The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-31
?sj ~
NO Niger IN HIS.
Order That No Officers 81, Negro.
Regiments be & Recognized.


The following is from the Charleston
News and Courier:
Fl In&the4 summer Of 1863 4 message wal
wrought from the outpost at Port Royal
Ferry TO General William 81 Walker, at
McPhersonvillc, that the enemy wished
10 communicate with him by a flag Of
truce at the former point. i being then
nj General Walkers staff was ordered
to boar the flag, and CORPORAL Beottc,
Of the Fourth South Carolina Cavalry
was detailed us my escort. Lieutenant
George Lawrence Washington, a. D. c..
volunteered to accompany Inc. In coll-
Sc quence Of an order then just issued
W General Beauregurd my Instructions
Mere not to have official intercourse
with any officer of q negro regiment.
On u bright hot morning Of lnidsum-
p,er we set out OH our long ride Of more
than eighteen niles to Port Royal Ferry,
which lis the point at Which the higll-
way from the mainland IA reaches the:
Port Royal River. On arriving ut the
5fank OF the river, d white handkerchief
,vas fastened to ~ pole and given TO
Corporal y l3elotte,S Wlth no ~ order u to
marcel, sloYly " down y the middle ct the
ftauaewny. which lends from the bank
a! the river oyer he mud flats TO the
actual stream. Ny companion and
4
rorul and in this order our little rayal-
radG marched to the end Of the dause-s
way where we planted our flag and
awaited tile enemy, 8s 3S Il *
Presently there shot out OF the marsh
IN the opposite ban X a. canoe, IN which
we're two men {one8in the stern pad
cling. and the other Ia the bow sYlacing
forward. When the canoe had reached
Tho middle OF the river Il mnde out thnt
the man padding was 10 negro An mill
Jury uniform.
What i felt at that sight Is difficult
tor me Is express or In this now cru
even TO recall Lord n cilniay says 2thut
the feeling Of Englishrnensto1thc Irish
regiments qnartered by Jnlnes II. In
England must have been similar to what
would be those OF II Charlcstoniun X
black troops be stationed In Charleston,
The Charleston state Of mind OIL this
subject has become a unit OF measure to
history. & "A Il.
The sight OF that negro IN uniform
was TO me q signal that the fabric ut
civilization into which I WAS born VIA
e'umbling, That particular symbol OF
social disintegration was probnbly not
aware OF my emotion, but he Piled his
puddle with apparent unconsclousncss 3
Tie bow OF the canoe soon grated OIL
tile bank, and a handsome. refincd-look-
:bg man IN the uniform OF u United
states colonel jumped ashore and an-
nouDced himself as Colonel Wentworth
Jtiggtnson. Of the First South Caroline
Volunteers, Il
told him my name and rank and
asked him whether The First South Caro-
| Ina Volunteers was not regiment OF
negroes. Having received an affirmative
pnswer TO this question, Informed
Colonel Higginson that my orders were
not 10 hold official communication with
an officer OF a negro reg iment, and that
| j. therefore. could not receive his mcs-
fegc.
He answered With some resentment
that he could see no just ground for
/ this attitude Of the Confederate authors
i ties and that Mt some other point on
the coast there had nesn recognition by
i the confederates OF him, or of Officers
j 81 his regiment. replied that my or-
GERS We're peremptory and thai could
4 Act dieuss the matter. The subject was
taen dropped and re had friendly con-,
4 Nersstion, the particulars Of which I
canpot recall.
was not 80 attentive 10 my guest
that could not scrlitinize his boatman
lie was fine-looking, black negro In
LINE uniform of United States sergeant