Historical Romance of the American NegroFowler, Charles Henry
History
Historical Romance of the American Negro
Fowler, Charles Henry
African Americans -- History
Although the war with Spain is now over, at this writing (September,
1898), I know not what may be the ultimate destination of the numerous
colored volunteer regiments that were organized for the war, which will
be retained for the country’s service, and which will be disbanded and
sent home. There is, however, one regiment from Illinois, all the
officers being colored, from the colonel down, who have been sent to
assist in the garrisoning of Santiago de Cuba.
The authorities at Washington have not been slow to reward bravery in
the late war with Spain, as the following short article from an exchange
will show:
"NEGRO BRAVERY REWARDED.
"Washington, D. C., August, 1898.—Six colored non-commissioned officers,
who rendered particularly gallant and meritorious service in the face of
the enemy in the actions around Santiago on July 1st and 2nd, have been
appointed second lieutenants in two of the colored immune regiments
recently organized under special acts of Congress. These men are
Sergeants William Washington, of Troop F, and John C. Proctor, of Troop
I, of the Ninth Cavalry; and Sergeants William McBonjar, of Company H;
Wyatt Hoffman, of Company G; Mason Russell, of Company H, and Andrew J.
Smith, of Company B, of the Twenty-fifth Infantry, commanded by Colonel
Daggatt. These two Negro regiments were in the thick of the fierce
fighting at El Caney and San Juan, and won high praise for their courage
and efficiency. The Ninth Cavalry was also with the Rough Riders at La
Quasina."
As the above extract will show, there has been a disposition shown at
Washington to reward bravery, and reward it at once. People have not
been wanting to point out who ought to be honored, and honor has been
forthcoming on all hands.
While I am engaged writing these pages, the war is practically over, and
a great many of the regiments are being disbanded and sent home. It is
expected, however, that a larger army will be maintained at the national
expense than ever before. We used to support 25,000 men, but now we have
the Philippine Islands, Cuba and Porto Rico on our hands, besides home
duties and the Hawaiian Islands, and therefore we shall need more men
than before; at least, for some time to come. But all these things must
be settled by the authorities at Washington.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account