The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-12-29
NEGRO TROOPS
Another Force Passes
This Way.
The Transport Grant Carrying the
Forty-Eighth Regiment En-
Route to Manila.

One of the most interesting regi-
ments that has ever gone through to
Manila was on board the United States
transport Grant which anchored off
shore yesterday morning. 1t was the
Forty-eighth Volunteer Infantry, and
its interest lies in the fact that, with
The exception of the commander and
five other officers composing the staff,
the entire organization is composed of
colored men. Previous to the out
break OF the Spanish war the colored
regiments had been Differed by white
men, but during the recruiting of the
provisional army it was decided to
try the experiment of giving all line
positions of several of the regiments
to colored men. The FOrty-eighth is
the first of these regiments SO organ
lied TO start for the Philippines, while
the other, the Forty-ninth Regiment,
which has been recruited at Jefferson
barracks, st. Louis, is now on the way.
The men We're recruited at Fort
Thomas, which is, just opposite Gin
cinnatti, the first man being recruited
September 10th, and although the or
ganization is composed of men from
practically every State in the Union,
but a comparatively short time was re-
quired in which to secure the full COM
plement. The regiment has been re-
cruited to 1916 men, which includes
thirty-seven extra recruits, who have
been brought along to supply vacancies
which may occur. The organization
the 7th of November. 1t came west by.
way of ST. Louis, Denver and Ogden.
The regiment was we'll treated at all
of the various points along the route,
and nothing of interest occurred, the
delay being on account of the various
sections running On special time.
In recruiting these colored regiments
the War Department has done so in
the hope that the colored men will
prove especially efficient in service in
the Philippines The experiment OF
intrusting the colored man with more
authority than has ever before been at
tempted in the army will also be
watched with interest. In the present
case the selections of line officers ap-
pear to have been well made. The men
are polite, intelligent and nearly all OF
them have seen service in the regular
army. The majority of the line Off
GERS were recruited from men who
served with the Ninth and Tenth
Cavalry and the Twenty-fourth Infan-
try. and in such capacity they fought
during the campaign against Santiago
and participated in the attack on San
Juan Hill. The men were not requir-
ed to take regular examinations, as is
required in some cases with the white
soldiers about to be promoted, but
were appointed after their qualifica-
tons and war service had been careful
ly considered.
Colonel William p Duvall is in COM
mand of the regiment. He is a regu-
lar army man and has been in the SER
vice about thirty-four years. He was a
Captain in the Fifth Artillery, an in
structor at the West Point Military
Academy, and during the Spanish war
served on General Graham's staff as
Lieutenant-C Colonel, holding the posi-
ton of ordnance officer Of the second
corps. He was made Lieutenant-C Colo
mel of the Twenty-sixth Volunteers,
which recently passed through here to
Manila under command Of Colonel
Rice. While en- route to San Francisco
Colonel Duvall received orders to re-
turn to Fort Thomas and take charge
of recruiting the Forty-eighth Regi-
ment, the command of which was Civ
en- to him. Lieutenant-Co Colonel T. w.
Jones is also a regular army man and
was formerly Captain in the Tenth
Cavalry. At present he is in command
Of the second battalion in the absence
o. Major a. L. Dade of the Third Cav
airy, who is now in the Philippines,
and will join the regiment there. Major
John Howard commands the third bat
talon. He was a Lieutenant il the
Nineteenth Infantry. Major Sedge-
wick Rice, who commands the first
battalion, is a regular army man hav-
ing been a Lieutenant in the Seventh
and chief of Indian scouts.
The battalion adjutants are Liauten-
ant Walter G. Gatchell, Lieutenant A.
L. Cabanne and Lieutenant Thompson.
The regimental adjutant IS Captain y.
D. Bright; commissary officer, Lieu
tenant George Weber, and quarter
master, Captain F. A. CLAYTON. The
surgeon, Major Charles F. Kiff4r, who
is a regular army officer, and Captain
Howard CRUDE, assistant surgeon. com
plete the only white men in the entire
regiment.
OF the enlisted men the greatest