History of the Negro Race in America from 1619 to 1880. Vol. 2: Negroes as Slaves, as Soldiers, and as CitizensWilliams, George Washington
History
History of the Negro Race in America from 1619 to 1880. Vol. 2: Negroes as Slaves, as Soldiers, and as Citizens
Williams, George Washington
African Americans -- History; Liberia; Sierra Leone
"There is little doubt that the next mail from the North will
bring an order from the War Department recalling Major-Gen.
Hunter to a field of greater activity. The Government had not
lent him a hearty support in carrying out his policy of arming
the blacks, by which alone he could make himself useful in this
department to the National cause; and, therefore, more than two
months since he applied to be relieved, rather than sit supinely
with folded hands when his military abilities might be found of
service elsewhere. Now, however, I have reason to believe that
Gen. Hunter's views upon the question of forming negro regiments,
have been unreservedly adopted by the President, and the whole
question has assumed such a different phase that Gen. Hunter
almost regrets that he is to leave the department. The last mail
brought the authorization of the President to _enlist_ five negro
regiments, each of a thousand negroes, to be armed and uniformed
for the service of the United States, and also authorizes the
enrollment of an additional 50,000 to be employed in the
Quartermaster's Department nominally as laborers, but as they are
to be organized into companies and uniformed, and a portion of
their time is to be spent in drilling, it is easy to understand
that the possibility of their being used as soldiers is not lost
sight of. The exact time of commencing the work of enlisting the
colored recruits, I am not able to state, but that it will be
shortly, to my mind, there is not a shadow of doubt. The only way
in which the men can be obtained is by the establishment of posts
at various places upon the coast, where the negroes, assured of
protection, will flock to us by thousands. Past experience and
present information both go to prove this fact, and to establish
these posts more men will be required; therefore we may soon
expect that the Government will be deriving positive advantages
from this department which, heretofore, has been only negative of
service, as the field of experiments and the testing of ideas.
Gen. Saxton will go to Washington by the first steamer, for
consultation with the President on the subject."
Just what one thing changed the President so suddenly upon the
question of the employment of Negroes as soldiers was not known.
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