The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-19
NEGRO SOLDIERS in WAR
STORIES OF THEIR BEHAVIOR DUR
ING THE SANTIAGO BATTLES.
Fighters and Men of Warm Hearts
Better Christians than White
Men," Says One of the Latter.

Il just as soon command company OF
monkeys a company of negroes" a cap
tain in the regular service said at Camp
Wikoff the other day. Whatever the worth
of mis- taste the colored soldier has a high
place in the estimation of his white COM
rade as a fighting machine and one little
lower in his affection as good fellow. A
volunteer whose regiment was brigaded
with the Twenty-fourth (colored) Infantry
through the Cuban campaign said that the
"niggers were better Christians than the
white men,
1--WE had lot of trouble about frewood
on the island" said he. 1T was hard 10
find, and it often had to be carried two
miles to our quarters. Gathering it was
heavy job for our fellows, for most of them
were pretty weak on account of the fever.
The fellows in the white regiment in our
command were little better off than we
were-they were regulars, you know-and
managed to have fires pretty regularly. If
we had had to depend on them we would
have put cold rations in our stomach all
the time.
Say, old man. I heard said to them,
let's cook a little stuff on your fire when
you're through with it, won't you, please?'
"And what do you think they'd say?
LAW, go hang one of 'em said to me.
We amt got enough fer ourselves.
1T was a good deal to ask of man, I'll
admit. Why, I've seen nalf a dozen sick
men wait around fire until the men who
owned it were through, and then make
rush for the embers, like seven dogs after
one bone. But the niggers were different:
they had bigger hearts. They stood the
campaign in great shape, you know, and it
wasn't much for them to gather frewood.
M 4 - e. n~,1
never crowded a poor devil of a weak man
out if he wanted to use it.
s. Gimme a chance at your fire?' the fell
lows would ask them.
Cose,' they'd say. What yo' think we
made big fire TO- anyway. II cook our
w" "That's lust the Way they'd say it. and as
jolly as you like. The niggers are all right;
and I've. got a place in my heart for the
Twenty-fourth Infantry l tell YOU.
The men tell many instances of like kind
nesses. They do not begrudge credit to the
colored soldiers for their bravery through
the campaign. And the negroes appreciate
this show of good feeling. Why one of
them said, not long ago, them Rough Rid
I've siep' With en-; I've ut with EN-; an
feel as If was one of en-.
A REGULARS STORY.
A regular who came into close contact
with the Ninth Cavalry (colored) said:
II remember once we were standing in the
bushes along the trail when the Ninth came
by us. The men were in great spirits
laughing and talking, though the fight was
just a little way before them.
Hello. boy one big fellow yelled to me.
ANY fruit on the trees round yere?
Il amt seen any, a man behind me
says. An 1 amt lool1n' for any-not in my
state
We'll, the niggers burst out Laughing, and
they kept it up-'haw, haw, haw?
n fr11if I
oh, sharpshooters, says the big man
that spoke to me. 'Haw, haw. haw? I've
heard they found some."
1t has often been said that negro regi-
ment must be well differed and well
pushed" or 1t will not give good account
OF itself on the firing line the white pri-
Yates at Montauk, however, seem to think
that the niger is lighter for the pure
In the trenches at San Juan" said a
volunteer corporal, 1.-The Twenty-fourth re-
lieved us and we them. Lying in the
trenches there was hard and nervous work,
and it was happy time for the squad when
the relief came. I've heard our men kick
when they had to. go into the fight again,
but 1 never heard a colored soldier do it.
1t was coming hard one evening, and L
guess the colored fellows knew it, and
thought we might need a little support,
though things hadn't got critical at all Ali
at once l was startled by two big men
scrambling in nearly on top of us. They
what the -? the man was with
began,
:. All right, boys, uon get sea ed. IL s
all right We thought yo might want a
niggah err two an we come up t see
:" Come up said l. over the hill? The
bullets were skimming over our trenches,
you know, and sweeping the top of the
hill, behind which the reserves were lying.
. 'Cose, we didn't come no how else
says one. There was three of us stated
=" Where's the other one?' says L.
we carried him back says they, AN
come on az in.
A BRAVE ACT
This volunteers comrade told the story of
negro sergeant whose name he did not
know.
1T was in that same fight" said he,
"and as bunkie here has told you, we took