The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-06-07
"THE COL0RED TROOPS kFOUGHT
NOBLY."
GEN BUFFERS GREATEST MARTIAL Ex
PLOT EXPI AIMED.

occasion when the negroes were assembled
somewhere up North to celebrate an ami
yersary, Gen. y. +. Butler made an address
highly eulogistic Of the negro soldier
whom be led in successful % charge upon
the Confederate works on New Marke
Heights, near Richmond. 1t was on account
Of the action Of these troops that Gen. But
Ter took a mighty oath to protect and dc
fend his colored brethren as long as he pos
sessed the physical and mental power so t.
10. In his great speech in the United
States Senate, the Hon. Mr.. Norwood gave
the following humorous description of thi'
great martial exploit Of the redoubtable
Ben:
The Republican party has often assured
MS that in tire late war " the cOlored troops
fought nobly," and the Senator from New
Jersey repeated the declaration IN our hear
ing yesterday. 1t is true, that interviewer
with the dreadful realities Of that struggle,
there is much Of fiction and romantic cpl
sode; many imaginary instances Of inspiring
heroism, displayed by the colored troops.
Facts and fiction are lamentably mingled in
inextricable confusion But there is one ex-
eeptiona!le instance Of daring and death,
and so notably established on the testimony
Of a single eyewitness, that the Senate
must remember it, and it is worthy of re-
counting even in this august presence.
see that the quick perception and historic
Learning Of this body have already antici-
pateG my discovery, and l would even now
toIego the thrilling narration, but for the fear
that some future Munchausen might charge
me with prejudice against the objec of the
IuIi.iuru (snm,nitfnn,a anacIal IpVnfjpn
should I decline to furnish so valuable a
contribution to his peculiar style and school
Of history. refer, as you know, to the Ba-
laklava-charge, made by the colored troops,
at the witching hour Of dawn, on empty
acknowledgements fixed, nipples uncover
ed-and under command of general OF re-
nown, on the Doth Of September, 1914, at
New Market Heights. The hstoran-who
was the general then commanding, and who
seems to have been the only survivor Of
those colored troops-tells us the story with
charming simplicity and with the eloquence
Of unbridled fancy. He says, that being
remain, and wholly uncertain whether the
charge would be feebly to the front, or with
frantic heroism to the rear, he ordered, as
precauton for personal security, the nipples
of the guns to be uncapped, and Offering up
the prayer of Falstaff, "God, keep lead out
of me- he gave the order, Charge"
Laughter He says that there fell, within
q parallelogram just ten feet wide and three
hundred yards in length, tho exact number
of FIVE hundred and forty-three of his colored
associates, or one man to every twenty and
three tenths inches; that as soon as they
fell, mounted on his fiery Pegasus, like fea-
thered, or Harry" Mercury. he marched
solitary and alone to one end of that sangh
tered heap, and fixing one eye wcepinglv
pendent over the dead, and cooking the
other tiercely upon the enemy-the one tear
full As Niobe's, tho other glowing like fiery
Mars he rode, with arms akimbo, through
that parallelogram. over that hecatomb of
his companions, to the farther end-his horse
meanwhile dancing a minuot in the benevo-
lent endeaver to find ground on which to
plant it's reverental feet.
This was sn exploit worthy of dedication.
Pity it is, it had not been performed in the
pre-Homeric or iesOdic age, as that genera
ton. so apprcciative of horse gymnastics,
would have deified and translated the heroic
actor, and he would now BIO enjoying the
beatitnde of hero worship in the constclla-
tion of Aries or Taurus; or. happier still, he
and that horse might now .be bright par
ticular constellation in themselves, under
the proper name of Eguus-anthropos, which
lovers, at parting would designate to gaze
at in the tender hour "whcn twilig ht dews
are falling FAST" and renew their vows of
devotion.
But why tina. humane general shoul have
ridden that tender hearted horse over the
dead bodies Of his colored associates, instead |
OF making a brilliant flank movement along
that geometric holocaust, such as only he
can. when moving on a custom-house, | have
fatigued my imagination in the vain en-
~ ia lISrnNnr Dnrl,ana Al
prop, he was trying to ascertain the "per-
OF the slaughter; perhaps il
was 10 accommodate the angle of his vision;
perhaps TO test the sensiblities of that |
herse. But conjecture il all in vain. 1t was
simply one of those direct, forward move
nents oyer the bodies of ones friends. 40
,ften witnessed in political strategy, and
Cover known in military tactics that must
'emain moral wonder until lapse of time
sSd oft repeating shall consecrate it as a
ruth, or until some cruel Edipus shall rise
o solve the riddle and destroy its artful
inventor.
But gallant as was that fatal charge and
ieroio and solemn as was that perilous
guestrian exploit, they pale into paltrincss
u presence of the sublime sequel TO this
Military evolution, as given in the simple
tory OF this historian. lie says that having
nished that horse Conrdnto--consisting of n
oupee, then high step, then balance-he :
cunded solemn halt, faced mournfully =
bont. hXed his eyes again as already de- !,
cribcd gave the order, 1Attenton, Cen }
rail- and in chronic absence of the Bible
rev from his holster case a pocket edition |,
the Massachusetts Pilgrims Progress, is =
ned under the Maine liquor law, and kissing !
ru pnd drvoutfy, with his face turned up !.
ard, he administered to himself solemn,
,rporal, and general oath, that so long AS :,
is surviving colorod companions would :
ote TO make him Governor of Massachu
tits, or Representative in Congress. he !.
Guild spasmodically devote the idle mo- :
ents OF the remainder Of his political and : ),
ticial life, in feeble effort to secure 10 :.
lem the great constitutional right to at !,
nd, without distinction of race, color. or y
,4yious condition Of servitude," every the !:
re, circus, and menagerie in the United !,
ates of america and the Territories there =
Laughter and manifestations Of an !
ause in the galleries. y
The President pro tem.-Order Applause !!
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