Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-13
COLORED OFFICERS.
Exception Taken to the Afro-kmeri-
can Council Committee.

The friends of Col. +. L. Higgins Sth
Volunteer Infantry, at the War Depart
n eDt take strong exception to the position
Of the steering committee of the Afrc-
American Council. In The Star of the eth
instant it was stated that this steering
committee had adopted resolution re-
questing the President to vacate the COM
mission OF Col. Higgins on the ground that
'he is iGirlical TO coored officers and is
trying, by unfair and questionable meth
DDS, to force such colored officers out of
his regiment
This charge" said a prominent officer of
the War Department today, is absurd. the
fact being that Col. Higgins has made
more recommendations for the appointment
and promotion of colored men as officers
than any colonel of the four colored
regiments of immunes. The law authoriZ-
Ing the organization of ten regiments of
so-called immunes made no special proVis-
lon for colGTed troops. They were merely
TO De United States volunteers commits
stoned by the President. Neither did it
Prohibit the enliStiug commissioning of
colored men. and as many patriotic colored
men had offered their services but had no
opportunity to serve in state volunteers
except IN rare instances, the President
aNaied himself of his discretion, and di-
rected that four of these regiments should
be composed of colored men recruited in
the southern and border states, and that
tiie HeulelldntS SnOQlG De also cOlOred.
Under this order of the President l34
colored men have been commissioned to
the present date. The President took espe-
cial care in the selection of the colonies of
these regiments, because upon them de-
pended, to a great extent, the selection of
the personnel of the regiments. Col. Hug
gins has an enviable record as a soldier
He entered the service a private, I'd
Minnesota Volunteers, in July, 1861, and
served continuously in the volunteers dur
ing the war of the rebellion. AT its close
on the recommendation of Gen. Grant he
was appointed lieutenant in the regular
army, where he has since served contin-
uously, in the artillery and cavalry He
has a record of thirty-siX years continuous
service in the army, and is now major in
the 9th Cavalry.
While it was comparatively easy to Sc
cure able-boded colored recruits it was al
most impossible to secure experienced col
ored officers. for the reason that the states
mad. as rule, made no provision for a coll
ored militia. OF course, there was a per-
centage which, by lack of military training
and other reasons proved incompetent and
as Congress had made the usual provisions
Tor getting rid of incompetent officers, by
authorizing military boards for the exami-
nation of such officers may be cited be-
fore them, some few were thus got rid of,
while a larger number preferred resigning
to undergoing the examination. The same
process obtained in the regiments of white
volunteers. federal state, and ii is this
element which is constantly trying to get
unfairly dealt with by their regimental
commanders. Inasmuch as these military
boards appointed by the highest mill
tary authority available the corps COM
mander. in which the regimental COM
mander has no say, the charge is, as a rule,
unfounded.
In order TO raise the morale and eff
cheney of the service, and at the same time
reward colored soldiers for gallantry in the
war, the Secretary of War called upon the
regimental commanders of the four colored
regiments of regulars TO designate such en-
listed men as had performed acts of gall
lantry in action and had shown a capacity
to command From lists thus furnished
the President, to date, has promoted
twenty-six non-commissioned officers from
the regular colored regiments who distin-
guished themselves in action in Cuba to
second lieutenants. and thus far they have
given the highest satisfaction. Their mili-
tary experience and training and capacity
to command have earned them the respect
of the men of their commands. Col. Hug
gins was one of the first of the regirnental
commanders to avail himself of this mate-
rial and he has thus had fewer changes IN
the personnel Of the officers Of his regiment
than any other reglmental commander"