Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1891-02-14
FORT AFRICA.
How the Colored Troops Fought In the
Usage Valley.

FORI AFRICA.
How the Colored Troops Fought In the
Usage Valley.
A march of forty or fifty miles brought
the detachment to its destination. In
stead of nest of less than hundred
bushwhacllers, Island Mound, in the
Usage Valley, was occupied by camp
of Confederate recruits, numbering no
less than 900 men, under regular Con-
federate officers. General Cockrell, who
was home on n recruiting visit, was in
the camp. Not until they had gone too
far to draw back did the officers of the
colored volunteers realize their position.
Captain Dick Ward, as senior captain,
was in command. He and Hinton con-
suited, and decided that it would never
do to retreat. The eyes of the whole
country were on the cX-slaves. Mes
sengers We're sent back to Paola and
Fort Scott, to explain the situation and
to gestreinforcements. The colored
troops took possession of high ground
overlooking the valley, threw up light
earthworks, raised the flag, and called
the place Fort Africa. The first day
there was skirmishing, and the ex-
slaves got their noses full of the smoke
of battle and saw some caucasian blood
flow. The next day there was some
more fighting, and the ex-slaves had the
best of it. The third day, tiring of n
Fabian policy, part of the command,
which had been sent out to hold bluff,
pushed forward into the valley and
brought on genuine battle. The Con-
federates advanced and fell on the
little party in advance. Then the whole
force OF ex-slaves was brought forward
on a run and the fighting was general
The crucial test of black courage came
when Adjutant Hinton got 140 of these
ex-slaves into line and prepared for a
charge down into the valley upon the
Confederates. As he ran his eye along
the line the Adjutant thought he saw
signs of wavering.
Better be dead freemen than live
slaves" he shouted with mighty oath
Come on"
Yves comm" was the reply in
chorus.
AS he plunged down the hill the Ad-
jutant looked back over his shoulder
and saw the black line following with
out break. The black line and the
white column met. 1t was hand-to-
hand-the Missouri Shareholder and the
Missouri eX-slave. AS n ball plowed
through the Adiutant's thigh he scarcely
knew it, for his attention was absorbed
by a scene he never forgot. A great
coal-black negro had come face to face
with a Confederate officer. The excite
ment had brought out some long-for-
gotten strain of barbaric battling in the
negro. AS he moved along, his eye
balls rolling and his teeth cleaning,
this negro chanted in his deep bass
voice, slowly and solemnly.
Surrender, you black scoundrel," 4"
shouted the Missourian.
''Nev-ah--by y-the--good-Lord," sang
the ex-slave with all the emphasis of
registering n solemn VOW.
And plunging forward he drove the
big saber-bayonet through the white
made horrible wound, enough to let
out dozen lives.
Still chanting the ex-slave looked at
his bloody bayonet, and then turned to
seek another victim. AS he did SO he
saw the Adjutant's eyes upon him, and
he sang in his deep, drawing tones, ex-
ultantly:
I-got-him-Mr = ton. /
got-,him."
TIL, ex-slaves were armed with the
old Belgian muskets which had been
left in the department as legacy of
Fremont's brilliant but not altogether
practicable management. The Belgian
muskets had been thrown aside as un-
fit for use by white soldiers. But they
were good enough for ex-slaves to drill
with. They had been issued to these
negro companies by some officer who
had no idea they would ever get into
battle. They failed as firearms after n
few rounds, and then their owners
seized them by the barrels and made
clubs of them in the hand-to-hand fight
Ing. When the Union officers went
over the battle-ground the next day
hey found the remnants of forty of
lhese muskets which had been smashed
N the conflict before they were thrown
away.
AS the battle was waning and the
confederates were retreating the Adju-
ant of the eX-slaves saw one of his men
.taggering back The negro had been