The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-06-03

around among the planters 10 explain the
extreme need of prompt action. The
blacks, of course, would be set free; sub
iect only to the condition Of ten years midi
lary service with pension IN case Of Grip
ping wounds the survivors To Be paid the
ordinary soldiers wages pending them term
o enlistment. There will be no lack OF EN-
ployment for them even after Peace. as we
shall have a lengthy frontier, coast defences,
and Indian troubles to require a considerable
force OF regular soldiers No troops could
be better for Il Peace Armament; since the
African is naturally fond of military dis
play, fancy uniforms, etc; and he is by life
long training peculiarly adapted to drill, to
endure fatigue and to obey,-the three re-
quisites in Regular soldier.
Whether any amount of drilling will
make him fghttng soldier, is altogether
another matter, and need not be considered;
for 1T should be distinctly stated in the law
that these "AuXilllarles" shall never be IN
corporated with our white troops in the
field. They can be utilized TO take the
place of whites who are now engaged In
guarding cities. forts, railroad bridges.
wagon trains, supply stores, prison camps,
and similar service. Probably, near two
hundred thousand good fighting men are
thus employed at this moment, who if at
the command of Lee and Johnson would
quickly put Grant and Sherman under the
cork OF Butlers famous bottle
think, too, the negroes could be used
for artillerists their sturdy muscles being
specially fitted for handling the heavy gun
carriages. White gunpers might be assign
ed each piece; though | know that many
negroes are good marksmen IN hunting and
many of them are our best pilots, engineers,
and tiremen, on the coast steamers. Men
of that class ought to make tolerably fair
artillerists, especially in forts where they
would know their distances and fire from
bomb proofs. It is possible, too, they can
be used fer ambulance and Litter Men.
If we'll trained, decorated with glittering
badge, or uniform, under picked officers,
they ought to be available even in the
thickest Of the fray [ know more than
one slave who repeatedly has venturcd close
in rear of the battleline to carry something
10 his master, or to be of service If Deeded.
True they are apt to run like partridges at
the crack of shell; but after all in this
they simply do what the balance of us would
like to do
At all events, considering the dreadful
pressure of the times, | am for making the
experiment, and, after careful inquiry among
the men or this division (3i( | find not half
dozen in the hundred of my fellow soldiers
opposed to it. Col. James W. Hinton says
he knows chat Gen. Lee approves of the
measure
The reader will not need be told that
nothing was done Congress mumbied over
the matter, uhtil even Gen. Lee himself
went before the committee and with awful
solemnity set forth the condition of his
army-the perils oyer-hanglng the Cause
But DO action was taken. My note shows
that the army,-were ready to accept 'Afrl-
can Auxiliaries' as early as July 1916.
The project was not introduced In Congress
until n November and was esurely debated un-
til March, lS65-One month before the sur
render Even then, IN the last hours OF the
struggle when everybody knew slavery to
be doomed Congress in its Act allowing
President Davis to raise force OF cOlOred
troops merely permitted him to accept,
from their masters, the services of the
slaves, eonhoW any plo.}ge ot Freedom to the
latter!
Looking at the subject, after fourteen
wears of observation of the negro as Freed
man, grow more and more amazed at our
short-sig ghtedness in failing TO use him for
military purposes. 1t IS well known that
thousands of plantations throughout the
South we're burdened during the war IN
raising provision for the family slaves
lounx;ng In comparative id!eness. Had one
or two hundred thousand of the latter been
drafted as soldiers, there would have re
NAMED suficiency of field hands, while
the Confederacy would have had the service
in the battle line of a like number of whites,
relieved from local and garrison duty.
Little fears of the negro's loyalty need
have been eutertained-he would have
proved no counter. part Of the Hindo9o
tsSepoy.'' BY instinct, attached TO his