Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-08-11
Cotored Confederate Soldiers.
HUNTSVILLE, August 2, 1883.

HUNTSVILLE, august :, 1850
To the Editor of the Dispa'ch:
There appears TO be some question
whether colored men were ever mustered
into the Confederate service. J.. b. $. in
the Dispatch Of the 9Th states no doubt
correctly his seeing company drilling
in the Square between March 18th and
Goth. The records Of the Virginia Gen
eral Assembly. session Of 1906, will
show that towards the close OF that seq
siOn-lato In March, lS65-G bill was
passed putting negroes in. TIE army.
Upon the passage OF that bill and ac-
cordirg TO its provisions negro COM
pauies were gottenup and differed from
Camp Lee-Nhether under Confederate
authority or at the request of the State
authorities | DO not at this late dav
claim 70 remember. The bill which
passed the Legislature called upon slave
owners to allow or furnish If willing to
enlist a certain percentage OF their ne
gro BOYS and men within the white con-
script ace, and / well remember the two
my father had selected to furnish II
wiling to enlist To all who en-
listed. or their families, freedom was
the bounty and q pension in land for a
home. / know also that the subject OF
putting negroes in the army was warmly
! discussed in the Confederate Congress,
which bill was bitterly opposed 10y Hon.
| Il. NJ. I. Hunter in the Senate, among
various others; and ] am strongly in
/ clined to the opinion that the bill passed
the last week Of the session. l am I'M
pressed with TINS idea from the fact that
( n few doys after adjournment / left
/ Richmond in a Confederate ambulance,
/ taking Mr.. Hunter along with me, for
/ Essex county. We left the city about 1
o'clock p. NJ. The day OK the month [
/ do not recolcct with sufficient accuracy
10 state it positively; but l do faithfully
remember that in coming down Grace
street and around the Square cn ro"tc
for Mechanicsyile | was attracted by a
company OF colored men being mustered
or drilled upon the square, which gave
rise 20 a conversation with Mr.. Hunter
ia relation to lis opposition to the mea-
sure aud his reasons Tor hls opposition.
returned to Richmond about the 21ih
of March, 1865, aud was there at the
evacuation. Sitting II q window on
| Bank street | saw Federal soldier
mounted upon q mOuse-cOlOred, rat-tail
horse IA fine one, toO) strain up 70 the
gate on that street to the Square, kick
it open, aud rushing up 70 tine Capitol
dismouuted ana run with all 81
his strength and speed UP the steps
and into the binding, and in a flash
noticed the United States flag which he
carried was floating from the root OF the
CAPITOL. Ii seems others we're trying 81
other gates 10 he the first 10 raise that
hsg and win the prize Of $50 gold, and
thus fellow got it. l never heard OF "A
! single man being shot or killed III any
way, either by the advance guard OF the
Federal army or any other portion L,
white or colOred. But that negro COM
panies were being organized for Coincide
rate (ieid1 service there can be no doubt
A gentleman here has just told me that
he saw one OF such companies IN Peters
burg. Oh, yes, either State or Coincide
rate legislation, or both, lad provided
for putting negroe. in the iield-that is,
regular service and had the war con-
tlnued sixty days longer the Confederate
forces would have been augmented
heavily by that kind Of soldier, for it
was popular among the young negro
men especially, who needed no persua-
sion, but would have enlisted readily.
The negroes had heard and knew Of the
proposition to make soldiers OF them,
and were more pleased than otherwise.
L. II. q.