National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-11-07
A BRAVEBROTHER IN BLACK.
MORE ABOUT HIM IN AND OUT OF THE
CONFEDERACY.
The CoIored Troops and How They
Acted In Battie-The First Troops TO
Enter Richmond 80 Three Cases OF
Heroic Action by Ex-slaves.

have been both surprised and gratilled
at the reception which my last article in the
REPUBLICAN, entitled "The Slaves and the
War;" has met with among my colored
friends In the District. II had but known
the interest II would have created should
certainly have elaborated the article In spite
Of the managing EDITORS order to me that
was entitled to only column and half Of
space. / can well understand the feelings
OF our dark-skinned fclluw-citizens, for,
from their standpoint they have received
but scant recognition In the histories OF the
"great rebellion" from one side or the other.
don't pretend 10 say that l can do them
justice in the brief limit of a newspaper
article, but do say that will do them no
injustice consciously. AS | said in a former
article, the patience and faithfulness of the
slaves was phenomenal, and | reiterate the
statement.
Some of my old comrades have said to
me, "Wby did you write such an article
just on the eve of election? Did you do IL
just to hurt us In Virginia? Why did you
not withhold It until after electionT l
have only to say that the innuendo made,
that was Influenced by the editors OF this
paperin writing the article did, is lie out
of whole cloth. The truth can hurt no one.
have never spoken to one of them about
what ! should write, nor have l ever re-
ceiyed a suggestion from any one Of them.
THE TRUTH FIRST.
But why should | not write the truth,
whether before or after electiong / venture
10 say that, from Fitzhugh Lee down, there
is no officer or private Of the late confedcr-
ate army who will not willingly subscribe to
the truthfulness of the matters set forth In
the article referred to.
But my colored friends seem TO think that
IN that article "dodged the question" IN a
measure when | referred to the fighting
qualities Of the negro troops in the federal
army.
Now It happened that The command to
which was attached never came In con-
tact with negro division. l may say
further that, personally, l believe in the
superior fighting qualities Of the Anglo
Saxon race, whether English, Scotch, Irish
or Germans, for more or less by intermix-
ture they are Of the same breed, and be-
lieve that they will yet dominate the earth,
not so much by their bravery ds by their
staying qualities. The negro troops In the
army Of the Potomac, in Buffers and Burn
sides corps, having had but little ex-
perience In battle, were opposed to the
very flower of the veterans OF Lees
army. There Is not doubt about
It that the troops of the army
Of northern Virginia were terribly exasper-
ated when they found themselves con-
fronted by negroes their former slaves),
and 1t is just as true that when battle was
Joined under such conditions the black flag,
metaphorically speaking, was raised. l
mean to say that the fight was more veno-
nous and deadly than 1t would have been
II only white troops had been engaged on
either side. 1t may be said that in the en-
counters before Petersburg between the
white and black troops, that they
lthe black troopsl were heavily
handicapped by their white officers,
who, us | have been informed treated them
in pretty much the same fashion as did the
old plantation Uverseers in the days before
the war. You can't expect to make men
good soldiers under such conditions. l refer
to the fact that there was not an officer Of
colored troops above the,rank of sergeant
who was not white. The colored regiments
raised from the cotton sea islands and else
where were experimental gardens for the
benefit Of commissions for youngsters who
had never seen "a squadron set in the field"
A DISHONEST DoGGEREL.
There was doggerel going the rounds at
the conclusion of the war to the effect
"The colored troops fought nobly-when
this cruel war was over" but don't think
that this fairly represented these colored
soldiers. They were handicapped by race
prejudice In every way. l want to be fair
general on pitched field Of battle would
rather have had under me brigade of
white men than corps Of negroes-as
things were then.
Why, | recollect that after the battle of
the Crater, In front of Petersburg, heard
from the boys that when the negro division
of Burnside charged latter the mine had
been blown up that they huddled together
like sheep and plunged down into the ex-
cavation that had been made by the eXplo-
sion OF the mine. Better troops might havc
done that, for such a storm of shot and
shell that greeted them might well have
demoralized troops of more experience,
and, moreover, their white officers, II re-
ports be true, from generals down skulked
in the rear. These troops were opposed to
one OF the best divisions In the confederate
army (Mahone's), and 1t is nothing to their
discredit that their charge was checked and
repulsed. And under the circumstances
they did well.
SCARED PRISONERS.
But, as long as ! am writing the frozen
truth about this matter, will state that
was at the provost marshal's Office in
Petersburg when the first batch Of colored
prisoners was brought in, and when they
were hauled up for examination the most OF
them were blubbering like whipped school
boys, and, as they afterward stated, they
expected TO be killed Immediately. When
the provost marshal said to them, "What In
the HI are you blubbering aboutY You shall
he treated just as other prisoners are,n they
seemed to be immensely relieved. Now, to
show the feeling between whites and blacks
even In the federal army, the white prison.
ers stood aside from the blacks, and begged
to be put in a separate prison from them.
1t may be thought that ! am herein attempt
ing to draw an unfair parallel between the
whites and blacks as prisoners of war, but
please recollect that these men were en-
listed and organized under very different
Conditions-as have above indicated.
THE FIRST TROOPS TO ENTER RICHMOND.
Gen. Buffers corps, which was mainly
stationed on the north side OF the James
river, had number Of colored regiments,
and l believe that they charged success
fully some of our outworks and held them.
Our line was very thin in those parts, for
the bulk OF our army was massed so as to
prevent, II possible, the constant and heavy
attacks which Gen. Grant was making to
turn our right flank In the direction OF
Ream's station, on the Petersburg and We'll
don railroad and Dinwiddie Court House.
believe the colored troops fought we'll
here, and to sift the mass of conflicting
reports as to what troops or organizations
entered Richmond first after Lees retreat,
think that the colored troops under Gen.
Godfrey Weitzel may claim the honor.
But enough of this-I think that, leaving
out Of question the behavior of the negro
soldier In battle, of which, as have above
stated, know but little, can give individ-
ual instances of bravery in battle by colored
men mot soldiers) which will show that the
negro is as capable of dash and pluck as
the best man among us.
THE FORT PILLOW MASSACRE.
And here 1t may not be out OF place to
refer to what is called "the Fort Pillow
massacre Gen. Chalmers, of Mississippi,
commanded the assaulting column Of Gen.
Forests command on that occasion. The
fort was garrisOned by negro troops. As
have heard 1t from an officer on Gen. Chal-