispelled from his mind that the
race was dull and stupid and fit only for
slaves.
From here, after some time passed in
drilling, ordered to the "seat of
war;" and were the first regiment of
negro troops to march through the streets
of Philadelphia, and take refreshments at
the celebrated Volunteer refreshment
rooms We embarked on board of trans.
ports and were landed at Fortress Mon
roe, and arrived at Yorktown on a Sun
day morning and encsmped on or near
the battlefield where Lord CORVALLIS
surrendered to Gen. Washington in the
war of the revolution. A contraband
camp, established by Gen. Butler, was
near by, and also regiment of Infantry,
the fourth, mainly from Baltimore and
vicinity. With this regiment, we alter
uately guarded the contrabsnd camp.
The post was commanded by Gen. Wistar,
who at first was not favorably disposed
toward our regiment, but after seeing the
discipline, etc, of the men, changed his
opinion, and had the manliness to &C.
knowledge it.
After detailing the daily routine of
drills, and the discomforts of camp life
during a rain storm, he gave an account
of call to arms on Sunday morning,
when the regiment was formed into line
and the order to march given, the orders
and line of march and advance of the
regiment was described, and he stated
that at night it was found that there were
no stragglers, but that the regiment was as
intact and as perfect as when formed in
the morning. The next day they re-
turned guarding a party of rebel prison
ers that had been captured by force of
our cavalry. After this they encountered
the ordinary experiences of soldiers, with
the varied pleasures and discomforts of
camp life.
| 1t may not be generally known that
Gen. Butler, in the winter of 1S63-64,
while Lee and Meade were encamped on
the Rapidan, made a determined at
tempt to capture Richmond, but such
was the fact. February 9Th, having six
days rations and seventy rounds of am
munition, they broke camp and marched
to Williamsburgh, other regiments &C.
companying and following them. Here
the General Orders were announced, Ia
copy of which was read). "Then." to use
Adjt Gouldings's language, ''they knew
something was up." He gave detailed
description of the march to Baltimore
Cross Roads, sixteen miles from Rich.
mond, of the intention to surprise the
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