Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-07-08

ooiored men differed by whites. Many
Of them say that their officers treat
them well that they do not
CARE WHAT COLOR
their officers are. " how rigid the dis
clpllne. N only officers ana discipline be
Just 10 Or. however. % complaint "
the soldiers ~ the Twenty fourth and
Of an the colorod men ln the army that
their commissioned officers are not coll
ored men also. There iH but one colorcd
commissioned officer In the army not
counting chhplnina-u number ludl-
Crousiy out " proportion tu the number
Of black men In the service. There were
several negro llcutcnuntH in the vul-
untecr regiments which norvcd during
the recent unploasuntnUss, but they
have rolnpscd into the nun-commia-
stoned ranks Many colored officers dis
tlngulshod themselves Tor glllantry In
the Civli War. but ! am told that IN all
our history but three colurcu cadets
have graduated from West Point one
of these "a dead another retired from
the service and the third remninH. the
single outpua, ON the road 10 equality.
There lH no question 49, 90 the efficiency
of these men.
you soc we haven't the political pun
that IL necessary" they say sadly.
somehow the idea was abroad Ia nn-
tobcllum days that the negro was "a
NNNMNNN NNMNNNa ~ WIZ MHNNlNNf'HNH NNAN'N
such large numbers submitted 90 De
governed by the frw, that thoy must
be- cruvonH nt heart There was never
greater mistake. There ls no longer
room for argument about the courage
~ the negro soldier in battle. once 10
was a matter ncrcely argued pro and
coma thing debated with passion. Tor
II has been the misfortune Of the negro
that everything relating 60 him has
always been mixed W with sentiment,
kept far away from the saving salt %
common sense. In every war the
United states has fought, saving only
that Of ls9s. there have
BEEN NEGRO SOLDIERS
under the nag that represented to them
only stripes. with no CLEAN ~ stars. In
the Revolutionary War there were
plenty Of colored men lighting against
the English. In the war of 1872 also;
and in tho Clvll War. after thc nerccst
possible opposition and In the midst OF
the doubts of nll parties, the negro was
nt last permitted tu enlist ana Co take
part IN the conflict u which he was the
Innocent cause. There were 1890 me-
gro soldiers In the Federal army VI
whom 16.N5 were Killed, wounded or
missing. one hundred and nfty thou
sand laborerH, IN addition. lent their
willing hands 20 the qunricrmuHtcr and
engineering departments. once they
were allowed 90 enlist. there was hardly
battle IN which the negroes were not
placed In the very front 10 make the
advance. II ala not take their officers
long 90 learn that these men were 90 be
relied upon wholly. that they fought
with stubborn bravery and under per-
feet discipline. one does not need TO
read tho records of the bloody day az
Nashville ana Buffers description ~
how he guided his horse among the
bodies Of the black dead after the at
tack Of Now Market Heights when the
brouzed faces Of ii3 of the colored men
of his command were upturncd IN the
sun after that gallant charge. some "
them with six wounds. almost every
one with two. After the horrible bar
barlty OF the treatment " the psgrocs
as prisoners Of WA there rern1ii ~ ft6t
a man IN the North who did nothdmit
the courage of these men. slaves from
birth, yet possessing the most priced
qualities Of frcemon.
George Williams, In his Negro
TruopF In the Rebellion" says: "Thc
part enacted by the negro soldier IN the
War OF the Rebellion II the romance M
North American history, II was mid
night and MONDAY without space boz
tween. from the Egyptian darkness OF
bondngc 20 the lurld glare OF civll war.
from clnnking chains TO clashlng arms.
from passive submission 90 the cruel
CURSE OF SLAVERY
TO the brilliant aggrosslvcnoss OF FREQ
soldier; from a chnttcl 10 "a person.
from the shame NJ degradation 90 the
glory OF military DNaltatlon. ana from
deep ohscurity To fame and martial Inn
with such progenltors Il was not 90
be wondered az that the Twenty-fourth
Infantry should distinguish Itself In the
war with spain by conspicuous gallant
~ The regiment had never been un-
der IRE until that sWDltcrlng day In
cuba when II swept up the hill Of San
Juan, past the wuyering Sovcnty-nrst
New York. The blacks were the sons.
or at best the grandspnH ~ men and
women who were slaves, supposed 10
cringc at word but the men u Afri-
can blood put the white ones 20 the
blush ns they passed steadily up the
steep, fnltoring not, neither hendstrung
nor faint-hcarted nor trembling OF llp,
merely faithful To duty and o marvel
Of discipline In regard 90 their com
duct one OF their officers SAYS They
went out Just as II Il was target prnc-