The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-23

forces of Kirby Smith and Price on
the south side of the Saline. After
fighting five hours, he drove them from
the field, captured three pieces of ar
tillery and some prisoners. He then
crossed the Saline without obstruction.
Our troops fought most CALAMITY. Par
ticular praise is given to Kansas COL
ored troops for their stubborn valor.
Capable on March and in Battle.
I'm the operations in Southern Ala
bama under Gen. Candy the spring of
1866, I was in the column commanded
by Gen. Frederick Steele, (which
marched north from Pensacola through
the pine woods, made an extensive cir
cult and came around in front of Fort
Blakely, defense of Mobile. 1t was
my fortune to command a division of
soldiers from Ohio, Indiana Illinois
and Iowa. youthful veterans, goo in
hand-Who had fought at Shiloh and
Vicksburg. The other division consist
ed of three brigades of colored troops
under Gen. Hawkins On this march,
on account of the heavy rains, the
sandy soil seemed only a crust through
which the supply wagons would sink
down to the hubs, and it was neces-
sary to literally make new corduroy
road for distance in all of about fifty
miles. In all the work on the march
the colored division was as faithful
and well-behaved as any troops. =
I'm the investment and siege of Fort
Blakley, Hawkins division was on the
immediate right of my division. The
ground between it's front and the Con-
federate Notifications, a distance of 700
yards, was broken by ravinesp covered
with felled and tangled treesIands mined
with torpedoes. Also, in front of those
Confederate Notifications were two
lines of abattiS-bruSh and awire-and
rifle pits held by sharpshooters. a.y e9c
Tn the siege the colored 7troops.s SO
far as 1 could see, advanced their
trenches and did their duty substan-
TALLY as we'll as the white troops. In
the victorious assault on the. fortifica-
tons they advanced the same time as
the white troops, sweeping everything
in their front. Their loss in about half
an hour was 80 killed and 147 wounded,
of whom part We're mortafIy wounded. :
81 shall always be willing witness
as to the good behavior OF, colored
troops in the Civil war. But my testi-.
mony is not needed. History attests
their willing obedience, their patience,
their good humor, their skill, their re-
liability and their bravery. They did
honor to their races and to their coiin-
try -
J. Milton Waldron, A. NJ, pastor and
president of the Bethel Bible and In.
dustrial school and the Bethel, Institu-
tional church, of Jacksonville Fla, was,
present and upon invitation spoke
briefly. He said he had been greatly
pleased to hear so good an account Of
the negro soldiers from Gen. Andrews
and such high commentator of the
service they had rendered the United
States. He reminded those who sat,
before him, however. that they must
not be content to live upon the past,
upon the bravery of their ancestors.
He felt that to all young men of the
negro race, as to himself, it must be
gratifying to know that their ances-
tors We're brave and loyal; but they
must accept history as standard and
as inspiration to them to make his
tory for their descendants. All the
battles, he said, have not yet been
fought, and the battles of everyday life
are sometimes harder than those of
warfare.