Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-12-10
HAM.
l6th Va. Vol. Inf.
Camp Haskell,
Macon, Ga, Dec. j, '9S.

days and not an enlisted man has been
allowed beyond the camp limits on
pass. There are many among the men
who incline to the belief that this |
Wholesale arrest OF the entire regiment |
is not for the reason that some thirty |
CT forty enlisted men, without the |
knowledge of their company command |
ers, took their rifles out of camp on the |
Saturday night of their arrival into
this city; aud for which they have
been tried by a summary court and
fined but it is the first opportunity
some blindly prejudiced sfficer has he'd
presented him. 70 punish the men for
thci- point blank refu ial to drill under
white officers, that memorable day at
Camp Poland. until they were given
positive assurance that the objections
ble officers would resign or the regi-
mens mustered out.
THE WORK OF DIsARMINGs
To dlssrm the men, subterfuge had
to be resorted TO. The men, before
stacking arms were told that they were
TO be given the ,Krngg-Jorgensan no aga
zine rifle. AMER they had willingly
stacked their arms, and the arms re-
l
placed under arrest. Any old pretext
was to be made es the cause for dis
arming and placing under arrest the
entire regiment, SO "mutiny" Is given
as the charge. Why not have an inye 3
tigaiion? One is courie5.
While the incarceration is only
quasi. the men being allowed full lib
erty t. anywhere within the camp linn
its ard to the Y. NJ. &. A. tent, yet this
is felt keenIy by the men, many of
whom gave up decent Jobs, left com
sfortable homes aud families. and sac
riced personal liberty in response 20
their eountry's call in her hour of sore
distress and need.
A CHEERFUL VIEW TAKEN.
Notwithstanding the injustice Of this
arrest and the inGigniuy and humllia-
ton to which the men have been sub
jected, the more discreet among them
keep up a cheerful air, and try tn en-
courage the more Respondent, SO dur
ing the long evenings after the days
sduties are done, at the blazing camp
fires, tales are told, songs sung and for
the time being all are oblivious to
trouble.
Last Saturday. the colored officers
were summoned to appear before Gen.
Mckee, brigade commander. Capt.
B.sA. Graves acted as spokesman for the
officers. In his remarks which were
forcible, he expressed the sentiment
of every Negro in the regiment He
gave brief history of the colored VOL
J unteers of Virginia, taking occasion to
inform Gen. Mckee that in the entire
history of the organization, not one
white officer ever volunteered his servi-
ces for the good OF the service, nor had
the prejudiced white press ever aided
or encouraged the Negro militia, on
J the contrary, whenever the men pa
raded they were made the subject OF
Jest and ridicule. Even in speaking of
an officer quotation marks were used
when his title was given.
: MONEY AND THE WHITE OFFICERS.
.. The good or efficiency of the service
was never thought OF in those days,
+. for then there was no pay attached to
it, out now that everything was
changed, dollars and cents cut bis
, figure in the eyes OF some who wish to
! see the efficiency of the service inn
proved.
Continuing, he said that the Sixth
Virginia was made up of men whC
moved 10 the higher walks of life,-
skilled laborers, mechanics, artists, ex
pert accountants, successful merchants
f. lawyers, doctors, Journalists, teacher
and preachers. and not fhe rif raft ele
ment of which the Immunes, our ers
while guards we're. These men ha(
: left comfortable homes and devoteG
a families to fight, If need be for Nation
al honor and the cause of suffering hu
mainly, After Capt. Graves remar K
: which must have been made favora
u !. BILE impression, the other officers ad
: dressed the General.
III A STRONG STATEMENT.
Each and every one was careful t
give him 90 understand thai the me-
were not insubordinate, that there wa
a no desire on the part OF che men to b
= mustered out, nor was there a mutt
\ nous spirit stalking through the reg
lment, that refused to be downed, bu
that the men had come into servic
with the distinct understanding tha
they would be differed by colored me
and until the terms upon which tn
men enlisted were complied with
b there would be trouble as to what Eh
N result of this conference will be re
mains TO be seen.
h 1t is hard TO see why self respectin
white men should try to force them
> selves upon Negroes who do not wis
II them, unless they are men whose pei
II
employment forces them TO this. Sur,
ly this could not have been the condi
tion of affairs of the white men VIII
N have, and who are anxious to acceI
" commissions in the Sixth Virginia.
)0i TIE PECULIAR MIXTURE.
"a But the want of money makes eve
~ the best people cast to the vino
q all Thoughts OF social equality, amalg,
al nation, miscegenation, mixed school
~ mixed companies, mixed regiment
~ ia short, black and tan OF any kind ju
" so they "put money in their purses.
40 The men of the Sixth were well drille
~ and excellently disciplined before IL
advent of the white officers in the
10 midst. This high order of discipliI
" still exist in the LIST Battalion of whiC
~ the soldierlY Major J. B. Johnson is
90 charge and where all the officers a
% colored, but not so with the Secor
II al nH -