The times., 1898-04-06


of the troop have taken a keen interest
in the war news for weeks, and all
express pleasure at the prospect
of fighting the Spaniards. The opinion
has been ventured in official circles here
that the Government will utilize the col
ored troops to cooperate with the Cuban
insurgents.
A peculiar feature of the composition of
the Ninth Cavalry is that it was originally
recruited of eX-s!aves Of almost pure Afri-
can extraction, and today retains its ira
ditional color, nearly every member being
as black as ebony. This characteristic
does not obtain in the other negro forces
in the service recruited at the same time.
Many mulattoes are among the other ne
gro soldiers of Uncle Sam. Another fea-
ture which gives the Ninth peculiar dis
tinction is that it was the first of the col
ored troops enlisted at that time to re-
ceive the baptism of fire. 1t had been
generally predicted that the negro would
not stand in battle. The courageous con-
duct of the Ninth dispelled this idea and
gave the colored soldier standing and
rank in the military history
A veteran army officer remarked a few
days since, as he noticed the preparations
among Gen. Coppinger's staff to get the
Ninth ready for action: ''It is wonderful
how public opinion has changed concern
ing the fighting qualities of these black
boys. When the black men were enlisting
at New Orleans under the act of Congress
of 1866, having just begun TO taste the
sweets of freedom, they were jeered at
and it was predicted that they would run
at the first fire. The Ninth was one of the
organization then enlisted. Today that
same regiment is the terror of wild In
dians, and the wilder bandits. who have
come in contact with the fighting Ninth"
during its career on the Western plains.
The regiment has done more desperate
work in its time than any other in the
service. Western people appreciate this
If the Fasteners do not. The Ninth Is no
parade command. 1t was never given
anything but fighting assignment. 1t
was never assigned even for a season at
any of the desirable Eastern posts. This
was not because they are negroes, but
because they are first-class fighting men
and the War Department wants TO keep
their hands in.
Il remember well when the negro
troops were mustered in, - continued the
officers "the recruiting quarters were
opened at New Orleans in the fall of
1866 We enlisted over ,00G negroes. They
came from Louisiana Mississippi Arkan-
black as ebony and as fine specimens of
physical manhood as ever donned uni
form. Two cavalry regiments, the Ninth
and Tenth. and two infantry regiments,
the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth,
were formed of them. The people We're
doubtful of In experiment The Ninth
was at once sent TO pen up commu-
nication in Texas. Since the opening
of the war the trail between Fort Sam
Houston and FL Paso had been closed by
Indians and outlaws. Between these
posts thousands OF the fiercest and best
fighting Indians in the country roamed.
"The trail was dotted by small posts,
mere barracks, which had been deserted
for six years. Six months after the Ninth
enlisted ii received its first shock Of bat
tie. II was in the Spring of 1861 Al Fort
Lancaster. small post on the Texas
plains. The thousands of Indians who
surrounded the fort made much sport of
the black troops. The day they met them
in battle their opinion changed The ne
groes fought like demons. They obeyed
their white officers perfectly, and were
more ready to fight than TO eat. An ac-
count of their conduct reached civilization
several months later and was a revela-
ton to those who had ridiculed the negro
as soldier. From that day it has been
one long fight with the Ninth. Their
deeds of daring would fill volumes and
though their ranks have almost wholly
changed since the first enlistment, the
command has always been made up of
fighters.
''The Ninth remained on the Mexican
border until 1875. enduring the horrors Of
Indian wars almost constantly. Then
they moved into New Mexico, with head
quarters at Santa Fe There they con-
tinued TO see hot service until 1881, when
f 1. IL .l,.,,,
! ters at Fort Riley, Kan. Col Edward
Hatch was the original commander of the
| Ninth He never faltered in his opinion
| of his black soldiers and was with them
in all their hottest work. Why. those
| Ninth cavalrymen would have followed
Hatch to the devil, and though he has
! been in his grave these ten years, the
memory of the gallant fellow continues to
| stimulate the dusky troopers he led
against odds of ten to one among the red
men Of the Southern plains.
From Riley the Ninth continued north,
| being transferred TO Fort Mckinney,
Wyo., in 1885. The 400 miles the Ninth
made overland. just to show what they
! could do. And II was wonderful what
| time these men could make No wonder
! they were a terror to the Indians. for
! they were here one day and 100 miles
| away the next, fighting like devils. The
| Government always kept these troopers in
! action, and as the Indians moved farther
| into the heart of the Rockies OF the north,
So were the troopers removed into more
/ isolated districts. They have remained
! in the North since 1885, being transferred,
however. to Fort Robinson as headquar-
| ters in the meantime
Il recall a hundred desperate engage
ments of the troop. showing their won
| derful coOlness and daring qualities.
! Their latest work in the Sioux campaign
of lS9O-9l marked the Ninth as fighting
command of wonderful energy They
were in the Bad Lands hunting Indians,
| ia miles from Pine Ridge. on December
go 1890 That was the day Of the battle
OF Wounded Knee, where Clusters old
| command. the Seventh. wiped out old
| rvco Strikes hand of Sioux Incidental