Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1880-01-21

They magnfied their office. One OF Tn
serceants OF the guard made an nnswc
TO one who questioned his authority, tina
could hardly have been improved; "hno'
what dat said" he exclaimed, pointing Y
the cheyrons on his arm, "dat mean guy
ment I" Whole volumes could not haV
said more. And the young bloods witt
were in the habit of having a loud tim
when i'm town, were always very parucu
lar TO get the countersign when the uar
Keys were on guard.
As TO reliability and general iact o
/ courage, / do not think there was an ON
Ger in our regiment who ever thought U
there,being any difference between whi''
and black soldiers, and the opinion o
/ these men who risked their lives with the
black soldiers, ought to be worth some
fling. The blacks had more to hght io'
thar the whites besides the flag ana th'
Union, they had home, wife and chiiuren
They fought with ropes around tlen
reck.' and when the rebels issued orders
that all officers Of colored troops shoulo
no nut 70 death when captured, they re-
cc;Yod il with grim satisfaction, ana wher
the colored troops from the nor'h ca.n'
down there, they pointed out tins diner'
ence-that i'm case of ultimate deieat, th'
colored men from the North would &c
hack 10 their homes, but the FIRST SOU
must fioht il out or be reenslaved. lhere
was less auarreling among them than
omorg white troops, and drunkenness was
hardly ever known. ou,,..,
rhc question is often asked: "Wmch
made the best soldiers, the northern Ilc'
blacks, or the southern slaves: pr
fcrcd the latter on account OF their uocliily
aud the officers of the colored regiments
from the North, thought their men the
hest. suppose each thought tnelr own
chickens whitest. So far as the haDlts Oh
slavery went, it was poor preparation
for military drill-it fostered habit OF
deceit and cunning that was diihcult 10
overcome, and have often been LED TO
wonder that they could be made what they
were. They were always respectful even
to their old masters. A.
A little incident occurred during the
winter Of 1865. My company was sta-
toned at Mount Pleasant, on SULLIVAN
Island. opposite Charleston. An order
had been issued prohibiting any OF the
Inhabitants TO cross to or from the CITY az
ter 4P. NJ, nj which time the ferry boat
stonpcd running. was on duty in the
city on general court martial, ana had q
boat and crew of my own. One night rs
| came to the dock, n man stepped up 10
me and said rs was about to enter my
boat: "Sir, would like to cross over
with YOU. | am late for the ferry, at
the same time showing his pass. IN
yited him to take seat with me, ana we
started. When about half way over, he
said: "That niger you call Sergeant
belongs TO me-" and began to abuse nm
in round language, because he had run
away at the opening of the war. TOOK
occasion to caution him, and said that the
man was an United States soldier, and as
one of my men, would not suffer any sucll
language to be used toward him. also
took occasion to remind him that 1t was
courtesy on my part that allowed him to
ride, and so far as the man was concern
ed, did not blame him for running away
that, if | had been slave, some OF then
would have woke up in some other word
Our discussion waxed warm. lie IN
formed me that he belonged to the mrs
families of the State, and had been Sen
ator of South Carolina. responded tina
il made no difference if he was of the firs
family of his satanic majesty, and Sena
tor of his dominions, he could not ride II
nv boat. just then we reached what wa
called the middle ground. When tn
tide was up, the water was nearly 100
deem. | ordered the boys to back tn
boat up to the land, and him to jump, an,
lump he did. We went of and LEI
him standing in the water nearly kne
deep. He trudged along for nearly
mile, and about midnight he got som
fishermen to take him off.
He reported me TO General Sicklcs, VIII
ordered me to report at headquarters.
did so, but took the precaution to take III
sergeant along with me. The Southern
er told his story. told mine, and marcl
ed in my darkey. General Slckies read
lesson to Mr.. Secesh, that venture
say he has not forgotten to this day.
During all the discussion We had in Il
boat, the darkey never opened his head I
exhibited any signs of revenge, and yet II
had given the order, he would have CHOKE
him to death as cool us though he had bee
n pig and had no knife to stick him with
While on the march from the upper pa
of the State Immediately after the close
the war, we camped one night at TOW
r called Newburgh, on the South Caroli
D Central Il. II. The men filed up an OLD b.
I car that stood on the track, others being
, the railroad depot building. During {
night n returning rebel soldier entered I
! car and with knife nearly severed
head from the body of one OF the me
I There was tremendous excitement amo
{ them, and upon rushing to the place,
e found that they had captured him. Sol
were for killing him on the spot. The CO
r onel told them they could do as they pie
{ ed with him. They finally decided that
officers should be court to try him. ltw
!. done right then and there, and in twer
l. minutes he was condemned. IL was left
;, them 10 say how he should die. White IN
u would say hang him, but they said he !
been soldier and shall be shot: Anu 81
o nc was in less than two hours after the dc
|, was committed. He wouldn't have live
!, minute in white regiment.
II There Is n sequel TO this tale. Our Col
e ell was arrested when we arrived ~ CnaTI
~ ton, and tried for murder. The Govern
y, of South Carolina did his level best to
a him condemned but fniled.
Ie Most people who look upon the colo
- men of the south say: "How stupidi" W
YES. they are stupid to those who do
~ know them intimately, yet they were {
ID to the Union, and no escaped prisoner '
N ever betrayed by them. They have
" streak of mother wit about them equal
,. any other race of people, and they also hi
NJ what few other people have, such peri
IA CONTROL over face and feature, that few
,r tell whether they themselves can see
point. But II you could see them by tn,
ID selves, you would change your mind W
D. derfully.
4, Ihave often told you the story of writ
y letter for one William Mills, and after
NJ ishing IL, asked him IL there was anyth
ID else. He scratched his head and said:
M "Nottin', sab, only tell dem to scuse
~ bad written"
lie There were hundreds Of men in our r
st ment who had incurred more danger
ie their escape from slavery, than those
be diers who have been all through the '