The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1905-11-16

emanating from the General Govern
ment, to turn over all such to the OWL
authorities. to be dealt with according
to tho laws Of the State wherein they
were captured.
II remain, your obedient servant.
''R. Taylor"
Tayler's Reply Disiagenuous.
II Is with difficulty that the above
letter can be reconciled with the facts.
It was the openly avowed policy OF the
Southern Confederacy to execute all
officers Of negro troops. and this was
Confederate soldiers. The Confederate
Congress had met the enlistment Of
colored troops with q law providing
that all white men found in command
Of colored troops should be turned over
to the States. to be punished according
to the laws against those "inciting SER
vile instruction" This meant immed-
late death, and the Confederate SOL
diers proposed to avoid the laws delay
by carrying out the executions at once.
At Port Hudson and Milliken's Bend
within q few days Of each other were
the first time that the colored troops
had been met in battle, and the feel
ing OF the Confederate soldiers against
them was infiamed to the utmost. Gen.
Taylor himself officially lamented that
any Of either whites or blacks had been
taken prisoner. There can be no doubt
that many white officers were formally
hanged in the presence OF the army
somewhere between Richmond and
Monroe, La, and the weight of evidence
is that Gen. Taylor was present and
probably ordered the executions.
Taylor's Failure.
Taylor had abundant reasons for be-
ing in a resentful state Of mind. His
whole campaign for relieving Pember-
ton, opening communication with him,
diverting attention from him. captur-
ing great quantities Of stores, and In
terfering with the navigation OF the
Mississippi had lamentably failed. He
had not succeeded in doing single
thing which reflected credit upon him
or those under him. The expeditions
he sent to Lake Providence and Young's
Point had been sorry disappointments,
and his boosted Texans had made a
poor showing in their attempt to over
run and destroy small force OF un-
disciplined negroes commanded mostly
| by Corporals and Sergeants. The at
tack had been beaten off with loss of
a great number Of men. including sew
eral valuable officers.
In his official report, made directly to
his brother-in-law, Jefferson Davis, Tay-
lor deals censure all around. He said that
while McCulloch was personally one OF
the bravest Of men he was incompetent
to handle large bodies Of men; that
L
cient manner and deserved court-mar-
tial, and that substantially everyone
had disappointed him by their inability
to carry out his plain orders. He had
himself, with his staff, worked with the
greatest industry. built bridges, pro.
vided boats, etc., to bring the COM
mands into action, but they had al
failed to accomplish what they were
ordered to. Jefferson Davis Endorsed
on this report: 1.-THE operations OF
Gen. Tayor are highly commendable."
| A Relic Of Barbarism.
There is a strange barking back t.
the old barbarous ages when men were
slave hunters, and captives taken in wal
became the property OF their captors
In the official report Of Gen. McCullocl
he says that he sent out a Capt. Marold
who did good service in q certain direc
ton and captured 10 negroes and adds
II regarded 1t as nothing but fair t.
give to Capt. Marold one or two Of thu
best Of them"
Again Gen. McCulloch tells about (,
German boy. A. Shultz, who was one o
the helpers in the hospital. and goin,
to cistern for water ran into a com
| pany OF negroes in uniform commando,
by a Yankee Captain, who took hin
prisoner. It seems that they were Gu
, of from the main body and aske'
young Shultz to direct them how to re
gain their own troops. Instead the boz
piloted them back into his own line
through a gap in thick hedge, where
by they came Immediately under tn
guns OF regiment and had to surren
der. Gen. McCulloch says:
"Thus by his shrewdness the youn
Dutchman released himself and threy