The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-06-17
"The Colored Troops Fought No.
bIy."
GEN. BUFFERS GREATEST MARITAL Ex-
pLoIT EXPLAINED.

1t will be remem bered that on re-
cent occasion when the negroes were
assembled somewhere up North to eel
citrate an anniversary, General B. F.
Butler made an address highly eulo-
CYSTIC of the negro soldiers whom he
led in a successful (q) charge upon the
Confederate works on New Market
Heights. near Richmond. 1t was on
account of the action of these troops
that Gen. Butler took a mighty oath
to protect and defend his colured bre-
thren as long as he possessed the ply
steal and mental power so to do. In
his great speech in the United States
Senate, the Hon. Mr.. Norwood gave
the following humorous description of
this great martial exploit Of the re-
doubtable Ben /:
The Republican party has often as.
sured that in the late war "the colored
troops fought nobly," and the Senator
from New Jersey repeated the declara.
ton in our hearing yesterday. 1t is
true, that interviewer with the dread
full realities of that struggle, there is
much of fiction and romantic episode;
many imaginary instances of inspiring
heroism, displayed by the colored
troops. Facts and fiction are lament
ably mingled in inextricable confusion
But there is one exceptionable instance
of daring and death, and so notably es-
tablished on the testimony Of a single
eyewitness, that the Senate must re-
member it, aud it is worthy of recount
ing even in this august presence. l
see that the quick perception and his
toric learning Of this body have already
anticipated my discovery, and would
even now forego the thrilling nara
ton, but for the fear that some future
Muncbausen might charge me with pre-
JUDGE against the objects Of the Judic-
larry Committees special devotion
should | decline to furnish 80 valuable
contribution to his peculiar style and
school of history. ! refer, as you
know, to the Balaklava-charge, made
by the colored troops, at the witching
hour of dawn, on empty stomachs-
bayonets fixed, nipples uncovered
and under command of general of re-
nown, on the 29th of September, 1864,
at New Market Heights. The histo-
riap-who was the general then COM
handing, and who seems to have been
the only survivor of those colored
troops-tells US the story with charm
ing simplicity and with the eloquence
of unbridled fancy. He says, that be-
ing himself in the rear, where he in
tended to remain, and wholly uncer
tain whether the charge would be fee
bly, to the front, or with frantic hero
ism to the rear, he ordered, as a pre-
caution for personal security, the nip
pies of the guns to be uncapped, and
offering up the prayer of FalstaF,
God. keep lead out of me-" he gave
the order, "Clrarge !" Laughter. liz
says that there fell, within u parallelu-
gram just ten feet wide and three hun
drcd Yards in length, tle exact num-
Der of five hundred and forty three of
his coIored associates. or one man to
every twenty and three -tenths inches;
that ns soon rs they fell, mounted on
his fiery Pegasus, like feathered, or
"Harry" Mercury, he marched solitary
and alone to one end of that slaughter
ed heap, and fixing one eye weepingly'
pendent over the dead, and cooking
the other ferCely upon the enemy
the one fearful as Niobe's, the other
glowing like fiery Mars-he rode, with
arms akimbo, through that parallelo-
gram, over that heatcomb of bis com.
panions, to the farther end-his horse
meanwhile dancing minuet in the
benevolent endeavor to find ground on
which to plant it's reverential feet.
This was an exploit worthy of delft
cation. Pity it is, it had not been per-
formed in the pre- Homeric or Hesiodic
age, as that generation, so apprecia-
tive of horse gymnastics, would have
deifled and translated the heroic actor,
and he would nov be enjoying the be-
altitude of hero worship in the constel-
lation of Aries or Taurus, or, happier
still, he and that horse might now be
bright, particular constellation in
themselves, under the proper name of
Equus- anthripos, which lovers, at par
ting would designate to gaze at in the
tender hour "when twilight dews are
falling fast" and renew their vows of
devotion.
But why that humane general should
have ridden that tender hearted horse
over the dead bodies of his colored as
sociates, instead of making brilliant
flank movement along that geometric
holocaust, such as only he can, when
moving on a custom house, I have ia
tigued my imagination in the vain en-
deavor to discover. Perhaps, like Mrs.
Malaprop, he was trying to ascertain
the "perpendiculars" of the slaughter;
nA.ln,,n l. ,..nc Ia nonnnn I'm Cd a IN tha on