The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-09-26
UNSWERVING FEALTY.
In the Face of Awful Fate, officers of
CoIored Trnnps Did More Than Duty.

III the race VI t"ihi Iate, oIHCerS OF
Colored Troops Did More Than Duty.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE The be-
ginning of the second year of the war
seemed to promise no end TO the struggle.
The army and the people of the country
were becoming impatient, and TO some ex-
tent disheartened, at the slow progress made
in subduing the rebellion and restoring
peace.
Mcclellan had met with many reverses
in the East. Sherman had been baffied in
his effort to capture Vicksburg. Holly
Springs, with its vast amount of supplies,
had become an easy captive Of the enemy.
Grants outposts, which of necessity covered
vast territory of unfriendly country had
| to be drawn in to save them from successful
onslaught by well-organized and aggres-
| sive enemy.
In short, the efforts Of the Union armies
had not resulted in anything very definite
up TO this time. IL is true, a few decisive
battles had been fought along the borders
| and few other victories had been won all
resulting in frightening of the Union
lines and a corresponding contraction of that
of the enemy.
| Added to all this, disease of various kinds
began to make sad havoc in the ranks of the
Northern soldiers. These soldiers, composed
Of the most stalwart sons of the North, were
now in a climate and country for which they
were entirely untitled.
Accessions to the Union army by yolun-
tary enlistment had up to this time been
free and ample, but now that thousands of
the best young men-who but a short year
before had gone forth from home and friends
in full health and vigor-were being carried
home either corpses, manned for life, or
stricken down with disease, the hearts of the
loyal sons of the North began to fail and it
was found necessary in many States To resort
to the draft to fill the quota as required by
the demands of the General Government.
To add TO the many other embarrassments,
disloyal organizations began to spring up in
the North. These organizations were of in
finiteIy more value 10 the cause of rebellion
than 10 times their number could have been
had they been armed and equipped and in
the ranks Of the Confederate army.
Many commissioned officers resigned and
many soldiers deserted because of President
Lincoln's Emancipation proclamation. The
draft was strenuously resisted in some locali-
ties, 10 the extent that it required the serv-
ices Of thousands Of soldiers to preserve
order and uphold the dignity of our Gov.
eminent, who might otherwise be EMPLOYED
in lighting the enemy at the front.
With ali this it seems little less than
miracle that such combination of unyield-
ing patriotism and magnificent military
genius should be given us AS was found in
Lincoln, Stanton, Grant, Sherman, Sheridan,
and Meade. The story of the unflinching
and unselfish loyalty of the officers and men
composing the Union army who in 1861 and
1862, took up arms in defense Of their coun-
try, at the sacrifice of lucrative business,
comfortable homes and family associations.
will be a bright and proud page in the his
tory OF our country, and one which pos
terity may read with profit.
Among the hundreds of thousands of true
patriots who gave their services for the pres-
ervation of the Union, and who are entitled
to the unqualified gratitude of the Amer
lean people, are a few who, it would seem.
are worthy of special consideration.
refer TO those officers who organized and
led to the front 17S,000 colored men, who
rendered most excellent service as SOL
diers in every Department.
These colored men, anxious to strike a
blow for their own freedom, and seeing the
Governments need of more troops to success
fully put down the rebellion, were clamor-
Gus to be permitted to take arms. They
were mostly escaped slaves, and had been
employed in erecting rebel Notifications,
building gunboats, driving army teams, or
producing supplies for the Confederate army.
But who was to lead these colored men to