The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1874-01-15
From Buffers Speech on Civil Rights Bill.
in Congressional Record, Jan sth.l
HOW BUTLER cor OVER BIS PREJU-
DICES.

From Buffers Speech on Civil Rights Bill,
in Congressional Record, Jan sth.l
HOW BUTLER cor OVER his PREJU-
DlCES.
Thrilling Description OF the Charge at
New Market Heights.
Now sir, youaTiIl allow me to state
how L got over my preiudices. l
think the House got over theirs after
the exhibition We had yesterday.
think no man will get up here and
say he speaks only to white men
again. He must at first show him
self worthy before he can speak to
some colored men in the house after
what occurred yesterday Applause
came into command IN Virginia
10 1883. there organized twenty
five regiments with some that were
sent 70 me, and disciplined them.
Still all my brother officers Of the
regular army said my colored SOL
diers would not fight; and 1 felt it
was necessary that they should fight
TO show that their race was capable
of the duties Of citizens; for one OF the
highest duties of citizens is to defeud
their own liberties and their country's
flag and honor. On the 29sh of Sep
tember, 1864, / was ordered by the
Commanding General of the armies
to cross the James River at two points,
and attack the enemy's line works,
one in the center of their line, Fort
Harrison, the other a strong work
guarding their left flank at New Mar
ket Heights; and there are men on
this floor who will remember that
day, 1 doubt not, as l do myself. /
gave the center of the line to the
white troops, the Eighteenth Corps,
under Gen. Ord, and they attacked
one very strong work and carried it
gallantly. 1 went myself with the
colored troops to attack the enemy at
New Market Heights which was the
key to the enemy's flank on the
north side of James River. That
work was a redoubt built on the top
of hill of some considerable eleva-
ton; then running down into marsh;
in that marsh was a brook; then ris-
ing again to a plain which gently
rolled away toward the river. On
that plain, when the flash of dawn
was breaking, 1 placed column of
three thousand colored troops, in
close column by division, right in
front, with guns at fright shoulder
shift"
I said: "That work must be taken by
the weight Of your column; no shot
must be fred" and to prevent their
firing I had the caps taken from the
nipples of their guns. Then l said,
"YOur cry when you charge, viii be,
Remember Fort Pillow" and as the
sun rose up in the heavens the order
was given, Forward" and they
marched forward, steadily as if on
parade-went down the hill, across
the marsh, and as they got into the
brook they came within range of the
enemy's fire, which vigorously OPEN
ed upon them. They broke o little as
they forded the brook, and the column
wavered. o, it was q moment of in.
tensest anxiety, but they formed
again as. they reached the firm ground,
marching steadily on with closed
ranks under the enemy's fire, until
| the head of the column reached the
| first line of abatis, some one hundred
and fifty yards from the enemy's
work. Then the AK men ran to the
front to cut away the heavy Obstruc-
tions OF defense, while one thousand
men of the enemy with their artillery
concentrated, from the redoubt poured
a heavy fire upon the head of the col
umn hardly wider than the Clerks
desk. The ak men went down under
that murderous fire; other strong
hands grasp the axes in their stead,
o,.A 81. fe of1F axrso " n
at double quick, the column goes for
ward, within to fifty yards of the fort,
TO meet their another line of abatis.
The column halts. And there very
fire of hell is pouring upon them.
The abatis resists and holds, the head
of the column seemed literally to
melt away under the shot and shell,
the flags of the leading regiments go
down, but brave black hand seizes
the eolors; they are up again, and
wave their starry light over the storm
of battle; again the ak men fall, but
strong hands and willing hearts seize
the heavy sharpened trees and drag
them away, and the column forward,
and with a shout which now rings in
my ear, they went over that redoubt
like a flash, and the enemy never
stopped running for four miles. Ap
plause on the floor and in the gall
leries.
1t became my painful duty, sir, 70
follow in the track of that charging
column, and there. in q space not
wider than the Clerks desk, and three
hundred yards long, lay the dead bod
les of FIVE hundred and forty-three of
81 BY Fthetp GalpFef6ad e6adl TRl and 8h Who had lsffd
down their lives to uphold its flag
and It's honor as a willing sacrifice;
and as I rode along among them,
guiding my horse this way and that
way lest he should profane with his
hoofs what seemed to me the sacred
dead, and as looked on their bronz-
ed faces upturned in the shining sun
to heaven, as IL in mute appeal
against the wrongs that country for
which they had given their lives, and
whose flag had only been to them a
flag of stripes on which no star of
glory had ever shone for them-feel-
ing had wronged them in the past
and believing what was the future of
my country to them-among my dead
comrades there I swore TO myself a
solemn oath, "Msy my right hand
forget its cunning and my tsRgue
cleave to the roof of my mouth if 1
ever fail to defend the rights of these
men who have given their blood for
me and my country this day and for
their race forever" and God helping
me, L will keep that oath, lGreat ap-
plause on the floor and in the gal
leries.