The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1899-01-14
NEGRO SOLDIERS SOUTH.
Or Brave Boys n Blae Misfreated
ty Southern Whites Happen
ings Of Recenf Date.

.ye " ueceHt Date.
About eight months ago the
famous TWenty-fifth Infantry, col
ored, rolled into Chattanooga amid
the shouts Of thousands of men,
women and children, both white
and cOlored, who had gathered at
the union depot to get a look at
those brave warriors who had for
years held at bay the red men of
the West and kept the Stars and
Stripes floating in the Gland of the
setting sun" The black troops
were then on their way 70 foreign
cline to shake the United States
flag in the face of the most warlike
nation among civilized people.
In the latter part of June they
landed on Cuban soil under the
protection Of the fire of the Ameri-
can navy, and from that time until
they stormed the heights of FL
Caney the eyes of the nation were
upon them.
Regiment after regiment of the
bravest men of America (white)
retired, shattered aid torn to pieces
under the Spanish fire, till the
Seventy first New York, the sons of
the blue bloods of the Empire
State, wheeled into line and found
themselves facing the deadly can
non in the blockhouses and the
trenches prepared by the Spanish
army. 1t was not long before the
Seventy-frst, either from fright or
the steady rain of shot and shell,
went to pieces and was swept from
the battlefield. Then 1t was that
the gallant old Twenty-fifth In
fantry saved the American flag
from dishonor and the American
army from disgrace. 1t is reported
that q Spanish officer said to a
United States officer that eff you
viii take the negro soldiers off the
field we will whip the whole United
States army"
1t had not been more than six
weeks since these Chattanooga
swaps" had refused to sell those
brave boys a glass of soda water or
a glass of beer In a tenth-rate
saloon. Although on their way to
save the nations honor they were
herded into Jim Crow cars and
made to ride. as cattle. Chaplain
T. G. Stewart, though ranking as
captain In the army, also was COM
PEELED to travel to and from the
park with his family with the COM
mon herd and not permitted to
travel as a United States officer.
At this writing about ly500 COLI
ored soldiers are encamped at
Chickamauga, twelve miles from
this city. A more gentlemanly
set of I'm re have never seen. L
do not exaggCI4se when ! say that
they are angels when compared with
the white soldiers who were in
camp here last summer. The white
soldiers were a terror to the city,
and it was dangerous for q woman
of any color TO walk the streets
even In the daytime. Many white
ladies were grossly .insulted BY
those .ruf6ans, not only on the
streets but in the stores. 1t was a
common thing. for those scalavags
to seize q woman on the street
and kiss her. They lay around on
the streets ike any other hog,
drunk as beasts, walloWing in their
own vomlt.
Ihave not seen a drunken negro
soldier since last spring. So far
from being considered toughs,
there have been a series of enter
tainments given by the people of
this city complimentary to the
soldiers. The other day Lieut..
Proctor, colored, called a chill |
billy down for not saluting him |
(Proctor), and had the little up
start marched off TO the guard |
house. Quite a little breeze was
started BY this action on the part
of the negro officer, but Proctor
having the federal government at
his back, the little "one-galus"
newspaper reporters shut their
mouths IN short order. Proctor,
according to last reports, was still
wearing shoulder straps, represent
ing that he is a commissioned Of
6cer IN the army OF the greatest
nation on earth.
The mayor of this city is reported
10 have written letters TO the de-
partment asking for the removal of
he negro troops on account of
Il y 4