The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1885-07-02
Negroes 90 Eoldiers,

In q speech delivered in the Con.
in February. 1865, by Sir. F.. Banks.
dale, nf Mississippi, ON the hill To
authorize the employment Of negro
! troups by voluntary enlistment, he
quoted letter of Gen. Lee, which
II is said, las not been generally
published Mr. Bark dale, who j.
mher.eect Of thc 49th Congress
furnished copy of the letter from
his musly files. L. is a follows
Hdqrs. Confederate States Armies,
Feb. Il, 1855.
F. Barksdalc, House of Representatives,
Richmond:
Sir--L have the honor To acknowl
edge the receipt 81 YOUR letter of the
18th inst, with the reference To
the employment # negroes us sol
diers. | think the measure not only
eXpedicnt bat necessary. The
rpcmy will certainly use them
against Us ii he can get possession
Of them, and as his present numeri-
cal superiority will enable him to
penetrate many parts Of the county,
cannot see the wisdom OF the
policy of holding them to await his
arrival, when We may by Timely az.
ton and judiciouS management use
them to arrest his progress. do
, not think cur white population can
/ supply the necessities of Il long war
] Without overtaXing lis capacity and
imposing great suffering upon our
/ reopie; and | believe we should pro
vide resources for Il prolraCtcd
/ struggle not merely for battle or Il
cam lalgn.
} In answer 10 your secotd ques-
( lion ! can only say that i'll my opin
ion the negro under proper cream
! stances will make all ciliciedt sol
with them as the enemy, aud he at
tsChcs great Importance to their as
/ ~i,tance. Under good instructions
do not see why they should not
become soldiers. They possess all
phNsical qualifications, and their
habits of ohedIence constitute II
GOOD foundation tor discipline
They furnish a more promising ma
lcriaI than many armies of which we
read in history. which owed Their eft
fcicncy to discipline alone. | think
those who are empI"ytd shoald Ice
( freed 1t would be neither just or
wise, in my opinion, to require them
to serve rs slaves. The best course
to pursue, it seems to me. would be
70 call for such as are wiling to
come with the consent OF lhpir own
rrs. An Impres~mrnt ur draft
would not he likely to bring cut the
best class. and the use Of coercion
would make the measure dist a9teful
to them and to their owners.
have no doubt that if Congress
would authorize their reception in
to service and empower the prc>i.
dent To- call upon individuals or
States tor such Is they are willing
10 contribute, viii. the coalition Oi
emancipation 10 all enrolled >ufii
Gent number world he forthcoming
10 enable Us TO t'y tie experiment.
! II it proved successful most OF tae
rhio,"io h- = thu 'n n-u'e WON'T Us
..,,.,aI, auI d Inu!v,lA&ts sill re-
mained unwilling to send their ne.
yrucs to the army, the force ct pub
lie opinion in the States would soon
bring out about such legislation a.
would remove ali obstacles. | think
the matter should he left "a tar as
possible to the people and to the
States, which alone can lcgislate as
lhc necessities Of this particular
service may require. A. to the
mode OF organizing them, it should
be LETT as tree from restraint us pos
>ihle. Experience will suggest the
best course, and it would be mex
prdient TO trammel The subject with
provisions that might in the end
prevent the adoption of reforms sug-
gestrd by actual trial.
With great respect, your otedient
scrvent K. f.. LEE,
General.