Norwich bulletin., 1921-07-02
ODD INCIDENTS IN AMERICAN
 HlsToKT
NEGRO SOLDIERS IN OUR ARMY

The number of negro soldiers who en- listed and served throughout the eiVil war have been veFiously estimated at from 15e, ,0oo to sec, ,ea0. The latter fig uFe is much too liberal the official table giving the number at only 17s,sTS. or those enlisted in states that had not withdrawn from the Union. Kentucky furnished the greatest number. 23,ToS, and of others enlisted under the direct authority and supervision of the govern meRt, and not credited to states, louisl- ana furnished the largest number, 24,o5g This was by far the largest force Of civilized negroes ever armed and mar shalled for the field. but even then the list does not include laboFeTs. negroes on fatigue duty, and others, who would
 greatly swell this total of 17s,eT5. Of | this large fierce, over twe-thirds at least were recruited after the beginning of the year 1884, and almost all after the be- ginning of the year 1S53. At first there | was great confusion in naming the col
 ered troops, some being named for the
 states from which they came, and large
 body of them was called the 'Corns ldAfriaue."
 | Ultimately all but few of the het-
 ter known known regiments, as the 51st
 Massachusetts and others, were trans ferred to the direct control of the federal government and were ealed United States | Celored Troops. Of these there were at least one hundred and ten regiments of infantry, five of engineers, fourteen of theaYy artillery, six of cavalry and ten
 batteries of light artillery.
 For a time there was considerable trouble regarding the oay of the oelered troops The act of 1862 provided that
 ',persans of African descent" were to
 he paid, besides ratiens, ten dollars a menth. three dollars of which might be I in clothing while white solers received
 thirteen dollars and three dollars extra
 for clothing.
 The injustice of this was manifest, and Ithe 64th Massachusetts struck for full pay, refusing to accept anything less than the full amount The Massachusetts legislature offered them the difference, , hut they wanted it from the national gov ernment. The matter was finally brought , before congress and joint resolution 4H-
 troduced early in 1884 provided for equal
 lpay, and eventually, after much discus
 sion, was passed.
 Care was taken that the colored people
 enlisted should not be swindled out Of
 their bounty money. To prevent this . Gen. Butler was obliged to issue an order ] | at Fortress Monroe in the winter of 1864 ! providing that-p part of the money should ? Ii be placed in the hands of the superin s ltendent of eelored affairs to constitute { l eolored soldiers.
 r Aside from the soldiers, a great nun . her of eelOred men were employed a r lahorers, as cooks, as spies, scouts, ant d guides. In the latter they were of muel h use to the Northern army, their knew j ledge of the country helping them an
 ltheir race pEot ecting them h The celored troops first real bapttsr o of fire was in the battle of Pert HudseI ll in May, 1863 The conduct of the colore 1T in this battle is the subject of George F '- Roker's poem. 'The Black Regiment. n Perhaps the best known of any battle l. the war, as far as the part played in !, by celored man is concerned Is that d Fort Wagner, on July IS, 1863.
 The exceptional ability of tae colors 'r lmen in drill may be explained by sever sr circumstances. Their long training ; 1t slaves, for most of those enlisted hs ?? been slaves, had instilled in them qual IT ties of obedience which are exceptional g. valuable to the sodier.' They had, na y. urally too, a certain instinct of gregaI al ousness which made them love drill. or was always difficult to get single volu ar teer; two always volunteered for thu h. preferred to go in i-.rs.
 at Probably no more than per cent m all officers of colored troops were colore iy At the end of the war the great arm al was rapidly mustered out, but many
 the colored regiments were retained lol te after the others had gone to their homo h. Since the civil war, except for t