Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-01-10
Inc II grew larger and larger as 1t
marched. 1t was Johnson's answer to
Forrest. The city was not attackcd."-
Chicago Inter Ocean.
The First Colored Soldiers.

negroes into regiments. People of his
day have violent racial prejudices, but
they cannot understand the %unreason
ing prejudice of the soldiers against
arming the blacks. Our colonel was a
hard-headed pro-slavery man, and at a
poker game he made the remark that
If Lincoln accepted negro regiments, he
would march his regiment out of camp,
stack arms, and order the men to go
home. Many Of the boys believed he
would do just as lie said, and they dis
Presidents ears burn.
There were all sorts Of reports in
camp. One was hat one colored regi-
ment was to be attached to each bri-
gade to do HI ditching and trenching
and to load and unload wagons, and to
bufld roads and bridges. This report
was received seriously, and when Il
thousand colored men camped n few
miles from us without arms, the boys
thought Old Abe's head was level after
all. 1t was all right for the darkies
to relieve the fighters of the army of
hard work, but the boys objected to
men enlisted to work wearing h uni
form. But on a certain day it was re-
ported that guns and equipments had
been issued to the colored regiment,
and Jul own men looked to the colonel
to be as good as his word.
"A few days later the colonel sent a
company Of our regiment over to the
negro camp to show the darkies how to
drill. The men came back disinclined
to talk. The next day another com
pany was sent, and on their return the
men were less inclined to talk than
those of the first company. 1t was ad-
mitted, however, hat the darkies
would make good soldiers. BY gum
said Happy Jack, who was a little Civ
en- to dandyism in his clothes, those
coons treat their blouses and trousers
as though they were made of fine silk.
They won't ever sit dow on the
ground for fear they may soil the army
blue. 1 actually saw one fellow put a
handkerchief down on a log before he
sat down.
But the coons, Jack declared, could
stand in a line as straight and could
take the position of the soldier as well
as anybody. After they saw the com
pany of white men go through the
manual of arms, they took their own
rifles and went through the movements
very much as did the whites. They
were in command Of an old volunteer
officer, to whom they were greatly at
Tackled, and the boys wondered what
they weuld do If Morgan or Forrest
should make a dash on their camp some
time when the darkies were asleep.
Not many weeks after that, and be-
fore our own men were called upon for
any formal expression of opinion, the
negro regiment was in an engagement.
The men went in steadily, with their
eyes on the colonel, and, although they
met a furious fire, they followed their
colonel into the midst of one Of the Sc
verest engagements Of the war. No
a man faltered, and when the regiment
came out 1t left a good many dead on
the field. That night the question Of
negro troops was discussed in a new
light and the boys who were going to
desert changed their mind. Some one
~reproached the colonel for what he had
said about enlisting colored men, and
asked him what he was going to do
about it. He said shortly: II will
obey orders, just as you will And in
the end there was no trouble about
arming the blacks.'
A Tragedy of the Civil War.
Not all the sad stories of wartime
come from the battlefield. Many a
heart-break is not recorded on the list
Of the killed and wounded. The Civil
War knew no more tragic occurrence
than the following incident, taken from
the New York Sun. A soldier had en-
listed from his home in Georgia, where
his father remained undisturbed
through the struggle. The young man
fought through the war without a
scratch, a v a slight wound which left
him a little deaf. This affection he
never mentioned in his letters.
After the surrender he sent his ia
about a certain date. Travel then was
uncertain, and he could not tell just
when he would arrive.
His father prepared to receive him.
He had brought out the best plate,
which had been secreted for q long
time, and with gold which had been ex-
humed he bought such substantials and
delicacies as the Southern market at
that time afforded. As many of The
old-time neighbors as were living in
the vicinity were invited to the home
coming.
The young soldier arrived on the
plantation the night before the earliest
date he had mentioned It was late
and the family had retired, but the dog
heard the noise and began to bark. The
sound reused the father, who rose and
got his shotgun. The country was over,
run at the time with stragglers and
sneak-thieves. The father, gun in hand,
went to the door, saw the approaching
figure and challenged it. The young
man., being deaf, made no reply, but
still advanced, ~whereupon the father
raised his gun and fired. His son fell,
shot through the heart.
It was a pitiful sight to see that al
most crazed father carrying his llfeless
son into the home which had been made
ready to welcome him. The next day
the guests arrived. Instead IF joyous
L. rroafipp tho rotr1rpa1 co1lior fhar