Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-10-01

That tic negro makes good soldier
has been demonstrated beyond dispute
in our army. During the Civil War
/; was proved. and in Cuba and in the
Philippines the same story of valOr
and patriotism sealed with life blood.
is told of our colored regulars. In a
recent issue of the Army and Navy
Register. Capt. r. l.. Billiard has an
Interesting article on the negro soldier,
both as volunteer and a regular.
which emphasizes the argument that
more of them should be enlisted.
During the war with Spain Colonel
Billiard was in command of the Sd
Alabama volunteer infantry, the en-
listed force of which was composed
entirely of negroes. while all the regi-
mental officers, except the chaplain.
were white men who had lived in the
South. Captain Billiard says that the
same as the negro regular. is good
natured. happy person who is not wor-
ried by climatic discomforts or the ir-
Irregularities of the soldiers life. He
does not find them lazy rs soldiers
and he says when in squad they
work fairly Well As individuals. how
ever. they trifle. They crave society
to an extent that it becomes almost
impossible to have sentinel duty prop
erly discharged. This light-hearted-
ness and good humor makes the negro
complainer a rarity. The negro starts.
respect due his commissioned officer
II seems to be Unborn knowledge, and
as a general thing he lives up to this
disciplinary quality. He does not,
however readily lend himself to the
authority of the noncommisSioned
officers. \ difficulty in Furnishing
negro soldiers comes from their stub
hornnesS and it is even necessary. in
order to make punishment effective.
to have carried out with the ridicule
OF comrades
on the other hand. the negro is in
made to accomplish much by judicious
commentator. The negro has what
Colonel Billiard calls an Irresistible
propensity for carrying concealed
weapons. and those in authority have
found ii almost impossible to break up
this practice. The colored soldier is
subject readily to the moods and ex-
element of his commanding officer
II the captain be a little ratified in
drill the effect is seen on his men, If
he lose his head and become frightened
or excited. his followers are imbued
with the same spirit. In the same
way negroes take sides" in any row
of which they happen to be the OBJ
a predominant trait. so is the negro
lacking. as Colonel Billiard puts it, in
Petty thefts are frequent. There is no
special reCtitude in the observations of
financial obligations and any amount
OF Justification is considered excusable
in defeating an effort to collect Dor
rowed money. but the negro is good
soldier in the sense that he is Obedient
and a splendid fighter when he is I'M
der intrepid officers who are also dis
ciplinarians. The negro regular in
Cuba showed usually he was of the
right material and it must be as
sumed that he was a type of all his
race under arms. BY character more
submissive to discipline. by nature
more od-humored and happy, from
social position more subordinate to
superiors, from poverty more used to
plain food. fewer clothes and COM
forts says Colonel Billiard. the
average negro volunteer comes to the
colors with more of the first urgently
needed qualities of the soldier and
reader for service than the white.