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diff --git a/11102-8.txt b/11102-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..89b44d2 --- /dev/null +++ b/11102-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5285 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of History of Negro Soldiers in the +Spanish-American War, and Other Items of Interest, by Edward A. Johnson + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: History of Negro Soldiers in the Spanish-American War, and Other Items of Interest + +Author: Edward A. Johnson + +Release Date: February 15, 2004 [EBook #11102] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HISTORY OF NEGRO SOLDIERS *** + + + + +Produced by Suzanne Shell, Bradley Norton and PG Distributed Proofreaders + + + + +[Illustration: WILLIAM McKinley.] + + +HISTORY OF NEGRO SOLDIERS + +IN THE + +SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR, + +AND + +OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST. + +BY + +EDWARD A. JOHNSON, Author of the Famous School History of the Negro +Race in America. + + +1899 + + + +BY EDWARD A. JOHNSON, RALEIGH, N.C. + +CONTENTS. (see last page for index to illustrations.) + + + + +CHAPTER I + +The Cause of The War With Spain--The Virginius Affair--General +Fitzhugh Lee--Belligerent Rights to Insurgents--Much Money and +Time Spent by United States--Spain Tries to Appease Public +Sentiment--Weyler "The Butcher"--Resolutions by Congress Favoring +Insurgents--Insurgents Gain by--General Antonio Maceo--The Spirit +of Insurgents at Maceo's Death--Jose Maceo--Weyler's Policy--Miss +Cisneros' Rescue--Appeal for her--Spain and Havana Stirred by American +Sentiment--Battle Ship Maine--Official Investigation of Destruction +of--Responsibility for--Congress Appropriates $50,000,000 for National +Defence--President's Message--Congress Declares War--Resolution Signed +by President--Copy of Resolution Sent Minister Woodford--Fatal Step +for Spain--American Navy. + +CHAPTER II + +Beginning of Hostilities--Colored Hero in the Navy. + +CHAPTER III + +Sergeant Major Pullen of Twenty-fifth Infantry Describes the Conduct +of Negro Soldiers Around El Caney--Its Station Before the Spanish +American War and Trip to Tampa, Florida--The Part it Took in the Fight +at El Caney--Buffalo Troopers, the Name by Which Negro Soldiers are +Known--The Charge of the "Nigger Ninth" on San Juan Hill. + +CHAPTER IV + +Colonel Theodore B. Roosevelt on the Colored Soldiers--Colonel +Roosevelt's Error--Jacob A. Riis Compliments Negro Soldiers-General +Nelson A. Miles Compliments Negro Soldiers--Cleveland Moffitt +Compliments the Negro Soldiers--President McKinley Promotes Negro +Soldiers--General Thomas J. Morgan on Negro Officers. + + +CHAPTER V + +Many Testimonials in Behalf of Negro Soldiers--A Southerner's +Statement--Reconciliation--Charleston News and Courier--Good +Marksmanship at El Caney--Their Splendid Courage; Fought Like Tigers-- +Never Wavered--What Army Officers say--Acme of Bravery-Around +Santiago--Saved the Life of his Lieutenant, but Lost his own--"Black +Soldier Boys," New York Mail and Express--They Never Faltered--The +Negro Soldier; His Good-heartedness--Mrs. Porter's Ride--Investment of +Santiago and Surrender--Killed and Wounded. + +CHAPTER VI + +No Color Line in Cuba--A Graphic Description--American Prejudice +Cannot Exist There--A Catholic Priest Vouches for it--Colored +Belles--War Began--Facts About Porto Rico. + +CHAPTER VII + +List of Colored Regiments that did Active Service in the Spanish +American War--A List of the Volunteer Regiments--Full Account of the +Troubles of the Sixth Virginia--Comments on the Third North Carolina +Regiment. + +CHAPTER VIII + +General Items of Interest to the Race--Miss Alberta Scott--Discovery +of the Games Family--Colored Wonder on the Bicycle--Negro Millionaire +Found at Last--Uncle Sam's Money Sealer--Paul Lawrence Dunbar, the +Negro Poet--Disfranchisement of Colored Voters. + +CHAPTER IX + +Some Facts About the Filipinos--Who Aguinaldo is--Facts from Felipe +Agoncillo's Article. + +CHAPTER X + +Resume--Why the American Government Does not Protect its Colored +Citizens-States Rights--Mobocracy Supreme--The Solution of the Negro +Problem is Mainly in the Race's Own Hands--The South a Good Place for +the Negro, Provided he can be Protected. + + + + + +CHAPTER I. + + +THE CAUSE OF THE WAR WITH SPAIN. + +Many causes led up to the Spanish-American war. Cuba had been in +a state of turmoil for a long time, and the continual reports of +outrages on the people of the island by Spain greatly aroused the +Americans. The "ten years war" had terminated, leaving the island much +embarrassed in its material interests, and woefully scandalized by the +methods of procedure adopted by Spain and principally carried out +by Generals Campos and Weyler, the latter of whom was called the +"butcher" on account of his alleged cruelty in attempting to suppress +the former insurrection. There was no doubt much to complain of under +his administration, for which the General himself was not personally +responsible. He boasted that he only had three individuals put to +death, and that in each of these cases he was highly justified by +martial law. + +FINALLY THE ATTENTION OF THE UNITED STATES was forcibly attracted to +Cuba by the Virginius affair, which consisted in the wanton murder of +fifty American sailors--officers and crew of the Virginius, which was +captured by the Spanish off Santiago bay, bearing arms and ammunition +to the insurgents--Captain Fry, a West Point graduate, in command. + +Spain would, no doubt, have received a genuine American thrashing on +this occasion had she not been a republic at that time, and President +Grant and others thought it unwise to crush out her republican +principles, which then seemed just budding into existence. + +The horrors of this incident, however, were not out of the minds of +the American people when the new insurrection of 1895 broke out. At +once, as if by an electric flash, the sympathy of the American people +was enlisted with the Insurgents who were (as the Americans believed) +fighting Spain for their _liberty_. Public opinion was on the +Insurgents' side and against Spain from the beginning. This feeling of +sympathy for the fighting Cubans knew no North nor South; and strange +as it may seem the Southerner who quails before the mob spirit that +disfranchises, ostracises and lynches an American Negro who seeks his +liberty at home, became a loud champion of the Insurgent cause in +Cuba, which was, in fact, the cause of Cuban Negroes and mulattoes. + +GENERAL FITZHUGH LEE, of Virginia, possibly the most noted Southerner +of the day, was sent by President Cleveland to Havana as Consul +General, and seemed proud of the honor of representing his government +there, judging from his reports of the Insurgents, which were +favorable. General Lee was retained at his post by President McKinley +until it became necessary to recall him, thus having the high honor +paid him of not being changed by the new McKinley administration, +which differed from him in politics; and as evidence of General +Fitzhugh Lee's sympathy with the Cubans it may be cited that he sent +word to the Spanish Commander (Blanco) on leaving Havana that he would +return to the island again and when he came he "would bring the stars +and stripes in front of him." + +BELLIGERENT RIGHTS TO THE INSURGENTS OR NEUTRALITY became the topic of +discussion during the close of President Cleveland's administration. +The President took the ground that the Insurgents though deserving of +proper sympathy, and such aid for humanity's sake as could be given +them, yet they had not established on any part of the island such a +form of government as could be recognized at Washington, and accorded +belligerent rights or rights of a nation at war with another nation; +that the laws of neutrality should be strictly enforced, and America +should keep "hands off" and let Spain and the Insurgents settle their +own differences. + +[Illustration: GENERAL FITZHUGH LEE.] + +MUCH MONEY AND TIME was expended by the United States government in +maintaining this neutral position. Fillibustering expeditions were +constantly being fitted up in America with arms and ammunition for the +Cuban patriots. As a neutral power it became the duty of the American +government to suppress fillibustering, but it was both an unpleasant +and an expensive duty, and one in which the people had little or no +sympathy. + +SPAIN TRIES TO APPEASE public sentiment in America by recalling +Marshal Campos, who was considered unequal to the task of defeating +the Insurgents, because of reputed inaction. The flower of the Spanish +army was poured into Cuba by the tens of thousands--estimated, all +told, at three hundred thousand when the crisis between America and +Spain was reached. + +WEYLER THE "BUTCHER," was put in command and inaugurated the policy of +establishing military zones inside of the Spanish lines, into which +the unarmed farmers, merchants, women and children were driven, +penniless; and being without any visible means of subsistence were +left to perish from hunger and disease. (The condition of these people +greatly excited American sympathy with the Insurgents.) General Weyler +hoped thus to weaken the Insurgents who received considerable of +supplies from this class of the population, either by consent or +force. Weyler's policy in reference to the reconcentrados (as these +non-combatant people were called) rather increased than lessened +the grievance as was natural to suppose, in view of the misery and +suffering it entailed on a class of people who most of all were not +the appropriate subjects for his persecution, and sentiment became so +strong in the United States against this policy (especially in view of +the fact that General Weyler had promised to end the "Insurrection" in +three months after he took command) that in FEBRUARY, 1896, the United +States Congress took up the discussion of the matter. Several Senators +and Congressmen returned from visits to the island pending this +discussion, in which they took an active and effective part, depicting +a most shocking and revolting situation in Cuba, for which Spain +was considered responsible; and on April 6th following this joint +resolution was adopted by Congress: + +"_Be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the +United States of America_, that in the opinion of Congress a public +war exists between the Government of Spain and the Government +proclaimed and for some time maintained by force of arms by the people +of Cuba; and that the United States of America should maintain a +strict neutrality between the contending powers, according to each all +the rights of belligerents in the ports and territory of the United +States." + +"_Resolved further_, that the friendly offices of the United States +should be offered by the President to the Spanish government for the +recognition of the independence of Cuba." + +THE INSURGENTS gained by this resolution an important point. It +dignified their so-called insurrection into an organized army, with a +government at its back which was so recognized and treated with. They +could buy and sell in American ports. + +[Illustration: GENERAL ANTONIO MACEO.] + +GENERAL ANTONIO MACEO about this time was doing great havoc along the +Spanish lines. He darted from place to place, back and forth across +the supposed impassable line of Spanish fortifications stretching +north and south across the island some distance from Havana, and known +as the _trocha_. Thousands of Spaniards fell as the result of his +daring and finesse in military execution. His deeds became known in +America, and though a man of Negro descent, with dark skin and crisp +hair, his fame was heralded far and wide in the American newspapers. +At a public gathering in New York, where his picture was exhibited, +the audience went wild with applause--the waving of handkerchiefs and +the wild hurrahs were long and continued. The career of this hero was +suddenly terminated by death, due to the treachery of his physician +Zertucha, who, under the guise of a proposed treaty of peace, induced +him to meet a company of Spanish officers, at which meeting, according +to a pre-arranged plot, a mob of Spanish infantry rushed in on General +Maceo and shot him down unarmed. It is said that his friends recovered +his body and buried it in a secret place unknown to the Spaniards, who +were anxious to obtain it for exhibition as a trophy of war in Havana. +Maceo was equal to Toussaint L'Overture of San Domingo. His public +life was consecrated to liberty; he knew no vice nor mean action; he +would not permit any around him. When he landed in Cuba from Porto +Rico he was told there were no arms. He replied, "I will get them with +my machete," and he left five thousand to the Cubans, conquered by his +arm. Every time the Spanish attacked him they were beaten and left +thousands of arms and much ammunition in his possession. He was born +in Santiago de Cuba July 14, 1848. + +THE SPIRIT OF THE INSURGENTS did not break with General Maceo's death. +Others rose up to fill his place, the women even taking arms in the +defence of home and liberty. "At first no one believed, who had not +seen them, that there were women in the Cuban army; but there is no +doubt about it. They are not all miscalled amazons, for they are +warlike women and do not shun fighting. The difficulty in employing +them being that they are insanely brave. When they ride into battle +they become exalted and are dangerous creatures. Those who first +joined the forces on the field were the wives of men belonging in the +army, and their purpose was rather to be protected than to become +heroines and avengers. It shows the state of the island, that the +women found the army the safest place for them. With the men saved +from the plantations and the murderous bandits infesting the roads and +committing every lamentable outrage upon the helpless, some of the +high spirited Cuban women followed their husbands, and the example has +been followed, and some, instead of consenting to be protected, have +taken up the fashion of fighting."--_Murat Halsted_. + +JOSE MACEO, brother of Antonio, was also a troublesome character to +the Spaniards, who were constantly being set upon by him and his men. + +WEYLER'S POLICY AND THE BRAVE STRUGGLE of the people both appealed +very strongly for American sympathy with the Insurgent cause. The +American people were indignant at Weyler and were inspired by the +conduct of the Insurgents. Public sentiment grew stronger with every +fresh report of an Insurgent victory, or a Weyler persecution. + +MISS EVANGELINA COSIO Y CISNERO'S RESCUE helped to arouse sentiment. +This young and beautiful girl of aristocratic Cuban parentage alleged +that a Spanish officer had, on the occasion of a _raid_ made on her +home, in which her father was captured and imprisoned as a Cuban +sympathizer, proposed her release on certain illicit conditions, +and on her refusal she was incarcerated with her aged father in the +renowned but filthy and dreaded Morro Castle at Havana. + +[Illustration: MISS EVANGELINA COSIO Y CISNEROS.] + +_Appeal after appeal_ by large numbers of the most prominent women in +America was made to General Weyler, and even to the Queen Regent of +Spain, for her release, but without avail, when finally the news was +flashed to America that she had escaped. This proved to be true--her +release being effected by Carl Decker, a reporter on the New York +Journal--a most daring fete. Miss Cisneros was brought to America and +became the greatest sensation of the day. Her beauty, her affection +for her aged father, her innocence, and the thrilling events of her +rescue, made her the public idol, and gave _Cuba libre_ a new impetus +in American sympathy. + +SPAIN AND HAVANA felt the touch of these ever spreading waves +of public sentiment, and began to resent them. At Havana public +demonstrations were made against America. The life of Consul General +Lee was threatened. The Spanish Minister at Washington, Seņor de Lome, +was exposed for having written to a friend a most insulting letter, +describing President McKinley as a low politician and a weakling. +For this he was recalled by Spain at the request of the American +government. + +Protection to American citizens and property in Havana became +necessary, and accordingly the BATTLE SHIP MAINE was sent there for +this purpose, the United States government disclaiming any other +motives save those of protection to Americans and their interests. +The Maine was, to all outward appearances, friendly received by the +Spaniards at Havana by the usual salutes and courtesies of the +navy, and was anchored at a point in the bay near a certain buoy +_designated_ by the Spanish Commander. This was on January 25, 1898, +and on February 15th this noble vessel was blown to pieces, and 266 +of its crew perished--two colored men being in the number. This event +added fuel to the already burning fire of American feeling against +Spain. Public sentiment urged an immediate declaration of war. +President McKinley counseled moderation. Captain Siggsbee, who +survived the wreck of the Maine, published an open address in which +he advised that adverse criticism be delayed until an official +investigation could be made of the affair. + +The official investigation was had by a Court of Inquiry, composed of +Captain W.T. Sampson of the Iowa, Captain F.C. Chadwick of the +New York, Lieutenant-Commander W.P. Potter of the New York, and +Lieutenant-Commander Adolph Marix of the Vermont, appointed by the +President. Divers were employed; many witnesses were examined, and the +court, by a unanimous decision, rendered March 21, 1898, after a four +weeks session, reported as follows: "That the loss of the Maine was +not in any respect due to the fault or negligence on the part of any +of the officers or members of her crew; that the ship was destroyed by +the explosion of a submarine mine which caused the partial explosion +of two or more of her forward magazines; and that no evidence has been +obtainable fixing the responsibility for the destruction of the Maine +upon any person or persons." + +Responsibility in this report is not fixed on any "person or persons." +It reads something like the usual verdict of a coroner's jury after +investigating the death of some colored man who has been lynched,--"he +came to his death by the hands of parties unknown." This report on +the Maine's destruction, _unlike_ the usual coroner's jury verdict, +however, in one respect, was not accepted by the people who claimed +that Spain was responsible, either directly or indirectly, for the +explosion, and the public still clamored for war to avenge the +outrage. + +[Illustration: U.S.S. MAINE] + +CONGRESS ALSO CATCHES the war fever and appropriated $50,000,000 "for +the national defence" by a unanimous vote of both houses. The war and +navy departments became very active; agents were sent abroad to buy +war ships, but the President still hesitated to state his position +until he had succeeded in getting the American Consuls out of Cuba who +were in danger from the Spaniards there. Consul Hyatt embarked from +Santiago April 3, and Consul General Lee, who was delayed in getting +off American refugees, left on April 10, and on that day the PRESIDENT +SENT HIS MESSAGE TO CONGRESS. He pictured the deplorable condition of +the people of Cuba, due to General Weyler's policy; he recommended +that the Insurgent government be not recognized, as such recognition +might involve this government in "embarrassing international +complications," but referred the whole subject to Congress for action. + +CONGRESS DECLARES WAR ON APRIL 13 by a joint resolution of the +Foreign Affairs Committee of both houses, which was adopted, after a +conference of the two committees, April 18, in the following form: + +Whereas, the abhorrent conditions which have existed for more than +three years in the island of Cuba, so near our own borders, have +shocked the moral sense of the people of the United States, have been +a disgrace to Christian civilization, culminating as they have in the +destruction of a United States battle ship, with 266 of its officers +and crew, while on a friendly visit in the harbor of Havana, and +cannot longer be endured, as has been set forth by the President of +the United States in his message to Congress of April 11, 1898, upon +which the action of Congress was invited: therefore, + +_Resolved_, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United +States of America in Congress assembled-- + +First, that the people of the island of Cuba are, and of right ought +to be, free and independent. + +Second, that it is the duty of the United States to demand, and +the government of the United States does hereby demand, that the +government of Spain at once relinquish its authority and government in +the island of Cuba, and withdraw its land and naval forces from Cuba +and Cuban waters. + +Third, that the President of the United States be, and he hereby is, +directed and empowered to use the entire land and naval forces of +the United States, and to call into the actual service of the United +States the militia of the several states to such extent as may be +necessary to carry these resolutions into effect. + +Fourth, that the United States hereby disclaims any disposition or +intention to exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction or control over +said island, except for the pacification thereof, and asserts its +determination when that is completed to leave the government and +control of the island to its people. + +THE PRESIDENT SIGNED THIS RESOLUTION at 11:24 A.M. on the 20th of +April, 1898. The Spanish Minister, Seņor Luis Polo y Bernarbe, was +served with a copy, upon which he asked for his passports, and +"immediately left Washington." + +"This is a picture of Edward Savoy, who accomplished one of the most +signal diplomatic triumphs in connection with recent relations +with Spain. It was he who outwitted the whole Spanish Legation and +delivered the ultimatum to Minister Polo." + +"Edward Savoy has been a messenger in the Department of State for +nearly thirty years. He was appointed by Hamilton Fish in 1869, and +held in high esteem by James G. Blaine." + + +"He was a short, squat, colored man, with a highly intelligent face, +hair slightly tinged with gray and an air of alertness which makes him +stand out in sharp contrast with the other messengers whom one meets +in the halls of the big building." + +[Illustration: EDDIE SAVOY.] + +"Of all the men under whom 'Eddie,' as he is universally called, has +served he has become most attached to Judge Day, whom he says is the +finest man he ever saw." + +"Minister Polo was determined not to receive the ultimatum. He was +confident he would receive a private tip from the White House, which +would enable him to demand his passports before the ultimatum was +served upon him. Then he could refuse to receive it, saying that +he was no longer Minister. It will be remembered that Spain handed +Minister Woodford his passports before the American representative +could present the ultimatum to the Spanish Government." + +"Judge Day's training as a country lawyer stood him in good stead. He +had learned the value of being the first to get in an attachment." + +"The ultimatum was placed in a large, square envelope, that might have +contained an invitation to dinner. It was natural that it should be +given to 'Eddie' Savoy. He had gained the sobriquet of the nation's +'bouncer,' from the fact that he had handed Lord Sackville-West and +Minister De Lome their passports." + +"It was 11:30 o'clock on Wednesday morning when 'Eddie' Savoy pushed +the electric button at the front door of the Spanish Legation, in +Massachusetts avenue. The old Spanish soldier who acted as doorkeeper +responded." + +"'Have something here for the Minister,' said Eddie." + +"The porter looked at him suspiciously, but he permitted the messenger +to pass into the vestibule, which is perhaps six feet square. Beyond +the vestibule is a passage that leads to the large central hall. The +Minister stood in the hall. In one hand he held an envelope. It was +addressed to the Secretary of State. It contained a request for the +passports of the Minister and his suite. Seņor Polo had personally +brought the document from the chancellory above." + +"When the porter presented the letter just brought by the Department +of State's messenger, Seņor Polo grasped it in his quick, nervous +way. He opened the envelope and realized instantly that he had been +outwitted. A cynical smile passed over the Minister's face as he +handed his request for passports to 'Eddie,' who bowed and smiled on +the Minister." + +"Seņor Polo stepped back into the hall and started to read the +ultimatum carefully. But he stopped and turned his head toward the +door." + +"'This is indeed Jeffersonian simplicity,' he said." + +"'Eddie' Savoy felt very badly over the incident, because he had +learned to like Minister Polo personally." + +"'He was so pleasant that I felt like asking him to stay a little +longer,' said 'Eddie,' 'but I didn't, for that wouldn't have been +diplomatic. When you have been in this department twenty-five or +thirty years you learn never to say what you want to say and never to +speak unless you think twice.'" + +"Wherefore it will be seen that 'Eddie' Savoy has mastered the first +principles of diplomacy."--_N.Y. World._ + +A COPY OF THE RESOLUTION BY CONGRESS was also cabled to Minister +Woodford, at Madrid, to be officially transmitted to the Spanish +Government, fixing the 23d as the limit for its reply, but the Spanish +Minister of Foreign Affairs had already learned of the action of +Congress, and did not permit Minister Woodford to ask for his +passports, but sent them to him on the evening of the 21st, and this +was the formal beginning of the war. + +[Illustration: JOSE MACEO.] + +A FATAL STEP WAS THIS FOR SPAIN, who evidently, as her newspapers +declared, did not think the "American pigs" would fight. She was +unaware of the temper of the people, who seemed to those who knew the +facts, actually thirsting for Spanish blood--a feeling due more +or less to thirty years of peace, in which the nation had become +restless, and to the fact also that America had some new boats, fine +specimens of workmanship, which had been at target practice for a long +time and now yearned for the reality, like the boy who has a gun and +wants to try it on the real game. The proof of the superiority of +American gunnery was demonstrated in every naval battle. The accurate +aim of Dewey's gunners at Manilla, and Sampson and Schley's at +Santiago, was nothing less than wonderful. No less wonderful, +however, was the accuracy of the Americans than the inaccuracy of the +Spaniards, who seemed almost unable to hit anything. + +WHILE ACCREDITING THE AMERICAN NAVY with its full share of praise for +its wonderful accomplishments, let us remember that there is scarcely +a boat in the navy flying the American flag but what has a number of +COLORED SAILORS on it, who, along with others, help to make up its +greatness and superiority. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + + +THE BEGINNING OF HOSTILITIES. + + +A COLORED HERO IN THE NAVY. + +History records the Negro as the first man to fall in three wars of +America--Crispus Attacks in the Boston massacre, March 5, 1770; an +unknown Negro in Baltimore when the Federal troops were mobbed in +that city _en route_ to the front, and Elijah B. Tunnell, of Accomac +county, Virginia, who fell simultaneously with or a second before +Ensign Bagley, of the torpedo boat _Winslow_, in the harbor of +Cardenas May 11, 1898, in the Spanish-American war. + +Elijah B. Tunnell was employed as cabin cook on the _Winslow_. The +boat, under a severe fire from masked batteries of the Spanish on +shore, was disabled. The Wilmington came to her rescue, the enemy +meanwhile still pouring on a heavy fire. It was difficult to get the +"line" fastened so that the _Winslow_ could be towed off out of range +of the Spanish guns. Realizing the danger the boat and crew were in, +and anxious to be of service, Tunnell left his regular work and went +on deck to assist in "making fast" the two boats, and while thus +engaged a shell came, which, bursting over the group of workers, +killed him and three others. It has been stated in newspaper reports +of this incident that it was an ill-aimed shell of one of the American +boats that killed Tunnell and Bagley. Tunnell was taken on board the +Wilmington with both legs blown off, and fearfully mutilated. Turning +to those about him he asked, "Did we win in the fight boys?" The reply +was, "Yes." + +He said, "Then I die happy." While others fell at the post of duty it +may be said of this brave Negro that he fell while doing _more_ than +his duty. He might have kept out of harm's way if he had desired, but +seeing the situation he rushed forward to relieve it as best he could, +and died a "volunteer" in service, doing what others ought to have +done. All honor to the memory of Elijah B. Tunnell, who, if not +the first, certainly simultaneous with the first, martyr of the +Spanish-American war. While our white fellow-citizens justly herald +the fame of Ensign Bagley, who was known to the author from his youth, +let our colored patriots proclaim the heroism of Tunnell of Accomac. +While not ranking as an official in the navy, yet he was brave, he was +faithful and we may inscribe over his grave that "he died doing what +he could for his country." + +War between the United States and Spain began April 21, 1898. Actual +hostilities ended August 12, 1898, by the signing of the protocol by +the Secretary of State of the United States for the United States and +M. Cambon, the French Ambassador at Washington, acting for Spain. + +The war lasted 114 days. The Americans were victorious in every +regular engagement. In the three-days battle around Santiago, the +Americans lost 22 officers and 208 men killed, and 81 officers and +1,203 men wounded, and 79 missing. The Spanish loss as best estimated +was near 1,600 officers and men killed and wounded. + +Santiago was surrendered July 17, 1898, with something over 22,000 +troops. + +General Shatter estimates in his report the American forces as +numbering 16,072 with 815 officers. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + + +SERGEANT-MAJOR PULLEN OF THE 25TH INFANTRY DESCRIBES THE CONDUCT OF +THE NEGRO SOLDIERS AROUND EL CANEY. + + +THE TWENTY-FIFTH U.S. INFANTRY--ITS STATION BEFORE THE SPANISH +AMERICAN WAR AND TRIP TO TAMPA, FLORIDA--THE PART IT TOOK IN THE FIGHT +AT EL CANEY. + + +When our magnificent battleship Maine was sunk in Havana harbor, +February 15, 1898, the 25th U.S. Infantry was scattered in western +Montana, doing garrison duty, with headquarters at Fort Missoula. This +regiment had been stationed in the West since 1880, when it came up +from Texas where it had been from its consolidation in 1869, fighting +Indians, building roads, etc., for the pioneers of that state and New +Mexico. In consequence of the regiment's constant frontier service, +very little was known of it outside of army circles. As a matter of +course it was known that it was a colored regiment, but its praises +had never been sung. + +Strange to say, although the record of this regiment was equal to any +in the service, it had always occupied remote stations, except a +short period, from about May, 1880, to about August, 1885, when +headquarters, band and a few companies were stationed at Fort +Snelling, near St. Paul, Minnesota. + +[Illustration: SERGEANT FRANK W. PULLEN, Who was in the Charge on El +Caney, as a member of the Twenty-fifth U.S. Infantry.] + +Since the days of reconstruction, when a great part of the country +(the South especially) saw the regular soldier in a low state of +discipline, and when the possession of a sound physique was the only +requirement necessary for the recruit to enter the service of the +United States, people in general had formed an opinion that the +regular soldier, generally, and the Negro soldier in particular, was +a most undesirable element to have in a community. Therefore, the +Secretary of War, in ordering changes in stations of troops from time +to time (as is customary to change troops from severe climates to +mild ones and _vice versa_, that equal justice might be done all) had +repeatedly overlooked the 25th Infantry; or had only ordered it from +Minnesota to the Dakotas and Montana, in the same military department, +and in a climate more severe for troops to serve in than any in the +United States. This gallant regiment of colored soldiers served +eighteen years in that climate, where, in winter, which lasts five +months or more, the temperature falls as low as 55 degrees below +zero, and in summer rises to over 100 degrees in the shade and where +mosquitos rival the Jersey breed. + +Before Congress had reached a conclusion as to what should be done in +the Maine disaster, an order had been issued at headquarters of the +army directing the removal of the regiment to the department of the +South, one of the then recently organized departments. + +At the time when the press of the country was urging a declaration of +war, and when Minister Woodford, at Madrid, was exhausting all the +arts of peace, in order that the United States might get prepared for +war, the men of the 25th Infantry were sitting around red-hot stoves, +in their comfortable quarters in Montana, discussing the doings of +Congress, impatient for a move against Spain. After great excitement +and what we looked upon as a long delay, a telegraphic order came. Not +for us to leave for the Department of the South, but to go to that +lonely sun-parched sandy island Dry Tortugas. In the face of the fact +that the order was for us to go to that isolated spot, where rebel +prisoners were carried and turned lose during the war of the +rebellion, being left there without guard, there being absolutely no +means of escape, and where it would have been necessary for our safety +to have kept Sampson's fleet in sight, the men received the news with +gladness and cheered as the order was read to them. The destination +was changed to Key West, Florida, then to Chickamauga Park, Georgia. +It seemed that the war department did not know what to do with the +soldiers at first. + +Early Sunday morning, April 10, 1898, Easter Sunday, amidst tears of +lovers and others endeared by long acquaintance and kindness, and the +enthusiastic cheers of friends and well-wishers, the start was made +for Cuba. + +It is a fact worthy of note that Easter services in all the churches +in Missoula, Montana, a town of over ten thousand inhabitants, was +postponed the morning of the departure of the 25th Infantry, and the +whole town turned out to bid us farewell. Never before were soldiers +more encouraged to go to war than we. Being the first regiment to +move, from the west, the papers had informed the people of our route. +At every station there was a throng of people who cheered as we +passed. Everywhere the Stars and Stripes could be seen. Everybody had +caught the war fever. We arrived at Chickamauga Park about April 15, +1898, being the first regiment to arrive at that place. We were +a curiosity. Thousands of people, both white and colored, from +Chattanooga, Tenn., visited us daily. Many of them had never seen a +colored soldier. The behavior of the men was such that even the +most prejudiced could find no fault. We underwent a short period of +acclimation at this place, then moved on to Tampa, Fla., where we +spent a month more of acclimation. All along the route from Missoula, +Montana, with the exception of one or two places in Georgia, we had +been received most cordially. But in Georgia, outside of the Park, it +mattered not if we were soldiers of the United States, and going to +fight for the honor of our country and the freedom of an oppressed and +starving people, we were "niggers," as they called us, and treated +us with contempt. There was no enthusiasm nor Stars and Stripes in +Georgia. That is the kind of "united country" we saw in the South. I +must pass over the events and incidents of camp life at Chickamauga +and Tampa. Up to this time our trip had seemed more like a +Sunday-school excursion than anything else. But when, on June 6th, we +were ordered to divest ourselves of all clothing and equipage, except +such as was necessary to campaigning in a tropical climate, for the +first time the ghost of real warfare arose before us. + +ON BOARD THE TRANSPORT. + +The regiment went aboard the Government transport, No. +14--Concho--June 7, 1898. On the same vessel were the 14th U.S. +Infantry, a battalion of the 2d Massachusetts Volunteers and Brigade +Headquarters, aggregating about 1,300 soldiers, exclusive of the +officers. This was the beginning of real hardship. The transport had +either been a common freighter or a cattle ship. Whatever had been its +employment before being converted into a transport, I am sure of +one thing, it was neither fit for man nor beast when soldiers were +transported in it to Cuba. The actual carrying capacity of the vessel +as a transport was, in my opinion, about 900 soldiers, exclusive of +the officers, who, as a rule, surround themselves with every possible +comfort, even in actual warfare. A good many times, as on this +occasion, the desire and demand of the officers for comfort worked +serious hardships for the enlisted men. The lower decks had been +filled with bunks. Alas! the very thought of those things of torture +makes me shudder even now. They were arranged in rows, lengthwise the +ship, of course, with aisles only two feet wide between each row. The +dimensions of a man's bunk was 6 feet long, 2 feet wide and 2 feet +high, and they were arranged in tiers of four, with a four inch board +on either side to keep one from rolling out. The Government had +furnished no bedding at all. Our bedding consisted of one blanket as +mattress and haversack for pillow. The 25th Infantry was assigned to +the bottom deck, where there was no light, except the small port holes +when the gang-plank was closed. So dark was it that candles were +burned all day. There was no air except what came down the canvass air +shafts when they were turned to the breeze. The heat of that place was +almost unendurable. Still our Brigade Commander issued orders that no +one would be allowed to sleep on the main deck. That order was the +only one to my knowledge during the whole campaign that was not obeyed +by the colored soldiers. It is an unreported fact that a portion of +the deck upon which the 25th Infantry took passage to Cuba was flooded +with water during the entire journey. + +Before leaving Port Tampa the Chief Surgeon of the expedition came +aboard and made an inspection, the result of which was the taking off +of the ship the volunteer battalion, leaving still on board about a +thousand men. Another noteworthy fact is that for seven days the boat +was tied to the wharf at Port Tampa, and we were not allowed to go +ashore, unless an officer would take a whole company off to bathe and +exercise. This was done, too, in plain sight of other vessels, the +commander of which gave their men the privilege of going ashore at +will for any purpose whatever. It is very easy to imagine the hardship +that was imposed upon us by withholding the privilege of going ashore, +when it is understood that there were no seats on the vessel for a +poor soldier. On the main deck there were a large number of seats, +but they were all reserved for the officers. A sentinel was posted on +either side of the ship near the middle hatch-way, and no soldier was +allowed to go abaft for any purpose, except to report to his superior +officer or on some other official duty. + +Finally the 14th of June came. While bells were ringing, whistles +blowing and bands playing cheering strains of music the transports +formed "in fleet in column of twos," and under convoy of some of the +best war craft of our navy, and while the thousands on shore waved us +godspeed, moved slowly down the bay on its mission to avenge the death +of the heroes of our gallant Maine and to free suffering Cuba. + +The transports were scarcely out of sight of land when an order was +issued by our Brigade Commander directing that the two regiments on +board should not intermingle, and actually drawing the "color line" by +assigning the white regiment to the port and the 25th Infantry to the +starboard side of the vessel. The men of the two regiments were on the +best of terms, both having served together during mining troubles in +Montana. Still greater was the surprise of everyone when another order +was issued from the same source directing that the white regiment +should make coffee first, all the time, and detailing a guard to +see that the order was carried out. All of these things were done +seemingly to humiliate us and without a word of protest from our +officers. We suffered without complaint. God only knows how it was we +lived through those fourteen days on that miserable vessel. We lived +through those days and were fortunate enough not to have a burial at +sea. + +OPERATIONS AGAINST SANTIAGO. + +We landed in Cuba June 22, 1898. Our past hardships were soon +forgotten. It was enough to stir the heart of any lover of liberty to +witness that portion of Gomez's ragged army, under command of General +Castillo, lined up to welcome us to their beautiful island, and to +guide and guard our way to the Spanish strongholds. To call it a +ragged army is by no means a misnomer. The greater portion of those +poor fellows were both coatless and shoeless, many of them being +almost nude. They were by no means careful about their uniform. The +thing every one seemed careful about was his munitions of war, for +each man had his gun, ammunition and machete. Be it remembered that +this portion of the Cuban army was almost entirely composed of black +Cubans. + +After landing we halted long enough to ascertain that all the men of +the regiment were "present or accounted for," then marched into the +jungle of Cuba, following an old unused trail. General Shafter's +orders were to push forward without delay. And the 25th Infantry +has the honor of leading the march from the landing at Baiquiri or +Daiquiri (both names being used in official reports) the first day the +army of invasion entered the island. I do not believe any newspaper +has ever published this fact. + +There was no time to be lost, and the advance of the American army of +invasion in the direction of Santiago, the objective point, was rapid. +Each day, as one regiment would halt for a rest or reach a suitable +camping ground, another would pass. In this manner several regiments +had succeeded in passing the 25th Infantry by the morning of June +24th. At that time the 1st Volunteer Cavalry (Rough Riders) was +leading the march. + +THE FIRST BATTLE. + +[Illustration: Charge on El Caney--Twenty-Fifth Infantry.] + +On the morning of June 24th the Rough Riders struck camp early, and +was marching along the trail at a rapid gait, at "route step," in any +order suitable to the size of the road. Having marched several miles +through a well-wooded country, they came to an opening near where the +road forked. They turned into the left fork; at that moment, without +the least warning, the Cubans leading the march having passed on +unmolested, a volley from the Spanish behind a stone fort on top of +the hill on both sides of the road was fired into their ranks. They +were at first disconcerted, but rallied at once and began firing in +the direction from whence came the volleys. They could not advance, +and dared not retreat, having been caught in a sunken place in the +road, with a barbed-wire fence on one side and a precipitous hill on +the other. They held their ground, but could do no more. The Spanish +poured volley after volley into their ranks. At the moment when +it looked as if the whole regiment would be swept down by the +steel-jacketed bullets from the Mausers, four troops of the 10th +U.S. Cavalry (colored) came up on "double time." Little thought the +Spaniards that these "smoked yankees" were so formidable. Perhaps they +thought to stop those black boys by their relentless fire, but those +boys knew no stop. They halted for a second, and having with them a +Hotchkiss gun soon knocked down the Spanish improvised fort, cut the +barb-wire, making an opening for the Rough Riders, started the charge, +and, with the Rough Riders, routed the Spaniards, causing them to +retreat in disorder, leaving their dead and some wounded behind. The +Spaniards made a stubborn resistance. So hot was their fire directed +at the men at the Hotchkiss gun that a head could not be raise, and +men crawled on their stomachs like snakes loading and firing. It is +an admitted fact that the Rough Riders could not have dislodged the +Spanish by themselves without great loss, if at all. + +The names of Captain A.M. Capron, Jr., and Sergeant Hamilton Fish, +Jr., of the Rough Riders, who were killed in this battle, have been +immortalized, while that of Corporal Brown, 10th Cavalry, who manned +the Hotchkiss gun in this fight, without which the American loss in +killed and wounded would no doubt have been counted by hundreds, and +who was killed by the side of his gun, is unknown by the public. + +At the time the battle of the Rough Riders was fought the 25th +Infantry was within hearing distance of the battle and received orders +to reinforce them, which they could have done in less than two hours, +but our Brigade Commander in marching to the scene of battle took the +wrong trail, seemingly on purpose, and when we arrived at the place of +battle twilight was fading into darkness. + +The march in the direction of Santiago continued, until the evening of +June 30th found us bivouacked in the road less than two miles from El +Caney. At the first glimpse of day on the first day of July word was +passed along the line for the companies to "fall in." No bugle call +was sounded, no coffee was made, no noise allowed. We were nearing the +enemy, and every effort was made to surprise him. We had been told +that El Caney was well fortified, and so we found it. + +The first warning the people had of a foe being near was the roar of +our field artillery and the bursting of a shell in their midst. The +battle was on. In many cases an invading army serves notice of a +bombardment, but in this case it was incompatible with military +strategy. Non-combatants, women and children all suffered, for to have +warned them so they might have escaped would also have given warning +to the Spanish forces of our approach. The battle opened at dawn and +lasted until dark. When our troops reached the point from which they +were to make the attack, the Spanish lines of entrenched soldiers +could not be seen. + +[Illustration: CORPORAL BROWN. (Who was killed at a Hotchkiss gun +while shelling the Spanish block-house to save the Rough Riders.)] + +The only thing indicating their position was the block-house situated +on the highest point of a very steep hill. The undergrowth was so +dense that one could not see, on a line, more than fifty yards ahead. +The Spaniards, from their advantageous position in the block-house +and trenches on the hill top, had located the American forces in the +bushes and opened a fusillade upon them. The Americans replied with +great vigor, being ordered to fire at the block-house and to the right +and left of it, steadily advancing as they fired. All of the regiments +engaged in the battle of El Caney had not reached their positions +when the battle was precipitated by the artillery firing on the +block-house. The 25th Infantry was among that number. In marching to +its position some companies of the 2d Massachusetts Volunteers were +met retreating; they were completely whipped, and took occasion to +warn us, saying: "Boys, there is no use to go up there, you cannot +see a thing; they are slaughtering our men!" Such news made us feel +"shaky," not having, at the time, been initiated. We marched up, +however, in order and were under fire for nine hours. Many barbed-wire +obstructions were encountered, but the men never faltered. Finally, +late in the afternoon, our brave Lieutenant Kinnison said to another +officer: "We cannot take the trenches without charging them." Just as +he was about to give the order for the bugler to sound "the charge" he +was wounded and carried to the rear. The men were then fighting like +demons. Without a word of command, though led by that gallant and +intrepid Second Lieutenant J.A. Moss, 25th Infantry, some one gave a +yell and the 25th Infantry was off, alone, to the charge. The 4th U.S. +Infantry, fighting on the left, halted when those dusky heroes made +the dash with a yell which would have done credit to a Comanche +Indian. No one knows who started the charge; one thing is certain, +at the time it was made excitement was running high; each man was a +captain for himself and fighting accordingly. Brigadier Generals, +Colonels, Lieutenant-Colonels, Majors, etc., were not needed at the +time the 25th Infantry made the charge on El Caney, and those officers +simply watched the battle from convenient points, as Lieutenants and +enlisted men made the charge alone. It has been reported that the 12th +U.S. Infantry made the charge, assisted by the 25th Infantry, but it +is a recorded fact that the 25th Infantry fought the battle alone, the +12th Infantry coming up after the firing had nearly ceased. Private +T.C. Butler, Company H, 25th Infantry, was the first man to enter the +block-house at El Caney, and took possession of the Spanish flag for +his regiment. An officer of the 12th Infantry came up while Butler +was in the house and ordered him to give up the flag, which he was +compelled to do, but not until he had torn a piece off the flag to +substantiate his report to his Colonel of the injustice which had +been done to him. Thus, by using the authority given him by his +shoulder-straps, this officer took for his regiment that which had +been won by the hearts' blood of some of the bravest, though black, +soldiers of Shafter's army. + +The charge of El Caney has been little spoken of, but it was quite as +great a show of bravery as the famous taking of San Juan Hill. + +A word more in regard to the charge. It was not the glorious run from +the edge of some nearby thicket to the top of a small hill, as many +may imagine. This particular charge was a tough, hard climb, over +sharp, rising ground, which, were a man in perfect physical strength +he would climb slowly. Part of the charge was made over soft, +plowed ground, a part through a lot of prickly pineapple plants and +barbed-wire entanglements. It was slow, hard work, under a blazing +July sun and a perfect hail-storm of bullets, which, thanks to the +poor marksmanship of the Spaniards, "went high." + +It has been generally admitted, by all fair-minded writers, that the +colored soldiers saved the day both at El Caney and San Juan Hill. + +Notwithstanding their heroic services, they were still to be +subjected, in many cases, to more hardships than their white brother +in arms. When the flag of truce was, in the afternoon of July 3d, +seen, each man breathed a sigh of relief, for the strain had been +very great upon us. During the next eleven days men worked like ants, +digging trenches, for they had learned a lesson of fighting in the +open field. The work went on night and day. The 25th Infantry worked +harder than any other regiment, for as soon as they would finish a +trench they were ordered to move; in this manner they were kept moving +and digging new trenches for eleven days. The trenches left were each +time occupied by a white regiment. + +On July 14th it was decided to make a demonstration in front of +Santiago, to draw the fire of the enemy and locate his position. Two +companies of colored soldiers (25th Infantry) were selected for this +purpose, actually deployed as skirmishers and started in advance. +General Shafter, watching the movement from a distant hill, saw that +such a movement meant to sacrifice those men, without any or much +good resulting, therefore had them recalled. Had the movement been +completed it is probable that not a man would have escaped death or +serious wounds. When the news came that General Toral had decided to +surrender, the 25th Infantry was a thousand yards or more nearer the +city of Santiago than any regiment in the army, having entrenched +themselves along the railroad leading into the city. + +The following enlisted men of the 25th Infantry were commissioned +for their bravery at El Caney: First Sergeant Andrew J. Smith, First +Sergeant Macon Russell, First Sergeant Wyatt Huffman and Sergeant +Wm. McBryar. Many more were recommended, but failed to receive +commissions. It is a strange incident that all the above-named men +are native North Carolinians, but First Sergeant Huffman, who is from +Tennessee. + +The Negro played a most important part in the Spanish-American war. He +was the first to move from the west; first at Camp Thomas Chickamauga +Park, Ga.; first in the jungle of Cuba; among the first killed in +battle; first in the block-house at El Caney, and nearest to the enemy +when he surrendered. + +Frank W. Pullen, Jr., + +_Ex-Sergeant-Major 25th U.S. Infantry_. + +Enfield, N.C., March 23, 1899. + + +BUFFALO TROOPERS, THE NAME BY WHICH NEGRO SOLDIERS ARE KNOWN. + +They Comprise Several of the Crack Regiments in Our Army-The Indians +Stand in Abject Terror of them-Their Awful Yells Won a Battle with the +Redskins. + +"It is not necessary to revert to the Civil war to prove that American +Negroes are faithful, devoted wearers of uniforms," says a Washington +man, who has seen service in both the army and the navy. "There are at +the present time four regiments of Negro soldiers in the regular army +of the United States-two outfits of cavalry and two of infantry. All +four of these regiments have been under fire in important Indian +campaigns, and there is yet to be recorded a single instance of a man +in any of the four layouts showing the white feather, and the two +cavalry regiments of Negroes have, on several occasions, found +themselves in very serious situations. While the fact is well known +out on the frontier, I don't remember ever having seen it mentioned +back here that an American Indian has a deadly fear of an American +Negro. The most utterly reckless, dare-devil savage of the copper hue +stands literally in awe of a Negro, and the blacker the Negro the more +the Indian quails. I can't understand why this should be, for the +Indians decline to give their reasons for fearing the black men, +but the fact remains that even a very bad Indian will give the +mildest-mannered Negro imaginable all the room he wants, and to spare, +as any old regular army soldier who has frontiered will tell you. +The Indians, I fancy, attribute uncanny and eerie qualities to the +blacks." + +"The cavalry troop to which I belonged soldiered alongside a couple of +troops of the 9th Cavalry, a black regiment, up in the Sioux country +eight or nine years ago. We were performing chain guard, hemming-in +duty, and it was our chief business to prevent the savages from +straying from the reservation. We weren't under instructions to riddle +them if they attempted to pass our guard posts, but were authorized to +tickle them up to any reasonable extent, short of maiming them, with +our bayonets, if any of them attempted to bluff past us. Well, the men +of my troop had all colors of trouble while on guard in holding the +savages in. The Ogalallas would hardly pay any attention to the white +sentries of the chain guard, and when they wanted to pass beyond the +guard limits they would invariably pick out a spot for passage that +was patrolled by a white 'post-humper.' But the guards of the two +black troops didn't have a single run-in with the savages. The Indians +made it a point to remain strictly away from the Negro soldiers' guard +posts. Moreover, the black soldiers got ten times as much obedience +from the Indians loafing around the tepees and wickleups as did we of +the white outfit. The Indians would fairly jump to obey the uniformed +Negroes. I remember seeing a black sergeant make a minor chief go +down to a creek to get a pail of water--an unheard of thing, for the +chiefs, and even the ordinary bucks among the Sioux, always make their +squaws perform this sort of work. This chief was sunning himself, +reclining, beside his tepee, when his squaw started with the bucket +for the creek some distance away. The Negro sergeant saw the move. He +walked up to the lazy, grunting savage." + +"'Look a-yeah, yo' spraddle-nosed, yalluh voodoo nigguh,' said the +black sergeant--he was as black as a stovepipe--to the blinking chief, +'jes' shake yo' no-count bones an' tote dat wattuh yo'se'f. Yo' ain' +no bettuh to pack wattuh dan Ah am, yo' heah me.'" + +"The heap-much Indian chief didn't understand a word of what the Negro +sergeant said to him, but he understands pantomime all right, and when +the black man in uniform grabbed the pail out of the squaw's hand and +thrust it into the dirty paw of the chief the chief went after that +bucket of water, and he went a-loping, too." + +[Illustration.] + +"The Sioux will hand down to their children's children the story of +a charge that a couple of Negro cavalry troops made during the Pine +Ridge troubles. It was of the height of the fracas, and the bad +Indians were regularly lined up for battle. Those two black troops +were ordered to make the initial swoop upon them. You know the noise +one black man can make when he gets right down to the business of +yelling. Well, these two troops of blacks started their terrific whoop +in unison when they were a mile away from the waiting Sioux, and they +got warmed up and in better practice with every jump their horses +made. I give you my solemn word that in the ears of us of the white +outfit, stationed three miles away, the yelps those two Negro troops +of cavalry gave sounded like the carnival whooping of ten thousand +devils. The Sioux weren't scared a little bit by the approaching +clouds of alkali dust, but, all the same, when the two black troops +were more than a quarter of a mile away the Indians broke and ran as +if the old boy himself were after them, and it was then an easy matter +to round them up and disarm them. The chiefs afterward confessed that +they were scared out by the awful howling of the black soldiers." + +"Ever since the war the United States navy has had a fair +representation of Negro bluejackets, and they make first-class naval +tars. There is not a ship in the navy to-day that hasn't from six to +a dozen, anyhow, of Negroes on its muster rolls. The Negro sailors' +names very rarely get enrolled on the bad conduct lists. They are +obedient, sober men and good seamen. There are many petty officers +among them."--_The Planet._ + + +THE CHARGE OF THE "NIGGER NINTH" ON SAN JUAN HILL. + +BY GEORGE E. POWELL + + Hark! O'er the drowsy trooper's dream, + There comes a martial metal's scream, + That startles one and all! + It is the word, to wake, to die! + To hear the foeman's fierce defy! + To fling the column's battle-cry! + The "boots and saddles" call. + + The shimmering steel, the glow or morn, + The rally-call of battle-horn, + Proclaim a day of carnage, born + For better or for ill. + Above the pictured tentage white, + Above the weapons glinting bright, + The day god casts a golden light + Across the San Juan Hill. + + "Forward!" "Forward!" comes the cry, + As stalwart columns, ambling by, + Stride over graves that, waiting, lie + Undug in mother earth! + Their goal, the flag of fierce Castile + Above her serried ranks of steel, + Insensate to the cannon's peal + That gives the battle birth! + + As brawn as black--a fearless foe; + Grave, grim and grand, they onward go, + To conquer or to die! + The rule of right; the march of might; + A dusky host from darker night, + Responsive to the morning light, + To work the martial will! + And o'er the trench and trembling earth, + The morn that gives the battle birth + Is on the San Juan Hill! + + Hark! sounds again the bugle call! + Let ring the rifles over all, + To shriek above the battle-pall + The war-god's jubilee! + Their's, were bondmen, low, and long; + Their's, once weak against the strong; + Their's, to strike and stay the wrong, + That strangers might be free! + + And on, and on, for weal or woe, + The tawny faces grimmer go, + That bade no mercy to a foe + That pitties but to kill. + "Close up!" "Close up!" is heard, and said, + And yet the rain of steel and lead + Still leaves a livid trail of red + Upon the San Juan Hill! + + "Charge!" "Charge!" The bugle peals again; + 'Tis life or death for Roosevelt's men!-- + The Mausers make reply! + Aye! speechless are those swarthy sons, + Save for the clamor of the guns-- + Their only battle-cry! + The lowly stain upon each face, + The taunt still fresh of prouder race, + But speeds the step that springs a pace, + To succor or to die! + + With rifles hot--to waist-band nude; + The brawn beside the pampered dude; + The cowboy king--one grave--and rude-- + To shelter him who falls! + One breast--and bare,--howe'er begot, + The low, the high--one common lot: + The world's distinction all forgot + When Freedom's bugle calls! + + No faltering step, no fitful start; + None seeking less than all his part; + One watchward springing from each heart,-- + Yet on, and onward still! + The sullen sound of tramp and tread; + Abe Lincoln's flag still overhead; + They followed where the angels led + The way, up San Juan Hill! + + And where the life stream ebbs and flows, + And stains the track of trenchant blows + That met no meaner steel, + The bated breath--the battle yell-- + The turf in slippery crimson, tell + Where Castile's proudest colors fell + With wounds that never heal! + + Where every trooper found a wreath + Of glory for his sabre sheath; + And earned the laurels well; + With feet to field and face to foe, + In lines of battle lying low, + The sable soldiers fell! + + And where the black and brawny breast + Gave up its all--life's richest, best, + To find the tomb's eternal rest + A dream of freedom still! + A groundless creed was swept away, + With brand of "coward "--a time-worn say-- + And he blazed the path a better way + Up the side of San Juan Hill! + For black or white, on the scroll of fame, + The blood of the hero dyes the same; + And ever, ever will! + + Sleep, trooper, sleep; thy sable brow, + Amid the living laurel now, + Is wound in wreaths of fame! + Nor need the graven granite stone, + To tell of garlands all thine own-- + To hold a soldier's name! + +[In the city of New Orleans, in 1866, two thousand two hundred and +sixty-six ex-slaves were recruited for the service. None but the +largest and blackest Negroes were accepted. From these were formed +the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Infantry, and the Ninth and Tenth +Cavalry. All four are famous fighting regiments, yet the two cavalry +commands have earned the proudest distinction. While the record of the +Ninth Cavalry, better known as the "Nigger Ninth," in its thirty-two +years of service in the Indian wars, in the military history of the +border, stands without a peer; and is, without exception, the most +famous fighting regiment in the United States service.]--Author. + +[Illustration: COLONEL THEODORE B. ROOSEVELT.] + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + + +COLONEL THEODORE B. ROOSEVELT, NOW GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK, WHO LED THE +ROUGH RIDERS, TELLS OF THE BRAVERY OF NEGRO SOLDIERS. + + +When Colonel Theodore Roosevelt returned from the command of the +famous Rough Riders, he delivered a farewell address to his men, +in which he made the following kind reference to the gallant Negro +soldiers: + +"Now, I want to say just a word more to some of the men I see standing +around not of your number. I refer to the colored regiments, who +occupied the right and left flanks of us at Guásimas, the Ninth and +Tenth cavalry regiments. The Spaniards called them 'Smoked Yankees,' +but we found them to be an excellent breed of Yankees. I am sure that +I speak the sentiments of officers and men in the assemblage when I +say that between you and the other cavalry regiments there exists a +tie which we trust will never be broken."--_Colored American_. + + * * * * * + +The foregoing compliments to the Negro soldiers by Colonel Roosevelt +started up an avalanche of additional praise for them, out of which +the fact came, that but for the Ninth and Tenth Cavalry (colored) +coming up at Las Guásimas, destroying the Spanish block house and +driving the Spaniards off, when Roosevelt and his men had been caught +in a trap, with a barbed-wire fence on one side and a precipice on +the other, not only the brave Capron and Fish, but the whole of his +command would have been annihilated by the Spanish sharp-shooters, who +were firing with smokeless powder under cover, and picking off the +Rough Riders one by one, who could not see the Spaniards. To break the +force of this unfavorable comment on the Rough Riders, it is claimed +that Colonel Roosevelt made the following criticism of the colored +soldiers in general and of a few of them in particular, in an article +written by him for the April Scribner; and a letter replying to +the Colonel's strictures, follows by Sergeant Holliday, who was an +"eye-witness" to the incident: + +Colonel Roosevelt's criticism was, in substance, that colored +soldiers were of no avail without white officers; that when the white +commissioned officers are killed or disabled, colored non-commissioned +officers could not be depended upon to keep up a charge already begun; +that about a score of colored infantrymen, who had drifted into his +command, weakened on the hill at San Juan under the galling Spanish +fire, and started to the rear, stating that they intended finding +their regiments, or to assist the wounded; whereupon he drew his +revolver and ordered them to return to ranks and there remain, and +that he would shoot the first man who didn't obey him; and that after +that he had no further trouble. + +Colonel Roosevelt is sufficiently answered in the following letter of +Sergeant Holliday, and the point especially made by many eye-witnesses +(white) who were engaged in that fight is, as related in Chapter V, of +this book, that the Negro troops made the charges both at San Juan and +El Caney after nearly all their officers had been killed or wounded. +Upon what facts, therefore, does Colonel Roosevelt base his +conclusions that Negro soldiers will not fight without commissioned +officers, when the only real test of this question happened around +Santiago and showed just the contrary of what he states? We prefer +to take the results at El Caney and San Juan as against Colonel +Roosevelt's imagination. + +COLONEL ROOSEVELT'S ERROR. + +TRUE STORY OF THE INCIDENT HE MAGNIFIED TO OUR HURT--THE WHITE +OFFICERS' HUMBUG SKINNED OF ITS HIDE BY SERGEANT HOLLIDAY--UNWRITTEN +HISTORY. + +_To the Editor of the New York Age_: + +Having read in _The Age_ of April 13 an editorial entitled "Our Troops +in Cuba," which brings to my notice for the first time a statement +made by Colonel Roosevelt, which, though in some parts true, if read +by those who do not know the exact facts and circumstances surrounding +the case, will certainly give rise to the wrong impression of colored +men as soldiers, and hurt them for many a day to come, and as I was +an eye-witness to the most important incidents mentioned in that +statement, I deem it a duty I owe, not only to the fathers, mothers, +sisters and brothers of those soldiers, and to the soldiers +themselves, but to their posterity and the race in general, to be +always ready to make an unprejudiced refutation of such charges, and +to do all in my power to place the colored soldier where he properly +belongs--among the bravest and most trustworthy of this land. + +In the beginning, I wish to say that from what I saw of Colonel +Roosevelt in Cuba, and the impression his frank countenance made +upon me, I cannot believe that he made that statement maliciously. I +believe the Colonel thought he spoke the exact truth. But did he know, +that of the four officers connected with two certain troops of the +Tenth Cavalry one was killed and three were so seriously wounded as to +cause them to be carried from the field, and the command of these two +troops fell to the first sergeants, who led them triumphantly to the +front? Does he know that both at Las Guasima and San Juan Hill the +greater part of troop B, of the Tenth Cavalry, was separated from its +commanding officer by accidents of battle and was led to the front by +its first sergeant? + +When we reached the enemy's works on San Juan Hill our organizations +were very badly mixed, few company commanders having their whole +companies or none of some body else's company. As it was, Capt. +Watson, my troop commander, reached the crest of the hill with about +eight or ten men of his troop, all the rest having been accidentally +separated from him by the thick underbrush during the advance, and +being at that time, as was subsequently shown to be the firing line +under some one else pushing to the front. We kept up the forward +movement, and finally halted on the heights overlooking Santiago, +where Colonel Roosevelt, with a very thin line had preceded us, and +was holding the hill. Here Captain Watson told us to remain while he +went to another part of the line to look for the rest of his troop. He +did not come to that part of the field again. + +The Colonel made a slight error when he said his mixed command +contained some colored infantry. All the colored troops in that +command were cavalry men. His command consisted mostly of Rough +Riders, with an aggregate of about one troop of the Tenth Cavalry, a +few of the Ninth and a few of the First Regular Cavalry, with a half +dozen officers. Every few minutes brought men from the rear, everybody +seeming to be anxious to get to the firing line. For a while we kept +up a desultory fire, but as we could not locate the enemy (he all the +time keeping up a hot fire on our position), we became disgusted, and +lay down and kept silent. Private Marshall was here seriously wounded +while standing in plain view of the enemy, trying to point them out to +his comrades. + +There were frequent calls for men to carry the wounded to the rear, +to go for ammunition, and as night came on, to go for rations and +entrenching tools. A few colored soldiers volunteered, as did some +from the Rough Riders. It then happened that two men of the Tenth were +ordered to the rear by Lieutenant Fleming, Tenth Cavalry, who was then +present with part of his troop, for the purpose of bringing either +rations or entrenching tools, and Colonel Roosevelt seeing so many men +going to the rear, shouted to them to come back, jumped up and drew +his revolver, and told the men of the Tenth that he would shoot the +first man who attempted to shirk duty by going to the rear, that he +had orders to hold that line and he would do so if he had to shoot +every man there to do it. His own men immediately informed him that +"you won't have to shoot those men, Colonel. We know those boys." He +was also assured by Lieutenant Fleming, of the Tenth, that he would +have no trouble keeping them there, and some of our men shouted, in +which I joined, that "we will stay with you, Colonel." Everyone who +saw the incident knew the Colonel was mistaken about our men trying to +shirk duty, but well knew that he could not admit of any heavy detail +from his command, so no one thought ill of the matter. Inasmuch as the +Colonel came to the line of the Tenth the next day and told the men of +his threat to shoot some of their members and, as he expressed it, he +had seen his mistake and found them to be far different men from what +he supposed. I thought he was sufficiently conscious of his error not +to make a so ungrateful statement about us at a time when the Nation +is about to forget our past service. + +Had the Colonel desired to note the fact, he would have seen that when +orders came the next day to relieve the detachment of the Tenth from +that part of the field, he commanded just as many colored men at that +time as he commanded at any other time during the twenty-four hours +we were under his command, although colored as well as white soldiers +were going and coming all day, and they knew perfectly well where the +Tenth Cavalry was posted, and that it was on a line about four hundred +yards further from the enemy than Colonel Roosevelt's line. Still when +they obtained permission to go to the rear, they almost invariably +came back to the same position. Two men of my troop were wounded while +at the rear for water and taken to the hospital and, of course, could +not come back. + +Our men always made it a rule to join the nearest command when +separated from our own, and those who had been so unfortunate as to +lose their way altogether were, both colored and white, straggling +up from the time the line was established until far into the night, +showing their determination to reach the front. + +In explaining the desire of our men in going back to look for their +comrades, it should be stated that, from the contour of the ground, +the Rough Riders were so much in advance of the Tenth Cavalry that, +to reach the latter regiment from the former, one had really to go +straight to the rear and then turn sharply to the right; and further, +it is a well known fact, that in this country most persons of color +feel out of place when they are by force compelled to mingle with +white persons, especially strangers, and although we knew we were +doing our duty, and would be treated well as long as we stood to the +front and fought, unfortunately some of our men (and these were all +recruits with less than six months' service) felt so much out of place +that when the firing lulled, often showed their desire to be with +their commands. None of our older men did this. We knew perfectly well +that we could give as much assistance there as anywhere else, and that +it was our duty to remain until relieved. And we did. White soldiers +do not, as a rule, share this feeling with colored soldiers. The fact +that a white man knows how well he can make a place for himself among +colored people need not be discussed here. + +I remember an incident of a recruit of my troop, with less than two +months' service, who had come up to our position during the evening of +the 1st, having been separated from the troop during the attack on San +Juan Hill. The next morning, before the firing began, having seen an +officer of the Tenth, who had been sent to Colonel Roosevelt with a +message, returning to the regiment, he signified his intention of +going back with him, saying he could thus find the regiment. I +remonstrated with him without avail and was only able to keep him from +going by informing him of the Colonel's threat of the day before. +There was no desire on the part of this soldier to shirk duty. He +simply didn't know that he should not leave any part of the firing +line without orders. Later, while lying in reserve behind the firing +line, I had to use as much persuasion to keep him from firing over the +heads of his enemies as I had to keep him with us. He remained with us +until he was shot in the shoulder and had to be sent to the rear. + +I could give many other incidents of our men's devotion to duty, of +their determination to stay until the death, but what's the use? +Colonel Roosevelt has said they shirked, and the reading public will +take the Colonel at his word and go on thinking they shirked. His +statement was uncalled for and uncharitable, and considering the moral +and physical effect the advance of the Tenth Cavalry had in weakening +the forces opposed to the Colonel's regiment, both at La Guasima and +San Juan Hill, altogether ungrateful, and has done us an immeasurable +lot of harm. + +And further, as to lack of qualifications for command, I will say +that when our soldiers, who can and will write history, sever their +connections with the Regular Army, and thus release themselves from +their voluntary status of military lockjaw, and tell what they saw, +those who now preach that the Negro is not fit to exercise command +over troops, and will go no further than he is led by white officers, +will see in print held up for public gaze, much to their chagrin, +tales of those Cuban battles that have never been told outside the +tent and barrack room, tales that it will not be agreeable for some +of them to hear. The public will then learn that not every troop or +company of colored soldiers who took part in the assaults on San Juan +Hill or El Caney was led or urged forward by its white officer. + +It is unfortunate that we had no colored officers in that campaign, +and this thing of white officers for colored troops is exasperating, +and I join with _The Age_ in saying our motto for the future must be: +"No officers, no soldiers." + +PRESLEY HOLLIDAY, + +Sergeant Troop B, Tenth Cavalry. + +Fort Ringgold, Texas, April 22, 1899. + + * * * * * + +JACOB A. RIIS in _The Outlook_ gives the following interesting reading +concerning the colored troopers in an article entitled "Roosevelt and +His Men": + +[Illustration: GENERAL NELSON A. MILES.] + +"It was one of the unexpected things in this campaign that seems +destined to set so many things right that out of it should come the +appreciation of the colored soldier as man and brother by those even +who so lately fought to keep him a chattel. It fell to the lot of +General 'Joe' Wheeler, the old Confederate warrior, to command the two +regiments of colored troops, the Ninth and Tenth Cavalry, and no one +will bear readier testimony than he to the splendid record they made. +Of their patience under the manifold hardships of roughing it in the +tropics, their helpfulness in the camp and their prowess in battle, +their uncomplaining suffering when lying wounded and helpless. Stories +enough are told to win for them fairly the real brotherhood with their +white-skinned fellows which they crave. The most touching of the many +I heard was that of a Negro trooper, who, struck by a bullet that cut +an artery in his neck, was lying helpless, in danger of bleeding to +death, when a Rough Rider came to his assistance. There was only +one thing to be done--to stop the bleeding till a surgeon came. A +tourniquet could not be applied where the wound was. The Rough Rider +put his thumb on the artery and held it there while he waited. The +fighting drifted away over the hill. He followed his comrades with +longing eyes till the last was lost to sight. His place was there, +but if he abandoned the wounded cavalryman it was to let him die. +He dropped his gun and stayed. Not until the battle was won did the +surgeon come that way, but the trooper's life was saved. He told of it +in the hospital with tears in his voice: 'He done that to me, he did; +stayed by me an hour and a half, and me only a nigger.'" + + * * * * * + +GENERAL NELSON A. MILES PAYS A TRIBUTE TO THE NEGRO SOLDIERS. + +Major-General Nelson A. Miles, Commander-in-Chief of the army of the +United States spoke at the Peace Jubilee at Chicago, October 11th, and +said: + +"While the chivalry of the South and the yeomanry of the North vied +with their devotion to the cause of their country and in their +pride in its flag which floated over all, it's a glorious fact that +patriotism was not confined to any one section or race for the +sacrifice, bravery and fortitude. The white race was accompanied by +the gallantry of the black as they swept over entrenched lines and +later volunteered to succor the sick, nurse the dying and bury the +dead in the hospitals and the Cuban camps." + +"This was grandly spoken, and we feel gratified at this recognition of +the valor of one of the best races of people the world has ever seen." + +"We are coming, boys; it's a little slow and tiresome, but we are +coming."--_Colored American._ + +At a social reunion of the Medal of Honor Legion held a few evenings +since to welcome home two of their members, General Nelson A. Miles, +commanding the army of the United States, and Colonel M. Emmett Urell, +of the First District Columbia Volunteers, in the course of his +remarks, General Miles paid the finest possible tribute to the +splendid heroism and soldierly qualities evidenced by the men of the +9th and 10th Cavalry, and 24th and 25th United States Infantry in the +late Santiago campaign, which he epitomized as "without a parallel in +the history of the world." + +At the close of his remarks, Major C.A. Fleetwood, the only +representative of the race present, in behalf of the race extended +their heartfelt and warmest thanks for such a magnificent tribute from +such a magnificent soldier and man.--_Colored American_. + + * * * * * + +CLEVELAND MOFFITT, IN LESLIE'S WEEKLY, DESCRIBES THE HEROISM OF A +"BLACK COLOR BEARER." + +"Having praised our war leaders sufficiently, in some cases more +than sufficiently (witness Hobson), let us give honor to some of the +humbler ones, who fought obscurely, but did fine things nevertheless." + +[Illustration: SERGEANT BERRY, The first soldier who reached the Block +House on San Juan Hill and hoisted the American flag in a hail of +Spanish bullets.] + +"There was Sergeant Berry, for instance, of the Tenth Cavalry, who +might have boasted his meed of kisses, too, had he been a white man. +At any rate, he rescued the colors of a white regiment from unseemly +trampling and bore them safely through the bullets to the top of +San Juan hill. Now, every one knows that the standard of a troop is +guarded like a man's own soul, or should be, and how it came that this +Third Cavalry banner was lying on the ground that day is something +that may never be rightly known. Some white man had left it there, +many white men had let it stay there, but Berry, a black man, saw it +fluttering in shame and paused in his running long enough to catch +it up and lift it high overhead beside his own banner--for he was a +color-bearer of the Tenth." + +"Then, with two flags flying above him, and two heavy staves to bear, +this powerful negro (he is literally a giant in strength and stature) +charged the heights, while white men and black men cheered him as they +pressed behind. Who shall say what temporary demoralization there may +have been in this troop of the Third at that critical moment, or what +fresh courage may have been fired in them by that black man's act! +They say Berry yelled like a demon as he rushed against the Spaniards, +and I, for one, am willing to believe that his battle-cry brought +fighting energy to his own side as well as terror to the enemy." + +"After the fight one of the officers of the Third Cavalry sought Berry +out and asked him to give back the trophy fairly won by him, and his +to keep, according to the usages of war. And the big Negro handed back +the banner with a smile and light word. He had saved the colors and +rallied the troop, but it didn't matter much. They could have the flag +if they wanted it." + +"There are some hundreds of little things like this that we might as +well bear in mind, we white men, the next time we start out to decry +the Negro!" + + * * * * * + +PRESIDENT MCKINLEY RECOGNIZES THE WORTH OF NEGRO SOLDIERS BY +PROMOTION. + +PROMOTIONS FOR COLORED SOLDIERS. + +Washington, July 30.--Six colored non-commissioned officers who +rendered particularly gallant service in the actions around Santiago +on July 1st and 2d have been appointed second lieutenants in the two +colored immune regiments recently organized under special act of +Congress. These men are Sergeants William Washington, Troop F, and +John C. Proctor, Troop I, of the 9th Cavalry, and Sergeants William +McBryar, Company H; Wyatt Hoffman, Company G; Macon Russell, Company +H, and Andrew J. Smith, Company B, of the 25th Infantry, commanded by +Colonel Daggett. Jacob C. Smith, Sergeant Pendergrass, Lieutenant Ray, +Sergeant Horace W. Bivins, Lieutenant E.L. Baker, Lieutenant J.H. +Hill, Lieutenant Buck.--_N.Y. World._ + +These promotions were made into the volunteer regiments, which were +mustered out after the war, thus leaving the men promoted in the same +rank they were before promotion if they chose to re-enlist in the +regular army. They got no permanent advancement by this act of the +President, but the future may develop better things for them. + + * * * * * + +COMPETENT TO BE OFFICERS--THE VERDICT OF GENERAL THOMAS J. MORGAN, +AFTER A STUDY OF THE NEGRO'S QUALITY AS A SOLDIER. + +COLOR LINE IN THE ARMY--DIFFICULTY IN MAKING AFRO-AMERICAN COMMISSIONED +OFFICERS--HEROISM ON THE FIELD SURE TO REAP REWARD--MORGAN PREFERS +NEGRO TROOP TO THE WHITES. + +General Thomas J. Morgan belongs to that class of Caucasian observers +who are able to think clearly upon the Negro problem in all of its +phases, and who have not only the breadth of intelligence to form just +and generous opinions, but who possess that rarer quality, the courage +to give them out openly to the country. General Morgan contributes the +following article to the _New York Independent_, analyzing the motives +which underlie the color line in the army. + +[Illustration: GENERAL, THOMAS J. MORGAN, LL.D., Who says Negroes are +Competent to be Officers in the Army.] + +He has had wide experience in military affairs, and his close contact +with Negro soldiers during the civil war entitles him to speak with +authority. General Morgan says: + +"The question of the color line has assumed an acute stage, and has +called forth a good deal of feeling. The various Negro papers in the +country are very generally insisting that if the Negro soldiers are to +be enlisted, Negro officers should be appointed to command them. One +zealous paper is clamoring for the appointment, immediately, by the +President, of a Negro Major-General. The readers of _The Independent_ +know very well that during the civil war there were enlisted in the +United States army 200,000 Negro soldiers under white officers, the +highest position assigned to a black man being that of first sergeant, +or of regimental sergeant-major. The Negroes were allowed to wear +chevrons, but not shoulder straps or epaulets. Although four Negro +regiments have been incorporated in the regular army, and have +rendered exceptionally effective service on the plains and elsewhere +for a whole generation, there are to-day no Negro officers in the +service. A number of young men have been appointed as cadets at West +Point, but the life has not been by any means an easy one. The only +caste or class with caste distinctions that exists in the republic is +found in the army; army officers are, par excellence, the aristocrats; +nowhere is class feeling so much cultivated as among them; nowhere +is it so difficult to break down the established lines. Singularly +enough, though entrance to West Point is made very broad, and a large +number of those who go there to be educated at the expense of the +Government have no social position to begin with, and no claims to +special merit, and yet, after having been educated at the public +expense, and appointed to life positions, they seem to cherish the +feeling that they are a select few, entitled to special consideration, +and that they are called upon to guard their class against any +insidious invasions. Of course there are honorable exceptions. There +are many who have been educated at West Point who are broad in their +sympathies, democratic in their ideas, and responsive to every appeal +of philanthropy and humanity; but the spirit of West Point has been +opposed to the admission of Negroes into the ranks of commissioned +officers, and the opposition to the commissioning of black men +emanating from the army will go very far toward the defeat of any +project of that kind." + +"To make the question of the admission of Negroes into the higher +ranks of commissioned officers more difficult is the fact that the +organization of Negro troops under the call of the President for +volunteers to carry on the war with Spain, has been left chiefly to +the Governors of states. Very naturally the strong public sentiment +against the Negro, which obtains almost universally in the South, +has thus far prevented the recognition of his right to be treated +precisely as the white man is treated. It would be, indeed, almost +revolutionary for any Southern Governor to commission a Negro as a +colonel of a regiment, or even a captain of a company. (Since this was +written two Negro colonels have been appointed--in the Third North +Carolina and Eighth Illinois.) Even where there are exceptions to this +rule, they are notable exceptions. Everywhere through the South Negro +volunteers are made to feel that they are not upon the same plane as +white volunteers." + +"In a recent conversation with the Adjutant General of the army, I +was assured by him that in the organization of the ten regiments of +immunes which Congress has authorized, the President had decided that +five of them should be composed of Negroes, and that while the field +and staff officers and captains are to be white, the lieutenants may +be Negroes. If this is done it will mark a distinct step in advance of +any taken hitherto. It will recognize partially, at least, the manhood +of the Negro, and break down that unnatural bar of separation now +existing. If a Negro is a lieutenant, he will command his company in +the absence of the captain. He can wear epaulets, and be entitled to +all the rights and privileges 'of an officer and a gentleman;' he is +no longer doomed to inferiority. In case of battle, where bullets +have no respect of persons, and do not draw the line at color, it may +easily happen that a regiment or battalion will do its best work in +the face of the enemy under the command of a Negro chief. Thus far +the Government has been swift to recognize heroism and efficiency, +whether performed by Commodore Dewey at Manila or Lieutenant Hobson at +Santiago, and it can hardly be otherwise than that it will be ready +to recognize exceptional prowess and skill when performed by a Negro +officer." + +"All, perhaps, which the Negroes themselves, or their friends, have a +right to ask in their behalf is, that they shall have a chance to show +the stuff they are made of. The immortal Lincoln gave them this chance +when he admitted them to wear the blue and carry a musket; and right +manfully did they justify his confidence. There was not better +fighting done during the civil war than was done by some of the Negro +troops. With my experience, in command of 5,000 Negro soldiers, I +would, on the whole, prefer, I think, the command of a corps of Negro +troops to that of a corps of white troops. With the magnificent +record of their fighting qualities on many a hard-contested field, it +is not unreasonable to ask that a still further opportunity shall +be extended to them in commissioning them as officers, as well as +enlisting them as soldiers." + +"Naturally and necessarily the question of fitness for official +responsibility is the prime test and ought to be applied, and if +Negroes cannot be found of sufficient intelligence or preparation for +the duties incumbent on army officers, nobody should object to the +places being given to qualified white men. But so long as we draw no +race line of distinction as against Germans or Irishmen, and institute +no test of religion, politics or culture, we ought not to erect an +artificial barrier of color. If the Negroes are competent they should +be commissioned. If they are incompetent they should not be trusted +with the grave responsibilities attached to official position. I +believe they are competent." + +[Illustration: GENERAL MAXIMO GOMEZ, OF THE CUBAN ARMY.] + + + + +CHAPTER V. + + +MANY TESTIMONIALS IN BEHALF OF THE NEGRO SOLDIERS. + + +A SOUTHERNER'S STATEMENT, THAT THE NEGRO CAVALRY SAVED THE "ROUGH +RIDERS." + +Some of the officers who accompanied the wounded soldiers on the trip +north give interesting accounts of the fighting around Santiago. "I +was standing near Captain Capron and Hamilton Fish, Jr.," said a +corporal to the Associated Press correspondent to-night, "and saw them +shot down. They were with the Rough Riders and ran into an ambuscade, +though they had been warned of the danger. If it had not been for the +Negro Calvary the Rough Riders would have been exterminated. I am not +a Negro lover. My father fought with Mosby's Rangers, and I was born +in the South, but the Negroes saved that fight, and the day will come +when General Shafter will give them credit for their bravery."--_Asso. +Press_. + + * * * * * + +RECONCILIATION. + +"Members of our regiment kicked somewhat when the colored troops were +sent forward with them, but when they saw how the Negroes fought +they became reconciled to the situation and some of them now say the +colored brother can have half of their blankets whenever they want +them." + +The above is an extract from a communication to the Daily Afternoon +Journal, of Beaumont, Tex., written by a Southern white soldier: +"Straws tell the way the wind blows," is a hackneyed expression, but +an apt illustration of the subject in hand. It has been hinted by a +portion of the Negro press that when the war ended, that if there is +to be the millennium of North and South, the Negroes will suffer in the +contraction. There is no reason to encourage this pessimistic view, +since it is so disturbing in its nature, and since it is in the +province of the individuals composing the race to create a future to +more or less extent. The wedge has entered; it remains for the race to +live up to its opportunities. The South already is making concessions. +While concessions are apt to be looked upon as too patronizing, and +not included in the classification of rights in common, yet in time +they amount to the same. The mere statement that "the colored brother +can have half of their blankets whenever they want them," while +doubtless a figure of speech, yet it signifies that under this very +extreme of speech an appreciable advance of the race. It does not mean +that there is to be a storming of the social barriers, for even in the +more favored races definite lines are drawn. Sets and circles adjust +such matters. But what is desired is the toleration of the Negroes in +those pursuits that the people engage in or enjoy in general and in +common. It is all that the American Negro may expect, and it is safe +to say that his ambitions do not run higher, and ought not to run +higher. Money and birth in themselves have created some unwritten +laws that are much stronger than those decreed and promulgated by +governments. It would be the height of presumption to strike at these, +to some extent privileged classes. It is to be hoped that the good +fortunes of war will produce sanity and stability in the race, +contending for abstract justice.--_Freeman._ + +The testimony continues: + +Private Smith of the Seventy-first Volunteers, speaking about the +impression his experience at Santiago had made upon him, said: + +"I am a Southerner by birth, and I never thought much of the colored +man. But, somewhat, now I feel very differently toward them, for I +met them in camp, on the battle field and that's where a man gets to +know a man. I never saw such fighting as those Tenth Cavalry men did. +They didn't seem to know what fear was, and their battle hymn was, +'There'll be a hot time in the old town to-night. That's not a +thrilling hymn to hear on the concert stage, but when you are lying in +a trench with the smell of powder in your nose and the crack of rifles +almost deafening you and bullets tearing up the ground around you +like huge hailstones beating down the dirt, and you see before you a +blockhouse from which there belches fourth the machine gun, pouring a +torrent of leaden missiles, while from holes in the ground you see +the leveled rifles of thousands of enemies that crack out death in +ever-increasing succession and then you see a body of men go up that +hill as if it were in drill, so solid do they keep their formation, +and those men are yelling, 'There'll be a hot time in the old town +to-night,' singing as if they liked their work, why, there's an +appropriateness in the tune that kind of makes your blood creep and +your nerves to thrill and you want to get up and go ahead if you lose +a limb in the attempt And that's what those 'niggers' did. You just +heard the Lieutenant say, 'Men, will you follow me?' and you hear a +tremendous shout answer him, 'You bet we will,' and right up through +that death-dealing storm you see men charge, that is, you see them +until the darned Springfield rifle powder blinds you and hides them." + +"And there is another thing, too, that teaches a man a lesson. The +action of the officers on the field is what I speak of. Somehow when +you watch these men with their gold braid in armories on a dance night +or dress parade it strikes you that they are a little more handsome +and ornamental than they are practical and useful. To tell the truth, +I didn't think much of those dandy officers on parade or dancing round +a ball room. I did not really think they were worth the money that was +spent upon them. But I just found it was different on the battlefield, +and they just knew their business and bullets were a part of the show +to them." + + * * * * * + +NEGRO SOLDIERS. + +The Charleston News and Courier says: + +It is not known what proportion of the insurgent army is colored, but +the indications are that the proportion of the same element in the +volunteer army of occupation will be small. + +On the basis of population, of course one-third of the South's quota +should be made up of colored, and it is to be remembered that they +made good soldiers and constitute a large part of the regular army. +There were nearly 250,000 of them in service in the last war. + + * * * * * + +THE NEGRO AS A SOLDIER--HIS GOOD MARKSMANSHIP--THE FIGHT AT EL +CANEY--"WOE TO SPANISH IN RANGE." + +There has been hitherto among the officers of the army a certain +prejudice against serving in the Negro regiments. But the other day a +Lieutenant in the Ninth Infantry said enthusiastically: + +"Do you know, I shouldn't want anything better than to have a company +in a Negro regiment? I am from Virginia, and have always had the usual +feeling about commanding colored troops. But after seeing that charge +of the Twenty-fourth up the San Juan Hill, I should like the best in +the world to have a Negro company. They went up that incline yelling +and shouting just as I used to hear when they were hunting rabbits +in Virginia. The Spanish bullets only made them wilder to reach the +trenches." + +[Illustration: FIRST PAY-DAY IN CUBA FOR THE NINTH AND TENTH CAVALRY.] + +Officers of other regiments which were near the Twenty-fourth on July +1 are equally strong in their praise of the Negroes. Their yells were +an inspiration to their white comrades and spread dismay among the +Spaniards. A Captain in a volunteer regiment declares that the +Twenty-fourth did more than any other to win the day at San Juan. +As they charged up through the white soldiers their enthusiasm was +spread, and the entire line fought the better for their cheers and +their wild rush. + +Spanish evidence to the effectiveness of the colored soldiers is not +lacking. Thus an officer who was with the troops that lay in wait for +the Americans at La Quasina on June 24th, said: + +"What especially terrified our men was the huge American Negroes. We +saw their big, black faces through the underbrush, and they looked +like devils. They came forward under our fire as if they didn't the +least care about it." + +THE CHARGE AT EL CANEY. + +It was the Tenth Cavalry that had this effect on the Spaniards. At +San Juan the Ninth Cavalry distinguished itself, its commander, +Lieutenant-Colonel Hamilton, being killed. The fourth of the Negro +regiments, the Twenty-fifth Infantry, played an especially brilliant +part in the battle of El Caney on July 1st. It was held in reserve +with the rest of Colonel Miles' brigade, but was ordered to support +General Lawton's brigade toward the middle of the day. At that hour +marching was an ordeal, but the men went on at a fast pace. With +almost no rest they kept it up until they got into action. The other +troops had been fighting hard for hours, and the arrival of the +Twenty-fifth was a blessing. The Negroes went right ahead through the +tired ranks of their comrades. Their charge up the hill, which was +surmounted by Spanish rifle pits and a stone fort, has been told. It +was the work of only a part of the regiment, the men coming chiefly +from three companies. Colonel Milts had intended having his whole +brigade make the final charge, but the Twenty-fifth didn't wait for +orders. It was there to take that hill, and take the hill it did. + +One of the Spanish officers captured there seemed to think that the +Americans were taking an unfair advantage of them in having colored +men who fought like that. He had been accustomed to the Negroes in the +insurgent army, and a different lot they are from those in the United +States army. + +"Why," he said ruefully, "even your Negroes fight better than any +other troops I ever saw." + +The way the Negroes charged up the El Caney and San Juan hills +suggested inevitably that their African nature has not been entirely +eliminated by generations of civilization, but was bursting forth in +savage yells and in that wild rush some of them were fairly frantic +with the delight of the battle. And it was no mere craziness. They +are excellent marksmen, and they aim carefully and well. Woe to the +Spaniards who showed themselves above the trenches when a colored +regiment was in good range. MAGNIFICENT SHOWING MADE BY THE +NEGROES--THEIR SPLENDID COURAGE AT SANTIAGO THE ADMIRATION OF ALL +OFFICERS. + +They were led by Southern Men--Black Men from the South Fought Like +Tigers and end a Question often debated--In only One or Two Actions of +the Civil War was there such a loss of Officers as at San Juan. + +[TELEGRAM TO COMMERCIAL.] + +WASHINGTON, July 6, 1898. + +Veterans who are comparing the losses at the battle of San Juan, near +Santiago, last Friday, with those at Big Bethel and the first Bull Run +say that in only one or two actions of the late war was there such a +loss in officers as occurred at San Juan hill. + +The companies of the Twenty-fourth Infantry are without officers. The +regiment had four captains knocked down within a minute of each other. +Capt. A.C. Ducat was the first officer hit in the action, and was +killed instantly. His second lieutenant, John A. Gurney, a Michigan +man, was struck dead at the same time as the captain, and Lieutenant +Henry G. Lyon was left in command of Company D, but only for a few +minutes, for he, too, went down. Liscum, commanding the regiment, was +killed. + +NEGROES FIGHT LIKE TIGERS. + +Company F, Twenty-fourth Infantry, lost Lieutenant Augustin, of +Louisiana, killed, and Captain Crane was left without a commissioned +officer. The magnificent courage of the Mississippi, Louisiana, +Arkansas and Texas Negroes, which make up the rank and file of this +regiment, is the admiration of every officer who has written here +since the fight. The regiment has a large proportion of Southern-born +officers, who led their men with more than usual exposure. These men +had always said the Southern Negro would fight as staunchly as any +white man, if he was led by those in whom he had confidence. The +question has often been debated in every mess of the army. San Juan +hill offered the first occasion in which this theory could be tested +practically, and tested it was in a manner and with a result that +makes its believers proud of the men they commanded. It has helped +the morale of the four Negro regiments beyond words. The men of the +Twenty-fourth Infantry, particularly, and their comrades of the Ninth +and Tenth Cavalry as well, are proud of the record they made. + +THEY NEVER WAVERED. + +The Twenty-fourth took the brunt of the fight, and all through it, +even when whole companies were left without an officer, not for a +moment were these colored soldiers shaken or wavering in the face of +the fierce attack made upon them. Wounded Spanish officers declare +that the attack was thus directed because they did not believe the +Negro would stand up against them and they believed there was the +faulty place in the American line. Never were men more amazed than +were the Spanish officers to see the steadiness and cool courage with +which the Twenty-fourth charged front forward on its tenth company (a +difficult thing to do at any time), under the hottest fire. The value +of the Negro as a soldier is no longer a debatable question. + +It has been proven fully in one of the sharpest fights of the past +three years. + + * * * * * + +"OUR BOYS," THE SOLDIERS. + +"What Army Officers and Others Have to Say of the Negroes Conduct in +War"--"Give Honor to Whom Honor is Due"--"Acme of Bravery." + +It has been said, "Give honor to whom honor is due," and while it is +just and right that it should be so, there are times, however, when +the "honor" due is withheld. Ever since the battle of San Juan Hill at +Santiago de Cuba nearly every paper in the land has had nothing but +praise for the bravery shown by the "Rough Riders," and to the extent +that, not knowing the truth, one would naturally arrive at the +conclusion that the "Rough Riders" were "the whole thing." Although +sometimes delayed, the truth, like murder, "will out." It is well +enough to praise the "Rough Riders" for all they did, but why not +divide honors with the other fellows who made it possible for them, +the "Rough Riders," to receive praise, and be honored by a generous +and valorous loving nation? + +After the battles of El Caney and San Juan Hill, many wounded American +soldiers who were able to travel were given furloughs to their +respective homes in the United States, and Lieutenant Thomas Roberts, +of this city, was one of them. Shortly after Lieutenant Roberts +arrived in the city he was interviewed by a representative of the +_Illinois State Register_, to whom he gave a description of the battle +of July 1st. He said: "On the night of June 30th the second squadron +of the Tenth Cavalry did outpost duty. Daylight opened on the +soon-to-be blood-sodden field on July 1st, and the Tenth was ordered +to the front. First went the first squadron, followed soon after by +the second, composed of Troops G, I, B and A. The Tenth Cavalry is +composed of Negroes, commanded by white officers, and I have naught +but the highest praise for the swarthy warriors on the field of +carnage. Led by brave men, they will go into the thickest of the +fight, even to the wicked mouths of deadly cannon, unflinchingly." + +Lieutenant Roberts says further that "at 9 o'clock on the morning of +July 1st the order came to move. Forward we went, until we struck a +road between two groves, which road was swept by a hail of shot and +shell from Spanish guns. The men stood their ground as if on dress +parade. Single file, every man ready to obey any command, they bade +defiance to the fiercest storm of leaden hail that ever hurtled over a +troop of United States cavalry. The order came, 'Get under cover,' and +the Seventy-first New York and the Tenth Cavalry took opposite sides +of the road and lay down in the bushes. For a short time no orders +came, and feeling a misapprehension of the issue, I hastened forward +to consult with the first lieutenant of the company. We found that +through a misinterpreted order the captain of the troop and eight +men had gone forward. Hastening back to my post I consulted with the +captain in the rear of Troop G, and the quartermaster appeared upon +the scene asking the whereabouts of the Tenth Cavalry. They made known +their presence, and the quartermaster told them to go on, showing the +path, the quartermaster led them forward until the bend in the +San Juan River was reached. Here the first bloodshed in the Tenth +occurred, a young-volunteer named Baldwin fell, pierced by a Spanish +ball." + +An aide hastened up and gave the colonel of the regiment orders to +move forward. The summit of the hill was crowned by two block-houses, +and from these came an unceasing fire. Lieutenant Roberts said he had +been lying on the ground but rose to his knees to repeat an order, +"Move forward," when a mauser ball struck him in the abdomen and +passed entirely through his body. Being wounded, he was carried off of +the field, but after all was over, Lieutenant Roberts says it was said +(on the quiet, of course) that "the heroic charge of the Tenth Cavalry +saved the 'Rough Riders' from destruction." Lieutenant Roberts says +he left Cuba on the 12th of July for Fort Monroe, and that a wounded +Rough Rider told him while coming over that "had it not been for the +Tenth Cavalry the Rough Riders would never passed through the seething +cauldron of Spanish missiles." Such is the statement of one of +Springfield's best citizens, a member of the Tenth Cavalry, United +States regulars. + +[Illustration: FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE CUBAN REPUBLIC.] + +Some days later, Lieutenant Roberts had occasion to visit Chicago and +Fort Sheridan, and while there he was interviewed by a representative +of the Chicago Chronicle, to whom he related practically the same +story as above stated, "You probably know my regiment is made up +exclusively of Negroes except for the commissioned officers, and I +want to say right here that those men performed deeds of heroism on +that day which have no parallel in the history of warfare. They were +under fire from six in the morning until 1:30 in the afternoon, with +strict orders not to return the hail of lead, and not a man in those +dusky ranks flinched. Our brigade was instructed to move forward +soon after 1 o'clock to assault the series of blockhouses which was +regarded as impregnable by the foreign attaches. As the aide dashed +down our lines with orders from headquarters the boys realized the +prayed-for charge was about to take place and cheered lustily. Such a +charge! Will I ever forget that sublime spectacle? There was a river +called San Juan, from the hill hard by, but which historians will term +the pool of blood. Our brigade had to follow the course of that creek +fully half a mile to reach the point selected for the grand attack. +With what cheering did the boys go up that hill! Their naked bodies +seemed to present a perfect target to the fire of the dons, but they +never flinched. When the command reached the famous stone blockhouse +it was commanded by a second sergeant, who was promoted on the field +of battle for extraordinary bravery. San Juan fell many minutes before +El Caney, which was attacked first, and I think the Negro soldiers can +be thanked for the greater part of that glorious work. All honor to +the Negro soldiers! No white man, no matter what his ancestry may +be, should be ashamed to greet any of those Negro cavalrymen with +out-stretched hand. The swellest of the Rough Riders counted our +troopers among their best friends and asked them to their places in +New York when they returned, and I believe the wealthy fellows will +prove their admiration had a true inspiration." + +Thus we see that while the various newspapers of the country +are striving to give the Rough Riders first honors, an honest, +straightforward army officer who was there and took an active part in +the fight, does not hesitate to give honor to whom honor is due, for +he says, "All honor to the Negro soldiers," and that it was they who +"saved the Rough Riders from destruction." And right here I wish to +call the reader's attention to another very important matter and that +is, while it has been said heretofore that the Negro soldier was not +competent to command, does not the facts in the case prove, beyond a +doubt, that there is no truth in the statement whatever? If a white +colonel was "competent" to lead his command into the fight, it seems +that a colored sergeant was competent extraordinary, for he not only +went into the fight, but he, and his command, "done something," +done the enemy out of the trenches, "saved the Rough Riders from +destruction," and planted the Stars and Stripes on the blockhouse. + +Just before the charge, one of the foreign attaches, an Englishman, +was heard to say that he did not see how the blockhouse was to be +reached without the aid of cannon; but after the feat had been +accomplished, a colored soldier said, "We showed him how." + +Now that the colored soldier has proven to this nation, and the +representatives of others, that he can, and does fight, as well as the +"other fellow," and that he is also "competent" to command, it remains +to be seen if the national government will give honor to whom honor is +due, by honoring those deserving, with commissions. + +Under the second call for volunteers by the President, the State of +Illinois raised a regiment of colored soldiers, and Governor Tanner +officered that regiment with colored officers from colonel down; and +that, as you might say, before they had earned their "rank." Now the +question is, can the national government afford to do less by those, +who have earned, and are justly entitled to, a place in the higher +ranks? We shall see. + +C.F. ANDERSON. + +Springfield, Ill. + + * * * * * + +COLORED FIGHTERS AT SANTIAGO. + +Testimony is multiplying of the bravery of the colored troops at +Santiago de Cuba July 1st and 2d, 1898. + +Testimony is adduced to show that these "marvels of warfare" actually +fought without officers and executed movements under a galling fire +which would have puzzled a recruit on parade ground. The Boston +Journal of the 31st, in its account, gives the following +interview-Mason Mitchell (white) said: + +"We were in a valley when we started, but made at once for a trail +running near the top of a ridge called La Quasina, several hundred +feet high, which, with several others parallel to it, extended in the +direction of Santiago. By a similar trail near the top of the ridge to +our right several companies of Negro troopers of the Ninth and Tenth +United States Cavalry marched in scout formation, as we did. We had an +idea about where the Spaniards were and depended upon Cuban scouts to +warn us but they did not do it. At about 8:30 o'clock in the morning +we met a volley from the enemy, who were ambushed, not only on our +ridge, but on the one to the right, beyond the Negro troops, and the +Negro soldiers were under a cross fire. That is how Capt. Capron and +Hamilton Fish were killed." + +It says: "Handsome young Sergt. Stewart, the Rough Rider protege of +Henry W. Maxwell, when he was telling of the fight in the ambush, gave +it as his opinion that the Rough Riders would have been whipped out if +the Tenth Cavalry (colored) had not come up just in time to drive +the Spaniards back. 'I'm a Southerner, from New Mexico, and I never +thought much of the 'nigger' before. Now I know what they are made of. +I respect them. They certainly can fight like the devil and they don't +care for bullets any more than they do for the leaves that shower down +on them. I've changed my opinion of the colored folks, for all of the +men that I saw fighting, there were none to beat the Tenth Cavalry and +the colored infantry at Santiago, and I don't mind saying so.'" + +The description which follows is interesting: "It was simply grand to +see how those young fellows, and old fellows, too, men who were rich +and had been the petted of society in the city, walk up and down the +lines while their clothes were powdered by the dust from exploding +shells and torn by broken fragments cool as could be and yelling to +the men to lay low and take good aim, or directing some squad to take +care of a poor devil who was wounded. Why, at times there when the +bullets were so thick they mowed the grass down like grass cutters in +places, the officers stood looking at the enemy through glasses as if +they were enjoying the scene, and now and then you'd see a Captain or +a Lieutenant pick up a gun from a wounded or dead man and blaze +away himself at some good shot that he had caught sight of from his +advantage point. Those sights kind of bring men together and make +them think more of each other. And when a white man strayed from his +regiment and falls wounded it rather affects him to have a Negro, shot +himself a couple of times, take his carbine and make a splint of it +to keep a torn limb together for the white soldier, and then, after +lifting him to one side, pick up the wounded man's rifle and go back +to the fight with as much vigor as ever. Yes, sir, we boys have +learned something down there, even if some of us were pretty badly +torn for it." + +Another witness testifies: "Trooper Lewis Bowman, another of the brave +Tenth Cavalry, had two ribs broken by a Spanish shell while before San +Juan. He told of the battle as follows:" + +"'The Rough Riders had gone off in great glee, bantering up and +good-naturedly boasting that they were going ahead to lick the +Spaniards without any trouble, and advising us to remain where we were +until they returned, and they would bring back some Spanish heads as +trophies. When we heard firing in the distance, our Captain remarked +that some one ahead was doing good work. The firing became so heavy +and regular that our officers, without orders, decided to move forward +and reconnoitre When we got where we could see what was going on we +found that the Rough Riders had marched down a sort of canon between +the mountains. The Spaniards had men posted at the entrance, and as +soon as the Rough Riders had gone in had about closed up the rear +and were firing upon the Rough Riders from both the front and rear. +Immediately the Spaniards in the rear received a volley from our men +of the Tenth Cavalry (colored) without command. The Spaniards were +afraid we were going to flank them, and rushed out of ambush, in front +of the Rough Riders, throwing up their hands and shouting, 'Don't +shoot; we are Cubans.'" + +"The Rough Riders thus let them escape, and gave them a chance to take +a better position ahead. During all this time the men were in all the +tall grass and could not see even each other and I feared the Rough +Riders in the rear shot many of their men in the front, mistaking them +for Spanish soldiers. By this time the Tenth Cavalry had fully taken +in the situation, and, adopting the method employed in fighting +the Indians, were able to turn the tide of battle and repulse the +Spaniards." + +He speaks plainly when he says: + +"I don't think it an exaggeration to say that if it had not been for +the timely aid of the Tenth Cavalry (colored) the Rough Riders would +have been exterminated. This is the unanimous opinion, at least, of +the men of the Tenth Cavalry. I was in the fight of July 1, and it was +in that fight that I received my wound. We were under fire in that +fight about forty-eight hours, and were without food and with but +little water. We had been cut off from our pack train, as the Spanish +sharpshooters shot our mules as soon as they came anywhere near the +lines, and it was impossible to move supplies. Very soon after the +firing began our Colonel was killed, and the most of our other +officers were killed or wounded, so that the greater part of that +desperate battle was fought by some of the Ninth and Tenth Cavalry +without officers; or, at least, if there were any officers around, we +neither saw them nor heard their commands. The last command I heard +our Captain give was:" + +"'Boys, when you hear my whistle, lie flat down on the ground.'" + +"Whether he ever whistled or not I do not know. The next move we made +was when, with a terrific yell, we charged up to the Spanish trenches +and bayoneted and clubbed them out of their places in a jiffy. Some of +the men of our regiment say that the last command they heard was: 'To +the rear!' But this command they utterly disregarded and charged to +the front until the day was won, and the Spaniards, those not dead in +the trenches, fled back to the city." + +[Illustration: CUBANS FIGHTING FROM TREE TOPS.] + +But a colored man, Wm. H. Brown, a member of the Tenth Cavalry, said: + +"A foreign officer, standing near our position when we started out to +make that charge, was heard to say; 'Men, for heaven's sake, don't +go up that hill! It will be impossible for human beings to take that +position! You can't stand the fire!' Notwithstanding this, with a +terrific yell we rushed up the enemy's works, and you know the result. +Men who saw him say that when this officer saw us make the charge he +turned his back upon us and wept." + +"And the odd thing about it all is that these wounded heroes never +will admit that they did anything out of the common. They will +talk all right about those 'other fellows,' but they don't about +themselves, and were immensely surprised when such a fuss was made +over them on their arrival and since. They simply believed they had a +duty to perform and performed it."--Planet. + + * * * * * + +OUR COLORED SOLDIERS. + +A FEW OF THE INTERESTING COMMENTS ON THE DEEDS PERFORMED BY THE BRAVE +BOYS OF THE REGULAR ARMY--SAVED THE LIFE OF HIS LIEUTENANT BUT LOST +HIS OWN. + + +"The Ninth and Tenth Cavalry are composed of the bravest lot of +soldiers I ever saw. They held the ground that Roosevelt retreated +from and saved them from annihilation." + + +To a Massachusetts soldier in another group of interviewers, the same +question was put: "How about the colored soldiers?" + +"They fought like demons," came the answer. + +"Before El Caney was taken the Spaniards were on the heights of San +Juan with heavy guns. All along our line an assault was made and the +enemy was holding us off with terrible effect. From their blockhouse +on the hill came a magazine of shot. Shrapnell shells fell in our +ranks, doing great damage. Something had to be done or the day would +have been lost. The Ninth and part of the Tenth Cavalry moved across +into a thicket near by. The Spaniards rained shot upon them. They +collected and like a flash swept across the plains and charged up the +hill. The enemy's guns were used with deadly effect. On and on they +went, charging with the fury of madness. The blockhouse was captured, +the enemy fled and we went into El Caney." + +In another group a trooper from an Illinois regiment was explaining +the character of the country and the effect of the daily rains upon +the troops. Said he: + +"Very few colored troops are sick. They stood the climate better and +even thrived on the severity of army life." + +Said he: "I never had much use for a 'nigger' and didn't want him +in the fight. He is all right, though. He makes a good soldier and +deserves great credit." + +Another comrade near by related the story as told by a cavalry +lieutenant, who with a party reconnoitered a distance from camp. The +thick growth of grass and vines made ambuscading a favorite pastime +with the Spaniards. With smokeless powder they lay concealed in the +grass. As the party rode along the sharp eye of a colored cavalryman +noticed the movement of grass ahead. Leaning over his horse with sword +in hand he plucked up an enemy whose gun was levelled at the officer. +The Spaniard was killed by the Negro who himself fell dead, shot by +another. He had saved the life of his lieutenant and lost his own. + +A comrade of the Seventeenth Infantry gave his testimony. Said he: + +"I shall never forget the 1st of July. At one time in the engagement +of that day the Twenty-first Infantry had faced a superior force of +Spaniards and were almost completely surrounded. The Twenty-fourth +Infantry, of colored troops, seeing the perilous position of the +Twenty-first, rushed to the rescue, charged and routed the enemy, +thereby saving the ill-fated regiment." + +Col. Joseph Haskett, of the Seventeenth regular Infantry, testifies to +the meritorious conduct of the Negro troops. Said he: + +"Our colored soldiers are 100 percent superior to the Cuban. He is a +good scout, brave soldier, and not only that, but is everywhere to be +seen building roads for the movement of heavy guns." + +Among the trophies of war brought to Old Point were a machete, the +captured property of a colored trooper, a fine Spanish sword, taken +from an officer and a little Cuban lad about nine years old, whose +parents had bled for Cuba. His language and appearance made him the +cynosure of all eyes. He was dressed in a little United States uniform +and had pinned to his clothing a tag which read: "Santiago buck, care +of Col. C.L. Wilson, Manhattan Club, New York." His name is Vairrames +y Pillero. + +He seemed to enjoy the shower of small coin that fell upon him from +the hotels. His first and only English words were "Moocha Moona." + +These fragments were gathered while visiting at Old Point Comfort +recently. They serve to show the true feeling of the whites for their +brave black brother. + +A.E. MEYZEEK, in the Freeman. + +Louisville, Ky. + +BLACK SOLDIER BOYS. + +The following is what the New York Mail and Express says respecting +the good services being rendered by our black soldier boys: + +"All honors to the black troopers of the gallant Tenth! No more +striking example of bravery and coolness has been shown since the +destruction of the Maine than by the colored veterans of the Tenth +Cavalry during the attack upon Caney on Saturday. By the side of the +intrepid Rough Riders they followed their leader up the terrible hill +from whose crest the desperate Spaniards poured down a deadly fire of +shell and musketry. They never faltered. The tents in their ranks +were filled as soon as made. Firing as they marched, their aim was +splendid, their coolness was superb, and their courage aroused the +admiration of their comrades. Their advance was greeted with wild +cheers from the white regiment's, and with an answering shout they +pressed onward over the trenches they had taken close in the pursuit +of the retreating enemy. The war has not shown greater heroism. The +men whose own freedom was baptized with blood have proved themselves +capable of giving up their lives that others may be free. To-day is a +glorious Fourth for all races 'of people in this great land." + + * * * * * + +THEY NEVER FALTERED. + +The test of the Negro soldier has been applied and today the whole +world stands amazed at the valor and distinctive bravery shown by the +men, who, in the face of a most galling fire, rushed onward while +shot and shell tore fearful gaps in their ranks. These men, the Tenth +Cavalry, did not stop to ask was it worth while for them to lay down +their lives for the honor of a country that has silently allowed her +citizens to be killed and maltreated in almost every conceivable way; +they did not stop to ask would their death bring deliverance to their +race from mob violence and lynching. They saw their duty and did it! +The New York Journal catches inspiration from the wonderful courage of +the Tenth Cavalry and writes these words: + +"The two most picturesque and most characteristically American +commands in General Shafter's army bore off the great honors of a day +in which all won honor." + +"No man can read the story in to-day's Journal of the 'Rough Riders' +charge on the blockhouse at El Caney of Theodore Roosevelt's mad +daring in the face of what seemed certain death without having his +pulses beat faster and some reflected light of the fire of battle +gleam from his eyes." + +"And over against this scene of the cowboy and the college graduate, +the New York man about town and the Arizona bad man united in one +coherent war machine, set the picture of the Tenth United States +Cavalry-the famous colored regiment. Side by side with Roosevelt's men +they fought-these black men. Scarce used to freedom themselves, they +are dying that Cuba may be free. Their marksmanship was magnificent, +say the eye witnesses. Their courage was superb. They bore themselves +like veterans, and gave proof positive that out of nature's naturally +peaceful, careless and playful military discipline and an inspiring +cause can make soldiers worthy to rank with Caesar's legions or +Cromwell's army." + +"The Rough Riders and the Black Regiment. In those two commands is an +epitome of almost our whole national character." + +THE NEGRO AS A SOLDIER. + +HIS GOOD NATURE--HIS KINDHEARTEDNESS--EQUALLY AVAILABLE IN INFANTRY OR +CAVALRY. + +The good nature of the Negro soldier is remarkable. He is always fond +of a joke and never too tired to enjoy one. Officers have wondered to +see a whole company of them, at the close of a long practice march, +made with heavy baggage, chasing a rabbit which some one may have +started. They will run for several hundred yards whooping and yelling +and laughing, and come back to camp feeling as if they had had lots of +fun, the white soldier, even if not tired, would never see any joke in +rushing after a rabbit. To the colored man the diversion is a delight. + +In caring for the sick, the Negro's tenderheartedness is conspicuous. +On one of the transports loaded with sick men a white soldier asked +to be helped to his bunk below. No one of his color stirred, but two +Negro convalescents at once went to his assistance. When volunteers +were called for to cook for the sick, only Negroes responded. They +were pleased to be of service to their officers. If the Captain's +child is ill, every man in the company is solicitous; half of them +want to act as nurse. They feel honored to be hired to look after an +officer's horse and clothing. The "striker" as he is called, soon gets +to look on himself as a part of his master; it is no "Captain has been +ordered away," but "We have been ordered away." Every concern of his +employer about which he knows interests him, and a slight to his +superior is vastly more of an offence than if offered to himself. +Indeed, if the army knew how well officers of the colored regiments +are looked after by their men, there would be less disinclination to +serve in such commands. After years with a Negro company, officers +find it difficult to get along with white soldiers. They must be much +more careful to avoid hurting sensibilities, and must do without many +little services to which they have been accustomed. + + * * * * * + +MRS. PORTER'S RIDE TO THE FRONT. + +For many years she has known and admired Miss Barton and against the +advice of her friends had resolved to help Miss Barton in her task of +succoring the sufferers in Cuba. + +During the second day's fighting Mrs. Porter, escorted by a general +whom she has known for many years, rode almost to the firing line. +Bullets whistled about her head, but she rode bravely on until her +curiosity was satisfied. Then she rode leisurely back to safety. She +came back filled with admiration of the colored troops. She +described them as being "brave in battle, obedient under orders and +philosophical under privations." + +Thanks to Mrs. Porter, the wife of the President's private secretary. +Mrs. Porter is one of heaven's blessings, sent as a messenger of "The +Ship" earth, to testify in America what she saw of the Negro troops in +Cuba. + + * * * * * + +THE INVESTMENT OF SANTIAGO AND SURRENDER. + +(As Presented in the N.Y. World.) + +General Shafter put a human rope of 22,400 men around Santiago, with +its 26,000 Spanish soldiers, and then Spain succumbed in despair. In +a semi-circle extending around Santiago, from Daliquiri on the east +clear around to Cobre on the west, our troops were stretched a cordon +of almost impenetrable thickness and strength. First came General +Bates, with the Ninth, Tenth, Third, Thirteenth, Twenty-first and +Twenty-fourth U.S. Infantry. On his right crouched General Sumner, +commanding the Third, Sixth and Ninth U.S. Cavalry. Next along the arc +were the Seventh, Twelfth and Seventeenth U.S. Infantry under General +Chaffee. Then, advantageously posted, there were six batteries of +artillery prepared to sweep the horizon under direction of General +Randolph. General Jacob Kent, with the Seventy-first New York +Volunteers and the Sixth and Sixteenth U.S. Infantry, held the centre. +They were flanked by General Wheeler and the Rough Riders, dismounted; +eight troops of the First U.S. Volunteers, four troops of the Second +U.S. Cavalry, four light batteries, two heavy batteries and then four +more troops of the Second U.S. Cavalry. + +Santiago's Killed and Wounded Compared With Historic Battles. + +Battle; Men Engaged.; Killed and Wounded.; Per Ct. Lost. + +Agincourt; 62,000; 11,400; .18 +Alma; 103,000; 8,400; .08 +Bannockburn; 135,000; 38,000; .28 +Borodino; 250,000; 78,000; .31 +Cannae; 146,000; 52,000; .34 +Cressy; 117,000; 31,000; .27 +Gravelotte; 396,000; 52,000; .16 +Sadowa; 291,000; 33,000; .11 +Waterloo; 221,000; 51,000; .23 +Antietam; 87,000; 31,000; .29 +Austerlitz; 154,000; 38,000; .48 +Gettysburg; 185,000; 34,000; .44 +Sedan; 314,000; 47,000; .36 +Santiago; 22,400; 1,457; .07 +El Caney; 3,300; 650; .19 +San Juan; 6,000; 745; .12 +Aguadores; 2,400; 62; .02 + +[Illustration: INVESTMENT OF SANTIAGO BY U.S. ARMY.] + +General Lawton, with the Second Massachusetts and the Eighth and +Twenty-second U.S. Infantry, came next. Then General Duffield's +command, comprising the volunteers from Michigan (Thirty-third and +Third Regiments), and the Ninth Massachusetts, stretched along until +Gen. Ludlow's men were reached. These comprised the First Illinois, +First District of Columbia, Eighth Ohio, running up to the Eighth and +Twenty-second Regulars and the Bay State men. Down by the shore across +from Morro and a little way inland Generals Henry and Garretson had +posted the Sixth Illinois and the crack Sixth Massachusetts, flanking +the railroad line to Cobre. + +SCENES OF THE FINAL SURRENDER. + +When reveille sounded Sunday morning half the great semi-lunar +camp was awake and eager for the triumphal entrance into the city. +Speculation ran rife as to which detachment would accompany the +General and his staff into Santiago. The choice fell upon the +Ninth Infantry. Shortly before 9 o'clock General Shafter left his +headquarters, accompanied by Generals Lawton and Wheeler, Colonels +Ludlow, Ames and Kent, and eighty other officers. The party walked +slowly down the hill to the road leading to Santiago, along which they +advanced until they reached the now famous tree outside the walls, +under which all negotiations for the surrender of the city had taken +place. As they reached this spot the cannon on every hillside and in +the city itself boomed forth a salute of twenty-one guns, which was +echoed at Siboney and Aserradero. + +The soldiers knew what the salute meant, and cheer upon cheer arose +and ran from end to end of the eight miles of the American lines. A +troop of colored cavalry and the Twenty-fifth colored infantry then +started to join General Shafter and his party. + +The Americans waited under the tree as usual, when General Shafter +sent word to General Toral that he was ready to take possession of the +town. General Toral, in full uniform, accompanied by his whole staff, +fully caparisoned, shortly afterward left the city and walked to where +the American officers were waiting their coming. When they reached the +tree General Shafter and General Toral saluted each other gravely and +courteously. Salutes were also exchanged by other American and Spanish +officers. The officers were then introduced to each other. After this +little ceremony the two commanding generals faced each other and +General Toral, speaking in Spanish, said: + +"Through fate I am forced to surrender to General Shafter, of the +American Army, the city and the strongholds of Santiago." + +General Toral's voice grew husky as he spoke, giving up the town +and the surrounding country to his victorious enemy. As he finished +speaking the Spanish officers presented arms. + +General Shafter, in reply, said: + +"I receive the city in the name of the government of the United +States." + +General Toral addressed an order to his officers in Spanish and they +wheeled about, still presenting arms, and General Shafter and the +other American officers with the cavalry and infantry followed them, +walked by the Spaniards and proceeded into the city proper. + +The soldiers on the American line could see quite plainly all the +proceedings. As their commander entered the city they gave voice to +cheer after cheer. + +Although no attempt was made to humiliate them the Spanish soldiers +seemed at first to feel downcast and scarcely glanced at their +conquerors as they passed by, but this apparent depth of feeling was +not displayed very long. Without being sullen they appeared to be +utterly indifferent to the reverses of the Spanish arms, but it was +not long ere the prospect of regulation rations and a chance to go to +their homes made them almost cheerful. All about the filthy streets +of the city the starving refugees: could be seen, gaunt, hollow-eyed, +weak and trembling. + +The squalor in the streets was dreadful. The bones of dead horses and +other animals were bleaching in the streets and buzzards almost as +tame as sparrows hopped aside as passers-by disturbed them. There +was a fetid smell everywhere and evidences of a pitiless siege and +starvation on every hand. + +The palace was reached soon after 10 o'clock. Then, General Toral +introduced General Shafter and the other officials to various local +dignitaries and a scanty luncheon, was brought. Coffee, rice, wine and +toasted cake were the main condiments. + +Then came the stirring scene in the balcony which every one felt was +destined to become notably historic in our annals of warfare, and the +ceremony over, General Shafter withdrew to our own lines and left the +city to General McKibbin and his police force of guards and sentries. +The end had come. Spain's haughty ensign trailed in the dust; Old +Glory, typifying liberty and the pursuit of happiness untrammelled +floated over the official buildings from Fort Morro to the Plaza de +Armas--the investment of Santiago de Cuba was accomplished. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + + +NO COLOR LINE DRAWN IN CUBA. + + +A GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION-CONDITION IN THE PEARL OF THE ANTILLES-AMERICAN +PREJUDICE CANNOT EXIST THERE-A CATHOLIC PRIEST VOUCHES FOR THE +ACCURACY OF STATEMENT. + + +The article we reprint from the New York Sun touching the status of +the Colored man in Cuba was shown to Rev. Father Walter R. Yates, +Assistant pastor of St. Joseph's Colored Church. + +A Planet reporter was informed that Father Yates had resided in that +climate for several years and wished his views. + +"The Sun correspondent is substantially correct," said the Reverend +gentleman. "Of course, the article is very incomplete, there are many +omissions, but that is to be expected in a newspaper article." + +It would take volumes to describe the achievements of men of the +Negro, or as I prefer to call it, the Aethiopic Race, not only in +Cuba, but in all the West Indies, Central and South America, and in +Europe especially in Sicily, Spain and France. + +"By achievements I mean success in military, political, social, +religious and literary walks of life. The only thing I see to +correct in the Sun's article, continued the Father, is in regard to +population. 'A Spanish official told me that the census figures were +notoriously misleading. The census shows less than one-third colored. +That is said not to be true. As soon as a man with African blood, +whether light or dark, acquires property and education, he returns +himself in the census as white. The officials humor them in this +petty vanity. In fact it's the most difficult thing in the world to +distinguish between races in Cuba. Many Spaniards from Murcia, +for instance, of undoubted noble lineage are darker than Richmond +mulattoes.'" + +[Illustration: GENERAL RUSSELL A. ALGER, SECRETARY OF WAR.] + +May I ask you, Father Yates, to what do you ascribe the absence of +Race prejudice in Cuba? + +"Certainly. In my humble opinion it is due to Church influence. We all +know the effect on our social life of our churches. Among Catholics +all men have always been on equal footing at the Communion rail. +Catholics would be unworthy of their name, i.e. Catholic or universal +were it not so." + +"Even in the days when slavery was practised this religious equality +and fellowship was fully recognized among Catholics." + +Did you know there is an American Negro Saint? He was born in Colon, +Central America, and is called Blessed Martin De Porres. His name is +much honored in Cuba, Peru, Mexico and elsewhere. He wore the white +habit of a Dominican Brother. The Dominicans are called the Order of +Preachers. + +Christ Died for All. Father Donovan has those words painted in large +letters over the Sanctuary in St. Joseph's Church. It is simply +horrible to think that some self-styled Christian sectarians act as if +Christ died for white men only. + +Matanzas, Cuba, Jan. 20.--Not least among the problems of +reconstruction in Cuba is the social and political status of the +colored "man and brother." In Cuba the shade of a man's complexion has +never been greatly considered, and one finds dusky Othellos in every +walk of life. The present dispute arose when a restaurant keeper from +Alabama refused a seat at his public table to the mulatto Colonel of +a Cuban regiment. The Southerner was perfectly sincere in the +declaration that he would see himself in a warmer climate than Cuba +before he would insult his American guests "by seating a 'nigger' +among them!" To the Colonel it was a novel and astonishing experience, +and is of course deeply resented by all his kind in Cuba, where +African blood may be found, in greater or less degree, in some of the +richest and most influential families of the island. + +COLORED BELLES THERE. + +In Havana you need not be surprised to see Creole belles on +the fashionable Prado--perhaps Cuban-Spanish. Cuban-English or +Cuban-German blondes--promenading with Negro officers in gorgeous +uniforms; or octoroon beauties with hair in natural crimp, riding in +carriages beside white husbands or lighting up an opera box with the +splendor of their diamonds. There was a wedding in the old cathedral +the other day, attended by the elite of the city, the bride being the +lovely young daughter of a Cuban planter, the groom a burly Negro. +Nobody to the manor born has ever dreamed of objecting to this +mingling of colors; therefore when some newly arrived foreigner +declares that nobody but those of his own complexion shall eat in a +public dining room, there is likely to be trouble. + +THE WAR BEGAN. + +When the war began the population of Cuba was a little more than +one-third black; now the proportion is officially reckoned as 525,684 +colored, against 1,631,600 white. In 1898 two Negroes were serving as +secretaries in the Autonomist Cabinet. The last regiment that Blanco +formed was of Negro volunteers, to whom he paid--or, rather, promised +to pay, which is quite another matter, considering Blanco's habit--the +unusual hire of $20 a month, showing his appreciation of the colored +man as a soldier. If General Weyler evinced any partiality in Cuba, +it was for the black Creole. During the ten years' war, his cavalry +escort was composed entirely of colored men. Throughout his latest +reign in the island he kept black soldiers constantly on guard at the +gates of the government palace. While the illustrated papers of Spain +were caricaturing: the insurgents as coal-black demons with horns +and forked toe nails, burning canefields and butchering innocent +Spaniards, the Spanish General chose them for his bodyguards. + +[Illustration: CUBAN WOMAN CAVALRY.] + +ONE OF THE GREATEST GENERALS. + +One of the greatest Generals of the day, considering the environment, +was Antonio Maceo, the Cuban mulatto hero, who, for two years, kept +the Spanish army at bay or led them a lively quickstep through the +western provinces to the very gates of Havana. As swift on the march +as Sheridan or Stonewall Jackson, as wary and prudent as Grant +himself, he had inspirations of military genius whenever a crisis +arose. It is not generally known that Martinez Campos, who owed his +final defeat at Colisea to Maceo, was a second cousin of this black +man. Maceo's mother, whose family name was Grinan, came from the town +of Mayari where all the people have Indian blood in their veins. Col. +Martinez del Campos, father of General Martinez Campos, was once +Military Governor of Mayari. While there he loved a beautiful girl of +Indian and Negro blood, who belonged to the Grinan family, and was +first cousin to Maceo's mother. Martinez Campos, Jr., the future +General and child of the Indian girl was born in Mayari. The Governor +could not marry his sweetheart, having a wife and children in Spain, +but when he returned to the mother country he took the boy along. +According to Spanish law, the town in which one is baptized is +recognized as his legal birthplace, so it was easy enough to +legitimatize the infant Campos. He grew up in Spain, and when sent to +Cuba as Captain-General, to his everlasting credit be it said, that +one of his first acts was to hunt up his mother. Having found her, old +and poor, he bought a fine house in Campo Florida, the aristocratic +suburb of Havana, established her there and cared for her tenderly +till she died. The cousins, though on opposite sides of the war, +befriended each other in many instances, and it is said that more +than once Captain-General Campos owed his life to his unacknowledged +relative. + +HIS BROTHER CAPTURED. + +The latter's half brother, Jose Maceo, was captured early in the war +and sent to the African prison, Centa; whence he escaped later on with +Quintín Bandera and others of his staff. The last named Negro Colonel +is to-day a prominent figure. "Quintin Bandera" means "fifteen flags," +and the appellation was bestowed upon him by his grateful countrymen +after he had captured fifteen Spanish ensigns. Everybody seems to +have forgotten his real name, and Quintin Bandera he will remain in +history. While in the African penal settlement the daughter of a +Spanish officer fell in love with him. She assisted in his escape and +fled with him to Gibraltar. There he married his rescuer. She is of +Spanish and Moorish descent, and is said to be a lady of education +and refinement. She taught her husband to read and write and feels +unbounded pride in his achievements. + +The noted General Jesus Rabi, of the Cuban Army, is of the same mixed +blood as the Maceos. Another well-known Negro commander is General +Flor Crombet, whose patriotic deeds have been dimmed by his atrocious +cruelties. Among all the officers now swarming Havana none attracts +more admiring attention than General Ducasse, a tall, fine-looking +mulatto, who was educated at the fine military school of St. Cyr. He +is of extremely polished manners and undeniable force of character, +can make a brilliant address and has great influence among the masses. +To eject such a man as he from a third rate foreign restaurant in his +own land would be ridiculous. His equally celebrated brother, Col. +Juan Ducasse, was killed last year in the Pinar del Rio insurrection. + +COLORED MEN'S ACHIEVEMENTS. + +Besides these sons of Mars, Cuba has considered her history enriched +by the achievements of colored men in peaceful walks of life. The +memory of Gabriel Concepcion de la Valdez the mulatto poet, is +cherished as that of a saint. He was accused by the Spanish government +of complicity in the slave insurrection of 1844 and condemned to be +shot in his native town, Matanzas. One bright morning in May he stood +by the old statue of Ferdinand VII. in the Plaza d'Armas, calmly +facing a row of muskets, along whose shining barrels the sun glinted. +The first volley failed to touch a vital spot. Bleeding from several +wounds, he still stood erect, and, pointing to his heart, said in a +clear voice, "Aim here!" Another mulatto author, educator and profound +thinker was Antonio Medina, a priest and professor of San Basilio +the Greater. He acquired wide reputation as a poet, novelist and +ecclesiastic, both in Spain and Cuba, and was selected by the Spanish +Academy to deliver the oration on the anniversary of Cerantes' death +in Madrid. His favorite Cuban pupil was Juan Gaulberto Gomez, the +mulatto journalist, who has been imprisoned time and again for +offences against the Spanish press laws. Seņor Gomez, whose home is in +Matanzas, is now on the shady side of 40, a spectacled and scholarly +looking man. After the peace of Zanjon he collaborated in the +periodicals published by the Marquis of Sterling. In '79 he founded in +Havana, the newspaper La Fraternidad, devoted to the interest of the +colored race. For a certain fiery editorial he was deported to Centa +and kept there two years. Then he went to Madrid and assumed the +management of La Tribuna and in 1890 returned to Havana and resumed +the publication of La Fraternidad. + +ANOTHER EXILE. + +Another beloved exile from the land of his birth is Seņor Jose White. +His mother was a colored woman of Matanzas. At the age of 16 Jose +wrote a mass for the Matanzas orchestra and gave his first concert. +With the proceeds he entered the Conservatory of Paris, and in the +following year won the first prize as violinist among thirty-nine +contestants. He soon gained an enviable reputation among the most +celebrated European violinists, and, covered with honors, returned to +Havana in January of '75. But his songs were sometimes of liberty, and +in June of the same year the Spanish government drove him out of +the country. Then he went to Brazil, and is now President of the +Conservatory of Music of Rio Janeiro. + +One might go on multiplying similar incidents. Some of the most +eminent doctors, lawyers and college professors in Cuba are more or +less darkly "colored." In the humble walks of life one finds them +everywhere, as carpenters, masons, shoemakers and plumbers. In the few +manufacturies of Cuba a large proportion of the workmen are Negroes +especially in the cigar factories. In the tanneries of Pinar del Rio +most of the workmen are colored, also in the saddle factories of +Havana, Guanabacoa, Cardenas and other places. Although the insurgent +army is not yet disbanded, the sugar-planters get plenty of help from +their ranks by offering fair wages.--New York Sun. + +FACTS ABOUT PORTO RICO TOLD IN SHORT PARAGRAPHS. + +Porto Rico, the beautiful island which General Miles is taking under +the American flag, has an area of 3,530 square miles. It is 107 miles +in length and 37 miles across. It has a good telegraph line and a +railroad only partially completed. + +The population, which is not made up of so many Negroes and mulattoes +as that of the neighboring islands, is about 900,000. Almost all of +the inhabitants are Roman Catholics. + +It is a mountainous island, and contains forty seven navigable streams. +The roads are merely paths beaten down by cattle. + +Exports in 1887 were valued at $10,181,291; imports, $10,198,006. + +Gold, copper, salt, coal and iron abound. + +The poorer classes live almost entirely on a variety of highland rice, +which is easily cultivated, as it requires no flooding. + +One of the principal industries is grazing. St. Thomas is the market +for fresh meat. + +Corn, tobacco, sugar, coffee, cotton and potatoes constitute the +principal crops. + +There are no snakes, no beasts of prey, no noxious birds nor insects +in the island. + +The trees and grass are always green. + +Rats are the great foe of the crops. + +The natives often live to be one hundred years old. + +The most beautiful flower on the island is the ortegon, which has +purple blossoms a yard long. + +Hurricanes are frequent on the north coast and very destructive. + +Mosquitoes art the pest of the island. + +Spanish is the language spoken, and education is but little esteemed. + +Every man, no matter how poor, owns a horse and three or four +gamecocks. + +The small planter is called "Xivaro." He is the proud possessor of +a sweet-heart, a gamecock, a horse, a hammock, a guitar and a large +supply of tobacco. He is quick tempered but not revengeful, and he is +proverbially lazy. + +Hospitality is the rule of the island. The peasants are astonished and +hurt when offered money by travellers. San Juan Harbor is one of the +best in the West Indies, and is said to be the third most strongly +fortified town in the world, Halifax being the strongest and +Cartagena, Spain, the second. + +Ponce de Leon, between 1509 and 1518 killed off the natives. + +The De Leon palace, built in 1511, is of great interest to tourists. + +The climate is warm but pleasant. At night thick clothing is found +comfortable. + +All visiting and shopping are done after sundown. + +Slavery was abolished in 1873. + +The women are rather small and delicately formed. Many of them are +pretty and they are all given to flirtation. + +Men and women ride horseback alike. Wicker baskets to carry clothes or +provisions, are hung on either side of the horse's shoulders. Back of +these baskets the rider sits. + +It is the custom of travellers on horseback to carry a basket handled +sword a yard and a quarter long, more as an ornament than as a means +of defense. + +The observance of birthdays is an island fashion that is followed by +every one. + +A Governor, appointed by the Crown, manages affairs. His palace is at +San Juan, the capital, a town that has 24,000 inhabitants. + +Upon the Rio Grande are prehistoric monuments that have attracted the +attention of archaeologists. + +Following the Spanish custom, men are imprisoned for debt. + +In the towns houses are built with flat roofs, both to catch water and +to afford the family a small roof garden. + +All planters have town houses where they bring their families during +the carnival season. + +San Juan is filled with adventurers, gamblers, speculators and +fugitives from justice.--New York World. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + + +LIST OF COLORED REGIMENTS THAT DID ACTIVE SERVICE IN THE +SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR,--AND VOLUNTEER REGIMENTS. + + +Regulars.--Section 1104 of the Revised Statutes of the United States +Congress provides that "the enlisted men of two regiments of Cavalry +shall be colored men," and in compliance with this section the War +Department maintains the organization of the Ninth and Tenth Cavalry, +both composed of colored men with white officers. + +Section 1108 of the Revised Statutes of Congress provides that "the +enlisted men of two regiments of Infantry shall be colored men;" and +in compliance with this section the War Department maintains the +organization of the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Infantry, both +composed of colored men with white officers. + +The above regiments were the only colored troops that were engaged +in active service in Cuba. There is no statute requiring colored +artillery regiments to be organized, and there are therefore none in +the regular army. + + * * * * * + +A LIST OF THE VOLUNTEER REGIMENTS. + +Third North Carolina--All colored officers. + +Sixth Virginia--White officers, finally, the colored officers resigned +"under pressure," after which there was much trouble with the men, as +they claimed to have enlisted with the understanding that they were to +have colored officers. + +[Illustration: OFFICERS OF THE NINTH OHIO--LIEUTENANT YOUNG IN THE +CENTER.] + +Blank Page + +Ninth Ohio--All colored officers; Col. Chas. Young, graduate of West +Point. + +Twenty-third Kansas--Colored officers. + +Eighth Illinois--Under colored officers, and did police duty at San +Luis, Cuba. + +Seventh U.S. Volunteers. + +Tenth U.S. Volunteers. + +Eighth U.S. Volunteers. + +Ninth U.S. Volunteers. + +The conduct of the colored volunteers has been harshly criticised, and +it is thought by some that the conduct of the volunteers has had some +influence in derrogation of the good record made by the regulars +around Santiago. This view, however, we think unjust, and ill-founded. +There was considerable shooting of pistols and drunkenness among some +regiments of volunteers, and it was not confined by any means to those +of the colored race. The white volunteers were as drunk and noisy as +the colored, and shot as many pistols. + +The Charlotte Observer has the following editorial concerning some +white troops that passed through Charlotte, N.C.: + +"Mustered-out West Virginia and New York volunteer soldiers who passed +through this city Saturday night, behaved on the train and here like +barbarians, disgracing their uniforms, their States and themselves. +They were drunk and disorderly, and their firing of pistols, +destruction of property and theft of edibles was not as bad as their +outrageous profanity and obscenity on the cars in the hearing of +ladies. Clearly they are brutes when sober and whiskey only developed +the vileness already in them." + +By a careful comparison of the reports in the newspapers, we see a +slight excess of rowdyism on the part of the whites, but much less +fuss made about it. In traveling from place to place if a white +volunteer company fired a few shots in the air, robbed a fruit stand, +or fussed with the by standers at railroad stations or drank whiskey +at the car windows, the fact was simply mentioned in the morning +papers, but if a Negro company fired a pistol a telegram was sent +ahead to have mobs in readiness to "do up the niggers" at the next +station, and at one place in Georgia the militia was called out by a +telegram sent ahead, and discharged a volley into the car containing +white officers and their families, so eager were they to "do up the +nigger." At Nashville the city police are reported to have charged +through the train clubbing the colored volunteers who were returning +home, and taking anything in the shape of a weapon away from them by +force. In Texarcana or thereabouts it was reported that a train of +colored troopers was blown up by dynamite. The Southern mobs seemed to +pride themselves in assaulting the colored soldiers. + + +While the colored volunteers were not engaged in active warfare, yet +they attained a high degree of discipline and the CLEANEST AND MOST +ORDERLY CAMP among any of the volunteers was reported by the chief +sanitary officer of the government to be that of one of the colored +volunteer regiments stationed in Virginia. It is to be regretted that +the colored volunteers, especially those under Negro officers, did not +have an opportunity to show their powers on the battlefield, and thus +demonstrate their ability as soldiers, and so refreshing the memory +of the nation as to what Negro soldiers once did at Ft. Wagner and +Milikin's Bend. The volunteer boys were ready and willing and only +needed a chance to show what they could do. + +POLICED BY NEGROES. + +WHITE IMMUNES ORDERED OUT OF SANTIAGO, AND A COLORED REGIMENT PLACED +IN CHARGE. + +Washington, D.C., August 17, 1898. + +Editor Colored American: The Star of this city published the following +dispatch in its issue of the 16th inst. The Washington Post next +morning published the same dispatch, omitting the last paragraph; +and yet the Post claims to publish the news, whether pleasing or +otherwise. The selection of the 8th Illinois colored regiment for +this important duty, to replace a disorderly white regiment, is a +sufficient refutation of a recent editorial in the Post, discrediting +colored troops with colored officers. The Eighth Illinois is a colored +regiment from Colonel down. The Generals at the front know the value +of Negro troops, whether the quill-drivers in the rear do or not. + +CHARLES R. DOUGLASS. + +The following is the dispatch referred to by Major Douglass. The +headlines of the Star are retained. + +IMMUNES MADE TROUBLE--GENERAL SHAFTER ORDERS THE SECOND REGIMENT +OUTSIDE THE CITY OF SANTIAGO--COLORED TROOPS FROM ILLINOIS ASSIGNED TO +THE DUTY OF PRESERVING ORDER AND PROPERTY. + +Santiago de Cuba, Aug. 16.--General Shafter to-day ordered the Second +Volunteer Regiment of Immunes to leave the city and go into camp +outside. + +The regiment had been placed here as a garrison, to preserve order and +protect property. There has been firing of arms inside of the town by +members of this regiment, without orders, so far as known. Some of +the men have indulged in liquor until they have verged upon acts of +license and disorder. The inhabitants in some quarters have alleged +loss of property by force and intimidation, and there has grown up a +feeling of uneasiness, if not alarm, concerning them. General Shafter +has, therefore, ordered this regiment into the hills, where discipline +can be more severely maintained. + +In place of the Second Volunteer Immune Regiment, General Shafter +has ordered into the city the Eighth Illinois Volunteer Regiment of +colored troops, in whose sobriety and discipline he has confidence, +and of whose sturdy enforcement of order no doubt is felt by those in +command. + + * * * * * + +SKETCH OF SIXTH VIRGINIA VOLUNTEERS. + +The Sixth Virginia Volunteer Infantry, U.S.V., consisted of two +battalions, first and second Battalion Infantry Virginia Volunteers +(State militia), commanded respectively by Maj. J.B. Johnson and Maj. +W.H. Johnson. In April, 1898, the war cloud was hanging over the land. +Governor J. Hoge Tyler, of Virginia, under instructions from the War +Department, sent to all Virginia volunteers inquiring how many men in +the respective commands were willing to enlist in the United States +volunteer service in the war against Spain. + +How many would go in or out of the United States. + + * * * * * + +COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, + +Adjutant-General's Office, Richmond, Va., April 19th, 1898. + +General Order No. 8. + +I. Commanding officers of companies of Virginia Volunteers will, +immediately, upon the receipt by them of this order, assemble their +respective companies and proceed to ascertain and report direct to +this office, upon the form herewith sent and by letter, what officers +and enlisted men of their companies will volunteer for service in and +with the volunteer forces of the United States (not in the regular +army) with the distinct understanding that such volunteer forces, or +any portion thereof, may be ordered and required to perform service +either in or out of the United States, and that such officer or +enlisted man, so volunteering, agrees and binds himself to, without +question, promptly obey all orders emanating from the proper officers, +and to render such service as he may be required to perform, either +within or beyond the limits of the United States. + +[Illustration: MAJOR JOHN R. LYNCH, PAYMASTER IN U.S. ARMY] + +II. The Brigade Commander and the Regimental and Battalion Commanders +will, without delay, obtain like information and make, direct to this +office, similar reports, to those above required, with regard to +their respective field, staff and non-commissioned staff officers and +regimental or battalion bands, adopting the form herewith sent to the +regiments. + +III. By reason of the necessity in this matter, this order is sent +direct, with copies to intermediate commanders. + +By order of the Governor and Commander-in-Chief. WM. NALLE, +Adjutant-General. + + * * * * * + +The companies of the First Battalion of Richmond and Second Battalion +of Petersburg and Norfolk were the first to respond to the call and +express a readiness to go anywhere in or out of the States with their +own officers, upon these conditions they were immediately accepted, +and the following order was issued: + + +COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, Adjutant-General's Office, Richmond, Va., +April 23, 1898. General Orders No. 9. + +The commanding officers of such companies as will volunteer for +service in the volunteer army of the United States will at once +proceed to recruit their respective companies to at least eighty-four +enlisted men. Any company volunteering as a body, for such service, +will be mustered in with its own officers. + +By order of the Governor and Commander-in-Chief. (Signed) W. NALLE, +Adjutant-General. + + * * * * * + +Under date of June 1, 1898, S.O. 59, A.G.O., Richmond, Va., was +issued directly to the commanding officers of the First and Second +Battalion (colored), who had been specially designated by the +President in his call, ordering them to take the necessary steps to +recruit the companies of the respective battalions to eighty-three men +per company, directing that care be taken, to accept only men of good +repute and able-bodied, and that as soon as recruited the fact should +be reported by telegraph to the Adjutant-General of the State. + +July 15th, 1898, Company "A," Attucks Guard, was the first company to +arrive at Camp Corbin, Va., ten miles below Richmond. The company +had three officers; Capt. W.A. Hawkins, First Lieutenant J.C. Smith, +Lieutenant John Parham. + +The other companies followed in rapid succession. Company "B" (Carney +Guard), Capt. C.B. Nicholas; First Lieutenant L.J. Wyche, Second +Lieutenant J.W. Gilpin. Company "C" (State Guard), Capt. B.A. +Graves; First Lieutenant S.B. Randolph, Second Lieutenant W.H. + +Anderson. Company "D" (Langston Guard), Capt. E.W. Gould; First +Lieutenant Chas. H. Robinson, Second Lieutenant Geo. W. Foreman. +Company "E" (Petersburg Guard), Capt. J.E. Hill; First Lieutenant +J.H. Hill, Second Lieutenant Fred. E. Manggrum. Company "F" +(Petersburg), Capt. Pleasant Webb; First Lieutenant Jno. K. Rice, +Second Lieutenant Richard Hill. Company "G," Capt. J.A. Stevens; +First Lieutenant E. Thomas Walker, Second Lieutenant David Worrell. +Company "H," Capt. Peter Shepperd, Jr.; First Lieutenant Jas. M. +Collins, Second Lieutenant Geo. T. Wright. The regiment consisted of +only eight companies, two battalions, commanded respectively by Major +J.B. Johnson and Maj. W.H. Johnson, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel +Rich'd C. Croxton, of the First United States Infantry. First +Lieutenant Chas. R. Alexander was Surgeon. Second Lieutenant Allen J. +Black, Assist Subsistence. + +Lieutenant W.H. Anderson, Company "C," was detailed as Adjutant, +Ordinance Officer and Mustering Officer. + +Lieutenant J.H. Gilpin, Company "B," was detailed as Quartermaster +and Commissary of Subsistance. + +On Monday, September 12, 1898, the command left Camp Corbin, Va., and +embarked for Knoxville, Tenn., about 10 o'clock, the men traveling in +day coaches and the officers in Pullman sleepers. The train was in +two sections. Upon arrival at Knoxville the command was sent to Camp +Poland, near the Fourteenth Michigan Regiment, who were soon mustered +out. A few days after the arrival of the Sixth Virginia the Third +North Carolina arrived, a full regiment with every officer a Negro. +While here in order to get to the city our officers, wagons and men +had to pass the camp of the First Georgia Regiment, and it was quite +annoying to have to suffer from unnecessary delays in stores and other +things to which the men were subject. + +After the review by General Alger, Secretary of War, the Colonel of +the Sixth Virginia received permission from headquarters of Third +Brigade, Second Division, First Army Corps, General Rosser commanding, +to move the camp to a point nearer the city, which was granted. Soon +after the arrival of the Third North Carolina Regiment the First +Georgia seemed disposed to attack the colored soldiers, so on a +beautiful September evening some shots were fired into their camp by +the First Georgia men and received quick response. After the little +affair four Georgians were missing. The matter was investigated, the +First Georgia was placed under arrest. + +After the removal to a new portion of Camp Poland orders were received +from the headquarters First Army Corps, Lexington, Ky., ordering a +board of examiners for the following officers of the Sixth Virginia: +Maj. W.H. Johnson; Second Battalion, Capt. C.B. Nicholas, Capt. +J.E. Hill, Capt. J.A.C. Stevens, Capt. E.W. Gould, Capt. Peter +Shepperd, Jr., Lieutenants S.B. Randolph, Geo. T. Wright and David +Worrell for examination September 20, 1898, each officer immediately +tendered his resignation, which was at once accepted by the Secretary +of War. + +[Illustration: MAJOR R.R. WRIGHT, PAYMASTER IN U.S. ARMY.] + +Under the rules governing the volunteer army, when vacancies occurred +by death, removal, resignation or otherwise, the Colonel of a regiment +had the power to recommend suitable officers or men to fill the +vacancies by promotions, and the Governor would make the appointment +with the approval of the Secretary of War. Many of the men had high +hopes of gaining a commission; many of the most worthy young men of +the State, who left their peaceful vocations for the rough service of +war, for they were, students, bookkeepers, real estate men, merchants, +clerks and artists who responded to their country's call--all looking +to a much desired promotion. But after many conflicting stories as to +what would be done and much parleying on the part of the recommending +power, who said that there was none in the regiment qualified for the +promotion. And thereupon the Governor appointed white officers to +fill the vacancies created. A copy of the following was sent to the +Governor of Virginia through "military channels" but never reached +him; also to the Adjutant General of the army through military +channels: + +Sixth Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Second Battalion, Colored, Camp +Poland, Tenn., October 27th, 1898. + +To the Adjutant General, U.S. Army, Washington, D.C. + +Sir--We, the undersigned officers of the Sixth Virginia Volunteer +Infantry, stationed at Camp Poland, Knoxville, Tenn., have the honor +to respectfully submit to you the following: + +Nine officers of this command who had served the state militia for a +period ranging from five to twenty years were ordered examined. They +resigned for reasons best known to themselves. We the remaining +officers were sanguine that Negro officers would be appointed to fill +these vacancies, and believe they can be had from the rank and file, +as the men in the various companies enlisted with the distinct +understanding that they would be commanded by Negro officers. We now +understand through various sources that white officers have been, or +are to be, appointed to fill these vacancies, to which we seriously +and respectfully protest, because our men are dissatisfied. The men +feel that the policy inaugurated as to this command should remain, and +we fear if there is a change it will result disastrously to one of the +best disciplined commands in the volunteer service. They are unwilling +to be commanded by white officers and object to do what they did not +agree to at first. That is to be commanded by any other than officers +of the same color. We furthermore believe that should the appointments +be confirmed there will be a continual friction between the officers +and men of the two races as has been foretold by our present +commanding officer. We express the unanimous and sincere desire of +seven hundred and ninety-one men in the command to be mustered out +rather than submit to the change. + +We therefore pray that the existing vacancies be filled from the rank +and file of the command or by men of color. To all of which we most +humbly pray. + +(Signed) + +J.B. JOHNSON, Major 6th Va. Vol. Inf. PLEASANT WEBB, Capt. 6th Va. Vol +Inf. BENJ. A. GRAVES, Capt. 6th Va. Vol. Inf. JAS. C. SMITH, 6th Va. +Vol. Inf., 1st Lt. L.J. WYCHE, 1st Lt. 6th Va. Vol. Inf. CHAS. H. +ROBINSON, 1st Lt. 6th Va. Vol. JOHN H. HILL, 1st Lt. 6th Va. Vol. Inf. +JNO. K. RICE, 1st Lt. 6th Va. Vol. Inf. EDWIN T. WALKER, 1st Lt. 6th +Va. Vol.. C.R. ALEXANDER, 1st. Lt. and Sarg. 6th Va. Vol. Inf. JOHN +PARHAM, 2nd Lt. 6th. Va. Vol. Inf. JAS. ST. GILPIN, 2nd Lt. 6th Va. +Vol. Inf. W.H. ANDERSON, 2nd Lt. 6th Va. Vol. Inf. GEORGE W. FOREMAN. +2nd Lt. 6th Va. Vol. Inf. FREDERICK E. MANGGRUM, 2nd Lt. 6th Va. Vol. +Inf. RICHARD HILL, 2nd Lt. 6th Va. Vol. Inf. JAMES M. COLLIN, 2nd Lt. +6th Va. Vol. Inf. FIRST ENDORSEMENT. Headquarters 6th Va. Vol. +Inf. Second Battalion, Colored, Camp Poland, Tenn., Oct. 28, if +Respectfully forwarded. + +I have explained to the officers who signed this paper that their +application is absurd, but they seem unable to see the points +involved. + +The statement within that 791 men prefer to be mustered out rather +than serve under white officers is based upon the alleged reports that +each First Sergeant stated to his Captain that all the men of the +company were of that opinion. The statement that the men "enlisted +with the understanding that they would be commanded entirely by Negro +officers," seems to be based upon the fact that when these companies +were called upon by the State authorities they volunteered for +service, etc., "with our present officers." These officers (9 of +them) have since resigned and their places filled by the Governor of +Virginia with white officers. + +These latter have not yet reported for duty. + +Further comment seems as unnecessary as the application itself is +useless. + +(Signed) R.C. CROXTON, + +Lt. Col. 6th Va. Vol. Inf. Com'd'g. + + * * * * * + +SECOND ENDORSEMENT. + +Headquarters Third Brigade, Second Division, First Army Corps, Camp +Poland, Tenn., Oct. 29, 1898. + +Respectfully forwarded. Disapproved as under the law creating the +present volunteer forces the Governor of Virginia is the only +authority who can appoint the officers of the 6th Va. Vol. Inf. + +(Signed) JAMES H. YOUNG. + +Col. Third N.C. Vol. Inf. Com'd'g. Brigade. + +THIRD ENDORSEMENT. + +Headquarters Second Division, First Army Corps, + +Camp Poland, Knoxville, Tenn., Oct. 31, 1898. + +Respectfully returned to the Commanding General, Third Brigade. + +The enclosed communication is in form and substance so contrary to +all military practice and traditions that it is returned for file at +Regimental Headquarters, 6th Va. Vol. Infantry. + +By command of Colonel KUERT. + +(Signed) LOUIS V. CAZIARC, + +Assistant Adjutant-General. + + * * * * * + +FOURTH ENDORSEMENT. Headquarters Third Brigade, + Second Division, First Army Corps. +Respectfully transmitted to C.O., 6th Virginia, inviting attention to +preceding Inst. + +By order of Colonel YOUNG. + +(Signed) A.B. COLLIER, + +Captain Assistant Adjutant-General. + + * * * * * + +A NEW LIEUTENANT FOR THE 6TH VIRGINIA. + +October 31st, 1898, the monthly muster was in progress. There appeared +in the camp a new Lieutenant--Lieut. Jno. W. Healey--formerly +Sergeant-Major in the regular army. This was the first positive +evidence that white officers would be assigned to this regiment. This +was about 9 o'clock in the morning, and at Knoxville later in the day, +there were more arrivals. Then it was published that the following +changes and appointments were made: + +Company "D," First Battalion, was transferred to the Second Battalion; +Company "F," of the Second Battalion, transferred to the First +Battalion. Major E.E. Cobell, commanding Second Battalion. Captain +R.L.E. Masurier, commanding Company "D." Captain W. S. Faulkner, +commanding Company "E." Captain J. W. Bentley, commanding Company "G." +Captain S.T. Moore, commanding Company "H." First Lieutenant Jno. W. +Healey to Company "H." First Lieutenant A.L. Moncure to Company "G." +Second Lieutenant Geo. W. Richardson, Company "G." First Lieutenant +Edwin T. Walker transferred to Company "C." November 1st officers +attempted to take charge of the men who offered no violence at all, +but by their manner and conduct it appeared too unpleasant and unsafe +for these officers to remain, so tendered their resignations, but they +were withheld for a day. + +The next day, November 2, 1898, it was thought best that the colored +Captains and Lieutenants would drill the companies at the 9 o'clock +drill. While on the field "recall" was sounded and the companies were +brought to the headquarters and formed a street column. General Bates, +commanding the Corps and his staff; Col. Kuert, commanding the Brigade +and Brigade staff; Maj. Louis V. Caziarc, Assistant Adjutant-General: +Lieut. Col. Croxton and Maj. Johnson were all there and spoke to the +men. Colonel Kuert said: "Gentlemen, as commanding officer of the +Brigade, I appear before you to-day asking you to do your duty; to be +good soldiers, to remember your oath of enlistment, and to be careful +as to the step you take, for it might cost you your life; that there +are enough soldiers at my command to force you into submission should +you resist. No, if you intend to accept the situation and submit to +these officers placed over you, at my command, you come to a right +shoulder, and if you have any grievance imaginary or otherwise +present through proper military channels, and if they are proper, your +wrongs will be adjusted." + +"Right shoulder, Arms." Did not a man move. He then ordered them to be +taken back to their company street and to "stack arms." + +Before going to the company streets Major Caziarc spoke to the men as +follows: "Forty years ago no Negro could bear arms or wear the blue. +You cannot disgrace the blue, but can make yourselves unworthy to wear +it." + +Then Maj. J.B. Johnson spoke to the men and urged upon them to keep +in mind the oath of enlistment (which he read to them), in which they +swore that they would "obey all officers placed over them;" that since +the appointments had been made there was nothing for them to do but to +accept the situation. At the conclusion of Maj. Johnson's talk to the +men, Private Badger, Regimental Tailor, stepped to the front and gave +the "rifle salute" and asked permission to say a word. It was granted. +He said: "When we enlisted we understood that we would go with +our colored officers anywhere in or out of this country, and when +vacancies occurred we expected and looked for promotion as was the +policy of the Governor of Virginia toward other Virginia Regiments." +He was told that if the men had any grievance they could present it +through military channels and it would be looked into. They never +accepted Maj. Johnson's advice--returned to their company streets and +were allowed to keep their guns. The Ordnance Officer was ordered to +take all ammunition to the camp of the Thirty-first Michigan and place +it in the guard-house. + +The men had the freedom and pass privilege to and from the city. + +[Illustration: MAJOR J.B. JOHNSON, OF THE SIXTH VIRGINIA COLORED +VOLUNTEERS.] + +November 19th the command was ordered to Macon, Ga., arriving at Camp +Haskell next day, with 820 men and 27 officers. + +Near the camp of the Sixth Virginia was that of the Tenth Immune +Regiment, in which were many Virginia boys, some of whom had been +members of some of the companies of the Sixth. + +Some irresponsible persons cut down a tree upon which several men had +been lynched. The blame naturally fell upon the Sixth Virginia. The +regiment was placed under arrest and remained so for nineteen days. +The first day the Third Engineers guarded the camp, but General +Wilson, the Corps commander, removed them and put colored soldiers to +guard them. On the night of November 20th, at a late hour, the camp +was surrounded by all the troops available while the men were asleep +and the regiment was disarmed. + +While all this was going on the Thirty-first Michigan Regiment had +been deployed into line behind a hill on the north and the Fourth +Tennessee had been drawn up in line on the east side of the camp ready +to fire should any resistance be offered. + +The men quietly submitted to this strange procedure, and did not know +that Gatling guns had been conveniently placed at hand to mow them +down had they shown any resistance. The Southern papers called them +the mutinous Sixth, and said and did every thing to place discredit +upon them. + +They were reviewed by General Breckinridge, General Alger, Secretary +of War, and President McKinley, who applauded them for their fine and +soldierly appearance. + + + + + +COMMENTS ON THE THIRD NORTH CAROLINA REGIMENT. + + +Of all the volunteer regiments the Third North Carolina seemed to be +picked out as the target for attack by the Georgia newspapers. The +Atlanta Journal, under large headlines, "A Happy Riddance," has the +following to say when the Third North Carolina left Macon. But +the Journal's article was evidently written in a somewhat of a +wish-it-was-so-manner, and while reading this article we ask our +readers to withhold judgment until they read Prof. C.F. Meserve on the +Third North Carolina, who wrote after investigation. + +The Journal made no investigation to see what the facts were, but +dwells largely on rumors and imagination. It will be noted that +President Meserve took the pains to investigate the subject before +writing about it. + +The Atlanta Journal says: + +A HAPPY RIDDANCE. + +The army and the country are to be congratulated on the mustering out +of the Third North Carolina Regiment. + +A tougher and more turbulent set of Negroes were probably never gotten +together before. Wherever this regiment went it caused trouble. + +While stationed in Macon several of its members were killed, either by +their own comrades in drunken brawls or by citizens in self-defense. + +Last night the mustered-out regiment passed through Atlanta on its way +home and during its brief stay here exhibited the same ruffianism and +brutality that characterized it while in the service. But for the +promptness and pluck of several Atlanta policemen these Negro +ex-soldiers would have done serious mischief at the depot. Those who +undertook to make trouble were very promptly clubbed into submission, +and one fellow more obstreperous than the rest, was lodged in the +station house. + +With the exception of two or three regiments the Negro volunteers in +the recent war were worse than useless. The Negro regulars, on the +contrary, made a fine record, both for fighting and conduct in camp. + +[Illustration: THIRD NORTH CAROLINA VOLUNTEERS AND OFFICERS.] + +The mustering out of the Negro volunteers should have begun sooner and +have been completed long ago. + + * * * * * + +WHAT PRESIDENT CHARLES FRANCIS MESERVE SAYS. + +President Charles Francis Meserve, of Shaw University, says: + +"I spent a part of two days the latter part of December at Camp +Haskell, near Macon, Ga., inspecting the Third North Carolina colored +regiment and its camp and surroundings. The fact that this regiment +has colored officers and the knowledge that the Colonel and quite +a number of officers, as well as many of the rank and file, were +graduates or former students of Shaw University, led me to make +a visit to this regiment, unheralded and unannounced. I was just +crossing the line into the camp when I was stopped by a guard, who +wanted to know who I was and what I wanted. I told him I was a very +small piece of Shaw University, and that I wanted to see Col. Young. +After that sentence was uttered, and he had directed me to the +headquarters of the colonel, the regiment and the camp might have been +called mine, for the freedom of everything was granted me." + +The camp is admirably located on a sandy hillside, near pine woods, +and is dry and well-drained. It is well laid out, with a broad avenue +in the centre intersected by a number of side streets. On one side of +the avenue are the tents and quarters of the men and the canteen, +and on the opposite side the officers' quarters, the hospital, the +quartermasters stores, the Y.M.C.A. tent, etc. + +Although the weather was unfavorable, the camp was in the best +condition, and from the standpoint of sanitation was well-nigh +perfect. I went everywhere and saw everything, even to the sinks and +corral. Part of the time I was alone and part of the time an officer +attended me. There was an abundant supply of water from the Macon +water works distributed in pipes throughout the camp. The clothing was +of good quality and well cared for. The food was excellent, abundant +in quantity and well prepared. The beef was fresh and sweet, for it +had not been "embalmed." The men were not obliged to get their fresh +meat by picking maggots out of dried apples and dried peaches as has +been the case sometimes in the past on our "Wild West Frontier." There +were potatoes, Irish and sweet, navy beans, onions, meat, stacks of +light bread, canned salmon, canned tomatoes, etc. These were not all +served at one meal, but all these articles and others go to make up +the army ration list. + +The spirit and discipline of officers and men was admirable, and +reflected great credit upon the Old North State. There was an +enthusiastic spirit and buoyancy that made their discipline and +evolutions well nigh perfect. The secret of it all was confidence in +their leader. They believe in their colonel, and the colonel in turn +believes in his men. Col. James H. Young possesses in a marked degree +a quality of leadership as important as it is rare. He probably knows +by name at least three-quarters of his regiment, and is on pleasant +terms with his staff and the men in the ranks, and yet maintains a +proper dignity, such as befits his official rank. + +[Illustration: PROF. CHARLES F. MESERVE, OF SHAW UNIVERSITY, RALEIGH, +N.C. (Who investigated and made report on the Third N.C. Volunteers.)] + +On the last afternoon of my visit of inspection Col. Young ordered +the regiment drawn up in front of his headquarters, and invited me to +address them. The Colonel and his staff were mounted, and I was given +a position of honor on a dry goods box near the head of the beautiful +horse upon which the Colonel was mounted. Besides Colonel James +H. Young, of Raleigh, were near me Lieutenant Colonel Taylor, of +Charlotte; Major Walker, of Wilmington; Major Hayward, of Raleigh; +Chief Surgeon Dellinger, of Greensboro; Assistant Surgeons Pope, of +Charlotte, and Alston, of Asheville; Capt. Durham, of Winston; Capt. +Hamlin, of Raleigh; Capt. Hargraves, of Maxton; Capt. Mebane, of +Elizabeth City; Capt. Carpenter, of Rutherfordton; Capt. Alexander, +of Statesville; Capt. Smith, of Durham; Capt. Mason, of Kinston; +who served under Colonel Shaw at Fort Wagner; Capt. Leatherwood, +Asheville; Capt. Stitt, of Charlotte; Capt. York, of Newbern; and +Quartermaster Lane, of Raleigh. That highly respected citizen of +Fayetteville, Adjutant Smith, was in the hospital suffering from a +broken leg. I told them they were on trial, and the success or failure +of the experiment must be determined by themselves alone; that +godliness, moral character, prompt and implicit obedience, as well as +bravery and unflinching courage, were necessary attributes of the true +soldier. + +The Y.M.C.A. tent is a great blessing to the regiment, and is very +popular, and aids in every possible way the work of Chaplain Durham. + +The way Col. Young manages the canteen cannot be too highly +recommended. Ordinarily the term canteen is another name for a +drinking saloon, though a great variety of articles, such as soldiers +need, are on sale and the profits go to the soldiers. But the canteen +of the Third North Carolina is a dry one. By that I mean that +spiritous or malt liquors are not sold. Col. Young puts into practice +the principles that have always characterized his personal habits, and +with the best results to his regiment. + +I had the pleasure of meeting Capt. S. Babcock, Assistant Adjutant +General of the Brigade, who has known this regiment since it was +mustered into the service. He speaks of it in the highest terms. I +also met Major John A. Logan, the Provost Marshal, and had a +long interview with him. He said the Third North Carolina was a +well-behaved regiment and that he had not arrested a larger per cent +of men from this regiment than from any other regiment, and that I was +at liberty to publicly use this statement. + +While in the sleeper on my way home I fell in with Capt. J.C. Gresham, +of the Seventh Cavalry. Capt. Gresham is a native of Virginia, a +graduate of Richmond College and West Point, and has served many years +in the regular army. He was with Colonel Forsyth in the battle with +the Sioux at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. I had met him previously, +when I was in the United States Indian service in Kansas. He informed +me that he mustered in the first four companies of the Third North +Carolina, and the Colonel and his staff, and that he had never met a +more capable man than Colonel Young. + +The Third North Carolina has never seen active service at the front, +and, as the Hispano-American war is practically a closed chapter, it +will probably be mustered out of the service without any knowledge of +actual warfare. I thought, however, as I stood on the dry goods box +and gave them kindly advice, and looked down along the line, that if +I was a soldier in a white regiment and was pitted against them, my +regiment would have to do some mighty lively work to "clean them out." + +CHARLES FRANCIS MESERVE. + +Shaw University, + +Raleigh, N.C., Jan. 25, 1899. + + +[Illustration: MR. JUDSON W. LYONS, REGISTER OF THE TREASURY, AND +SIGNS U.S. "GREENBACKS" TO MAKE THEM GOOD.] + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + + +GENERAL ITEMS OF INTEREST TO THE RACE, + + +John C. Dancy, re-appointed Collector of Port Wilmington, N.C. Salary +$3,000. + +The appointment of Prof. Richard T. Greener, of New York, as Consul to +Vladivistock. + +Hon. H.P. Cheatham, appointed as Register of Deeds of the District of +Columbia. Salary $4,000. + +Hon. George H. White elected to Congress from the Second Congressional +District of North Carolina, the only colored Representative in that +body. + +The Cotton Factory at Concord, N.C., built and operated by colored +people, capitalized at $50,000, and established a new line of industry +for colored labor, is one of the interesting items showing the +progress of the colored race in America. + +B.K. Bruce re-appointed Register of the Treasury, and on his death Mr. +Judson W. Lyons, of Augusta, Georgia, became his successor, and now +has the honor of making genuine Uncle Sam's greenback by affixing +thereto his signature. Salary $4,500. + +Bishop H.M. Turner visits Africa and ordains an African Bishop, +J.H. Dwane, Vicar of South Africa, with a conference composed of a +membership of 10,000 persons. This act of the Bishop is criticised by +some of the Bishops and members of the A.M.E. Church in America on the +grounds that Bishop Turner was acting without authority in making this +appointment. + +Mr. James Deveaux, Collector of Port, Brunswick, Ga.; H.A. Rucker, +Collector of Internal Revenue for Georgia, $4,500 (the best office in +the State); Morton, Postmaster at Athens, Ga., $2,400; Demas, +naval officer at New Orleans, $5,000; Lee, Collector of port at +Jacksonville, $4,000 (the best office in that State); Hill, Register +of the Land Office in Mississippi, $3,000; Leftwich, Register of the +Land Office in Alabama, $3,000; Casline, Receiver of Public Moneys in +Alabama, $2,000; Jackson, Consul at Calais, $2,500; Van Horn, Consul +in the West Indies, $2,500; Green, Chief Stamp Division, Postoffice +Department, $2,000. + + +MISS ALBERTA SCOTT AND OTHERS, + +Miss Alberta Scott is the first Negro girl to be graduated from the +Harvard annex. Her classmates and the professors of the institution +have congratulated her in the warmest terms and in the literary and +the language club of Boston her achievement of the M.A. degree has +been spoken of with high praise. Miss Scott is but the fifth student +of the Negro race to obtain this honor at the colleges for women in +Massachusetts. Two received diplomas from Wellsley, one from Smith +College and one from Vassar. Miss Scott is 20 years old. She was born +in Richmond, Va., having graduated from the common schools in Boston. +Miss Scott's teachers spoke so encouragingly of her work that the +girl was determined to have a college education. She paid particular +attention to the study of language and literature, and she is now a +fluent linguist and a member of the Idier and German clubs. She has +contributed considerably to college and New England journals. + +[Illustration: THE GARNES FAMILY.] + +THE DISCOVERY OF THE GARNES FAMILY. + +A picture of which is herein placed, will do much to confound those +bumptious sociologists who make haste to rush into print with +statistics purporting to show that the Negro Race in America is "fast +dying out." The aim of this class of people seems to be to show that +the Negro Race withers under the influence of freedom, which is by no +means true. It is possibly true that filth and disease does its fatal +work in the Negro Race, the same as in other races among the filthy +and corrupt, but the filthy and corrupt in the Negro Race, as a class, +are growing fewer every year--for which we can thank the philanthropy +of the American people who are doing something to better the condition +of the Negro rather than hurling at him enernating criticisms and +complaints. + +"Their home is at Brodie, in the country, about twenty miles from +Henderson, N.C. The father's name is Gillis Garnes. He is about fifty +years of age, and the mother says she is about forty-eight. The oldest +child is a daughter, aged twenty-eight, and the youngest is also a +daughter, three years of age; that you see seated in her mother's +arms. They are all Baptists and thirteen of the family are members of +the church. I had this photograph taken at Henderson, on April 8th. +There are seventeen children, all living, of the same father and +mother. A.J. Garnes spends quite a part of the time in teaching in +his native county. When he is not teaching he is at home, and every +evening has a school made up of children of the family. A.J. Garnes +is the tall young man in the background at the right, who is a former +student of Shaw University, as well as one of the sisters represented +in the picture."--_Prof. Charles F. Meserve, in the Baptist Home +Mission Monthly._ + +"A COLORED WONDER" ON THE BICYCLE. + +New York, August 27.--Major Taylor, the colored cyclist, met and +defeated "Jimmy" Michael, the little Welshman, in a special match +race, best two out of three, one mile pace heats, from a standing +start at Manhattan Beach Cycle track this afternoon. + +Michael won the first heat easily, as Taylor's pacing quint broke +down in the final lap, but on the next two heats Michael was so badly +beaten and distanced that he quit each time in the last lap. + +MARVELOUS WORK. + +Taylor's work was wonderful, both from a racing and time standpoint, +and he established a new world's record which was absolutely +phenomenal, covering the third heat in 1:41 2-5. + +Michael was hissed by the spectators as he passed the stand, +dispirited and dejected by Taylor's overwhelming victory. + +Immediately after the third heat was finished, and before the time was +announced, William A. Bradley, who championed the colored boy during +the entire season, issued a challenge to race Taylor against Michael +for $5,000 or $10,000 a side at any distance up to one hundred miles. + +THE COLORED YOUTH LIONIZED. + +This declaration was received with tumultuous shouts by the +assemblage, and the colored victor was lionized when the time was made +known. + +Edouard Taylore, the French rider, held the world's record of 1:45 3-5 +for the distance in a contest paced from a standing start. + +[Illustration: COLEMAN COTTON MILL.] + +THE WORLD'S RECORD LOWERED. + +The world's record against time from a standing start, made by Platt +Betts, of England, was 1:43 2-5. Michael beat Taylore's record by 1 +2-5 seconds in the first heat, but Major Taylor wiped this out and +tied Betts' record against time in the second heat. As Taylor was on +the outside for nearly two and a half laps, it was easily seen that he +rode more than a mile in the time, and shrewd judges who watched the +race said that he would surely do better on the third attempt. + +PALE AS A CORPSE. + +That he fully justified this belief goes without saying. + +The Welsh rider was pale as a corpse when he jumped off his wheel and +had no excuse to make for his defeat. Taylor's performance undoubtedly +stamps him as the premier 'cycle sprinter of the world, and, judging +from the staying qualities he exhibited in his six days' ride in the +Madison Square Garden, the middle distance championship may be his +before the end of the present season. + + +A NEGRO MILLIONAIRE FOUND AT LAST. + +After a search of many years, at last a Negro millionaire, yes, a +multi-millionaire has been found. He resides in the city of Guatemala, +and is known as Don Juan Knight. It is said he is to that country what +Huntington and other monied men are to this country. He was born a +slave in the State of Alabama. He owns gold mines, large coffee and +banana farms, is the second largest dealer in mahogany in the world, +owns a bank and pays his employees $200,000 a year. His wealth is +estimated at $70,000,000. He was the property of the Uptons, of +Dadeville, Ala. He contributes largely to educational institutions, +has erected hospitals, etc. He is sought for his advice by the +government whenever a bond issue, etc., is to be made. He lives in a +palace and has hosts of servants to wait on his family. He married a +native and has seven children. They have all been educated in this +country. Two of his sons are in a military academy in Mississippi and +one of his daughters is an accomplished portrait painter in Boston. He +visited the old plantation where he was born recently and employed the +son of his former master as foreman of his mines. Finding that the +wife of his former master was sick and without money, he gave her +enough money to live on the balance of her life. He employs more +men than any other man in Guatemala and is the wealthiest one +there.--Maxton Blade. + + +UNCLE SAM'S MONEY SEALER WHO COULD STEAL MILLIONS IF HE WOULD. + +There is only one man in the United States who could steal $10,000,000 +and not have the theft discovered for six months. + +This man has a salary of $1,200 a year. He is a Negro and his name is +John R. Brown. + +Mr. Brown's interesting duty is to be the packer of currency under +James F. Meline, the Assistant Treasurer of the United States, who, +says that his is a place where automatic safeguards and checks fail, +and where the government must trust to the honesty of the official. + +All the currency printed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing is +completed in the Treasury Building by having the red seal printed on +it there. It comes to the Treasury Building in sheets of four notes +each, and when the seal has been imprinted on the notes they are cut +apart and put into packages to dry. John Brown's duty is to put up the +packages of notes and seal them. + +[Illustration: MR. BROWN, THE COLORED MAN WHO PACKS AND SEALS THE +MONEY OF THE UNITED STATES.] + +Brown does his work in a cage at the end of the room in which the +completion of the notes is accomplished--the room of the Division of +Issues. + +The notes are arranged in packages of one hundred before they are +brought into the cage. Each package has its paper strap, on which the +number and denomination is given in printed characters. Forty are put +together in two piles of twenty each and placed an a power press. This +press is worked by a lever, something like an old-style cotton press. +There are openings above and below through which strings can be +slipped after Brown has pulled the lever and compressed the package. + +These strings hold the package together while stout manila paper is +drawn around it. This paper is folded as though about a pound of tea +and sealed with wax. Then a label is pasted on it, showing in plain +characters what is within. + +The packages are of uniform size and any variation from the standard +would be noticed. But a dishonest man in Brown's position could slip a +wad of prepared paper into one of the packages and put the notes into +his pocket. + +If he did this the crime might not be known for six months or a +year, or even longer. Some day there would come from the Treasurer +a requisition for a package of notes of a certain denomination. The +doctored package would be opened and the shortage would be found. +However, the Government has never had to meet this situation. + +There have been only two men engaged in packing and sealing currency +since the Treasury Department was organized. + +John T. Barnes began the work. He was a delegate to the Chicago +Convention which nominated Lincoln and he received his appointment +on the recommendation of Montgomery Blair in 1861. In 1862 he was +assigned to making up the currency packages and fulfilled that duty +until his death, in 1894. No mistake was ever discovered in his work, +though he handled every cent of currency issued by the government for +thirty-two years--so many millions of dollars that it would take a +week to figure them up. + +Mr. Barnes' duties were filled temporarily until November 1, when John +R. Brown was appointed to the place. + +Barnes at the time of his death was receiving only $1,400 a year and +Brown draws only $1,200. + +Ordinarily the Bureau of Engraving and Printing delivers to the Issue +Division about fifty-six packages of paper money of 1,000 sheets each, +four notes on a sheet, making, when separated, 224,000 notes. These +notes range in value from $1 to $20, and their aggregate is usually +about $1,000,000. The government, however, issues currency in +denominations of $50, $100, $500, $1,000. The largest are not printed +often, because the amount issued is small. + +If it could happen that 224,000 notes of $1,000 each were received +from the bureau in one day, the aggregate of value in the fifty-six +packages would be $224,000,000. As it is, a little more than 10 per +cent, of this sum represents the largest amount handled in one day. + +That is, the packer has handled $25,000,000 in a single day, and not +one dollar has gone astray. + +John R. Brown is a hereditary office-holder. His father was a trusted +employee of the Treasurer's office for ten year prior to his death, in +1874. The son was appointed assistant messenger in 1872. He became a +clerk through competitive examination and was gradually promoted. + +[Illustration: GEN. PIO PILAR, In charge of the Insurgent forces +which attacked the American troops.] + +The man who has the largest interest in John Brown's integrity and +care probably does not know Brown's name. Yet, if a thousand dollars +was missing from one of the packages in the storage vault, Ellis H. +Roberts, Treasurer of the United States, would have to make it good. +Mr. Roberts has given a bond to the government in the sum of $500,000. +Twenty years hence the sureties on that bond could be held for a +shortage in the Treasurer's office, if it could be traced back to Mr. +Roberts' term. + +Not one of the employees under Mr. Roberts gives a bond, though they +handle millions every day. But the Treasurer's office is one which +every responsible employee has been weighed carefully. Its clerks have +been in service many years and have proved worthy of confidence. + + +HOWELLS DISCOVERS A NEGRO POET. + +Mr. Paul Lawrence Dunbar has been until recently an elevator-boy in +Dayton, Ohio. While engaged in the ups and downs of life in that +capacity he has cultivated his poetical talents so successfully that +his verse has found frequent admission into leading magazines. At last +a little collection of these verses reached William Dean Howells, +and Mr. Dunbar's star at once became ascendant. He is said to be a +full-blooded Negro, the son of slave-parents, and his best work is in +the dialect of his race. A volume of his poems is soon to be published +by Dodd, Mead & Co. and in an introduction to it Mr. Howells writes as +follows: + +"What struck me in reading Mr. Dunbar's poetry was what had already +struck his friends in Ohio and Indiana, in Kentucky and Illinois. They +had felt as I felt, that however gifted his race had proven itself in +music, in oratory, in several other arts, here was the first instance +of an American Negro who had evinced innate literature. In my +criticism of his book I had alleged Dumas in France, and had forgotten +to allege the far greater Pushkin in Russia; but these were both +mulattoes who might have been supposed to derive their qualities from +white blood vastly more artistic than ours, and who were the creatures +of an environment more favorable to their literary development. So +far as I could remember, Paul Dunbar was the only man of pure African +blood and American civilization to feel the Negro life esthetically +and express it lyrically. It seemed to me that this had come to its +most modern consciousness in him, and that his brilliant and unique +achievement was to have studied the American Negro objectively, and to +have represented him as he found him to be, with humor, with sympathy, +and yet with what the reader must instinctively feel to be entire +truthfulness. I said that a race which had come to this effect in any +member of it had attained civilization in him, and I permitted myself +the imaginative prophecy that the hostilities and the prejudices which +had so long constrained his race were destined to vanish in the arts; +that these were to be the final proof that God had made of one blood +all nations of men. I thought his merits positive and not comparative; +and I held that if his black poems had been written by a white man +I should not have found them less admirable. I accepted them as an +evidence of the essential unity of the human race, which does not +think or feel black in one and white in another, but humanly in all." + +The Bookman says of Mr. Dunbar: + +"It is safe to assert that accepted as an Anglo-Saxon poet, he would +have received little or no consideration in a hurried weighing of the +mass of contemporary verse." + +"But Mr. Dunbar, as his pleasing, manly, and not unrefined face shows, +is a poet of the African race; and this novel and suggestive fact at +once placed his work upon a peculiar footing of interest, of study, +and of appreciative welcome. So regarded, it is a most remarkable and +hopeful production." + +[Illustration: PAUL LAWRENCE DUNBAR, THE NEGRO POET.] + +We reproduce here one of Dunbar's dialect poems entitled +WHEN DE CO'N PONE'S HOT. + + Dey is times in life when Nature + Seems to slip a cog an' go + Jes' a-rattlin' down creation, + Lak an ocean's overflow; + When de worl' jes' stahts a-spinnin' + Lak a picaninny's top, + An' you' cup o' joy is brimmin' + 'Twel it seems about to slop. + An' you feel jes' lak a racah + Dat is trainin' fu' to trot-- + When you' mammy ses de blessin' + An' de co'n pone's hot. + + When you set down at de table, + Kin' o' weary lak an' sad, + 'An' you'se jest a little tiahed, + An' purhaps a little mad-- + How you' gloom tu'ns into gladness, + How you' joy drives out de doubt + When de oven do' is opened + An' de smell comes po'in' out; + Why, de 'lectric light o' Heaven + Seems to settle on de spot, + When yo' mammy ses de blessin' + An' de co'n pone's hot. + + When de cabbage pot is steamin' + An' de bacon good an' fat, + When de chittlin's is a-sputter'n' + So's to show yo' whah dey's at; + Take away you sody biscuit, + Take away yo' cake an' pie. + Fu' de glory time is comin', + An' it's proachin' very nigh, + An' you' want to jump an' hollah, + Do you know you'd bettah not, + When you mammy ses de blessin' + An' de co'n pone's hot? + + I have heerd o' lots o' sermons, + An' I've heerd o' lots o' prayers; + An' I've listened to some singin' + Dat has tuck me up de stairs + Of de Glory Lan' an' set me + Jes' below de Mahster's th'one, + An' have lef my haht a singin' + In a happy aftah-tone. + But dem wu's so sweetly murmured + Seem to tech de softes' spot, + When my mammy ses de blessin'. + An de co'n pone's hot. +--Taken from the Literary Digest. + +DISFRANCHISEMENT OF COLORED VOTERS. + +While the Northern and Western portions of the United States were +paying tributes to the valor of the Negro soldiers who fought for the +flag in Cuba, the most intense feeling ever witnessed, was brewing in +some sections of the South-notably in the North Carolina Legislature +against the rights and privileges of Negro citizenship, which +culminated in the passage of a "Jim Crow" car law, and an act to amend +the Constitution so as to disfranchise the colored voters. It was +noticeable, however, that although the "Jim Crow Car" law got through +that body in triumph, yet the "Jim Crow Bed" law, which made it a +felony for whites and colored to cohabit together DID NOT PASS. + +[Illustration: FILIPINO LADY OF MANILA.] + +The Washington Post, which cannot be rated as generally partial to the +colored citizens of the Union, and which is especially vicious in its +attacks on the colored soldiers, has the following to say as to the +proposed North Carolina amendment, which is so well said that we +insert the same in full as an indication to our people that justice is +not yet dead--though seemingly tardy: + + +SUFFRAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA. + +(Washington Post, Feb. 20, 1899.) + +The amendment to the Constitution of North Carolina, which has for its +object the limitation of the suffrage in the State, appears to have +been modeled on the new Louisiana laws and operate a gross oppression +and injustice. It is easy to see that the amendment is not intended to +disfranchise the ignorant, but to stop short with the Negro; to deny +to the illiterate black man the right of access to the ballot box and +yet to leave the way wide open to the equally illiterate whites. In +our opinion the policy thus indicated is both dangerous and unjust. We +expressed the same opinion in connection with the Louisiana laws, and +we see no reason to amend our views in the case of North Carolina. +The proposed arrangement is wicked. It will not bear the test of +intelligent and impartial examination. We believe in this case, as in +that of Louisiana, that the Federal Constitution has been violated, +and we hope that the people of North Carolina will repudiate the +blunder at the polls. + +We realize with sorrow and apprehension that there are elements at the +South enlisted in the work of disfranchising the Negro for purposes +of mere party profit. It has been so in Louisiana, where laws were +enacted under which penniless and illiterate Negroes cannot vote, +while the ignorant and vicious classes of whites are enabled to retain +and exercise the franchise. So far as we are concerned--and we believe +that the best element of the South in every State will sustain our +proposition-we hold that, as between the ignorant of the two races, +the Negroes are preferable. They are conservative; they are good +citizens; they take no stock in social schisms and vagaries; they do +not consort with anarchists; they cannot be made the tools and agents +of incendiaries; they constitute the solid, worthy, estimable yeomanry +of the South. Their influence in government would be infinitely more +wholesome than the influence of the white sansculotte, the riff-raff, +the idlers, the rowdies, and the outlaws. As between the Negro, +no matter how illiterate he may be, and the "poor white," the +property-holders of the South prefer the former. Excepting a few +impudent, half-educated, and pestiferous pretenders, the Negro masses +of the South are honest, well-meaning, industrious, and safe citizens. +They are in sympathy with the superior race; they find protection and +encouragement with the old slave-holding class; if left alone, +they would furnish the bone and sinew of a secure and progressive +civilization. To disfranchise this class and leave the degraded whites +in possession of the ballot would, as we see the matter, be a blunder, +if not a crime. + +The question has yet to be submitted to a popular vote. We hope it +will be decided in the negative. Both the Louisiana Senators are on +record as proclaiming the unconstitutionality of the law. Both are +eminent lawyers, and both devoted absolutely to the welfare of the +South. We can only hope, for the sake of a people whom we admire and +love, that this iniquitous legislation may be overruled in North +Carolina as in Louisiana. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + + +SOME FACTS ABOUT THE PHILIPPINOS. + + +WHO AGUINALDO IS. + +Emilio Aguinaldo was born March 22, 1869, at Cavite, Viejo. + +When twenty-five years old he was elected Mayor of Cavite. + +On August 21, 1896, Aguinaldo became leader of the insurgents. The +revolution started on that day. + +He fought four battles with the Spaniards and was victorious in all. +He lost but ten men, to the Spaniards 125. + +On December 24, 1897, a peace was established between Aguinaldo and +the Spanish. + +Aguinaldo received $400,000, but the rest of the conditions of peace +were never carried out. + +In June last Aguinaldo issued a proclamation, expressing a desire for +the establishment of a native administration in the Philippines under +an American protectorate. + +In an interview with a World correspondent at that time he expressed +himself as grateful to Americans. + +In July he issued a proclamation fixing the 12th day of that month for +the declaration of the independence of the Philippines. + +In November Aguinaldo defied General Otis, refusing to release his +Spanish prisoners. + +The Cabinet on December 2 cabled General Otis to demand the release of +the prisoners. + +[Illustration: EMILIO AGUINALDO, MILITARY DICTATOR OF THE FILIPINOS.] + + +AGUINALDO THE MAN. + +In his features, face and skull Aguinaldo looks more like a European +than a Malay. + +He is what would be called a handsome man, and might be compared with +many young men in the province of Andalusia, Spain. If there be truth +in phrenology he is a man above the common. Friends and enemies +agree that he is intelligent, ambitious, far-sighted, brave, +self-controlled, honest, moral, vindictive, and at times cruel. He +possesses the quality which friends call wisdom and enemies call +craft. According to those who like him he is courteous, polished, +thoughtful and dignified; according to those who dislike him he is +insincere, pretentious, vain and arrogant. Both admit him to be +genial, generous, self-sacrificing, popular and capable in the +administration of affairs. If the opinion of his foes be accepted he +is one of the greatest Malays on the page of history. If the opinion +of his friends be taken as the criterion he is one of the great men of +history irrespective of race.--The Review of Reviews. + + +FACTS FROM FELIPE AGONCILLO'S LETTER IN LESLIE'S MAGAZINE. + +Sixty per cent, of the inhabitants can read and write. + +The women in education are on a plane with the men. + +Each town of 5,000 inhabitants has two schools for children of both +sexes. The towns of 10,000 inhabitants have three schools. There are +technical training schools in Manila, Iloilo, and Bacoler. "In these +schools are taught cabinet work, silversmithing, lock-smithing, +lithography, carpentering, machinery, decorating, sculpture, political +economy, commercial law, book-keeping, and commercial correspondence, +French and English; and there is one superior college for painting, +sculpture and engraving. There is also a college of commercial exports +in Manila, and a nautical school, as well as a superior school of +agriculture. Ten model farms and a meteorological observatory are +conducted in other provinces, together with a service of geological +studies, a botanical garden and a museum, a laboratory and military +academy and a school of telegraphy." + +Manila has a girl's school (La Ascuncion) of elementary and superior +branches, directed by French, English and Spanish mothers, which +teaches French, English literature, arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry, +topography, physics, geology, universal history, geography, designing, +music, dress-making and needle-work. The capital has besides a +municipal school of primary instruction and the following colleges: +Santa Ysabel, Santa Catolina, La Concordia, Santa Rosa de la Looban, +a hospital of San Jose, and an Asylum of St. Vincent de Paul, all +of which are places of instruction for children. There are other +elementary schools in the State of Camannis, in Pasig, in Vigan and +Jaro. + +The entire conduct of the civilization of the Philippines as well as +local authorities are in the hands of the Philipinos themselves. They +also had charge of the public offices of the government during the +last century. + +There is a medical school and a school for mid-wives. + +"All the young people and especially the boys, belonging to well-to-do +families residing in the other islands go to Manila to study the +arts and learn a profession. Among the natives to be ignorant and +uneducated, is a shameful condition of degradation." + +"The sons of the rich families began to go to Spain in 1854" to be +educated. + +[Illustration: FELIPE AGONCILLO Emissary of the Filipinos to the +United States.] + +When the Spaniards first went to the islands "they found the +Philipinos enlightened and advanced in civilization." "They had +foundries for casting iron and brass, for making guns and powder. +They had their special writing with two alphabets, and used paper +imported from China and Japan." This was in the early part of the +sixteenth century. The Spanish government took the part of the natives +against the imposition of exhorbitant taxes, and the tortures of the +inquisition by the early settlers. + +The highest civilization exists in the island of Luzon but in some +of the remote islands the people are not more than "enlightened." The +population embraced in Anguinaldo's dominion is 10,000,000, scattered +over a territory in area approaching 200,000 square miles. The +Americans up to this time have conquered only about 143 square miles +of this territory. + +What takes place in the South concerning the treatment of Negroes is +known in the Philippines. The Philipino government on the 27th of +February, 1899, issued from Hong Kong the following decree warning the +Philipino people as follows: + +"Manila has witnessed the most horrible outrages, the confiscation of +the properties and savings of the people at the point of the bayonet, +the shooting of the defenseless, accompanied by odious acts of +abomination repugnant barbarism and social hatred, worse than the +doings in the Carolinas." + +They are told of America's treatment of the black population, and are +made to feel that it is better to die fighting than become subject +to a nation where, as they are made to believe, the colored man is +lynched and burned alive indiscriminately. The outrages in this +country is giving America a bad name among the savage people of the +world, and they seem to prefer savagery to American civilization, such +as is meted out to her dark-skinned people. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + + +RESUME. + + +Should the question be asked "how did the American Negroes act in the +Spanish-American war?" the foregoing brief account of their conduct +would furnish a satisfactory answer to any fair mind. In testimony of +their valiant conduct we have the evidence first, of competent eye +witnesses; second, of men of the white race; and third, not only white +race, but men of the Southern white race, in America, whose antipathy +to the Negro "with a gun" is well known, it being related of the great +George Washington, who, withal, was a slave owner, but mild in his +views as to the harshness of that system--that on his dying bed he +called out to his good wife: "Martha, Martha, let me charge you, dear, +never to trust a 'nigger' with a gun." Again we have the testimony of +men high in authority, competent to judge, and whose evidence ought to +be received. Such men as General Joseph Wheeler, Colonel Roosevelt, +General Miles, President McKinley. If on the testimony of such +witnesses as these we have not "established our case," there must +be something wrong with the jury. A good case has been established, +however, for the colored soldier, out of the mouth of many witnesses. +The colored troopers just did so well that praise could not be +withheld from them even by those whose education and training had bred +in them prejudice against Negroes. It can no longer be doubted that +the Negro soldier will fight. In fact such has been their record in +past wars that no scruples should have been entertained on this point, +but the (late) war was a fresh test, the result of which should be +enough to convince the most incredulous "Doubting Thomases." + +[Illustration: CONVENT AT CAVITË, WHERE AGUINALDO WAS PROCLAIMED +PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC (JUNE, 1898).] + +The greater portion of the American people have confidence in the +Negro soldier. This confidence is not misplaced--the American +government can, in the South, organize an army of Negro soldiers that +will defy the combined forces of any nation of Europe. The Negro can +fight in any climate, and does not succumb to the hardships of camp +life. He makes a model soldier and is well nigh invincible. + +The Negro race has a right to be proud of the achievements of the +colored troopers in the late Spanish-American war. They were the +representatives of the whole race in that conflict; had they failed it +would have been a calamity charged up to the whole race. The race's +enemies would have used it with great effect. They did not fail, but +did their duty nobly--a thousand hurrahs for the colored troopers of +the Spanish-American war!! + +In considering their successful achievements, however, it is well to +remember that there were some things the Negro had to forget while +facing Spanish bullets. The Negro soldier in bracing himself for that +conflict must needs forget the cruelties that daily go on against his +brethren under that same flag he faces death to defend; he must forget +that when he returns to his own land he will be met not as a citizen, +but as a serf in that part of it, at least, where the majority of +his people live; he must forget that if he wishes to visit his aged +parents who may perhaps live in some of the Southern States, he must +go in a "Jim Crow" car; and if he wants a meal on the way, he could +only get it in the kitchen, as to insist on having it in the dining +room with other travelers, would subject him to mob violence; he must +forget that the flag he fought to defend in Cuba does not protect him +nor his family at home; he must forget the murder of Frazier B. Baker, +who was shot down in cold blood, together with his infant babe in its +mother's arms, and the mother and another child wounded, at Lake City, +S.C., for no other offense than attempting to perform the duties of +Postmaster at that place--a position given him by President McKinley; +he must forget also the shooting of Loftin, the colored Postmaster at +Hagansville, Ga., who was guilty of no crime, but being a Negro and +holding, at that place, the Postoffice, a position given him by the +government; he must forget the Wilmington MASSACRE in which some forty +or fifty colored people were shot down by men who had organized +to take the government of the city in charge by force of the +Winchester--where two lawyers and a half dozen or more colored men of +business, together with such of their white friends as were thought +necessary to get rid of, were banished from the city by a mob, and +their lives threatened in the event of their return--all because they +were in the way as Republican voters-"talked too much" or did not halt +when so ordered by some members of the mob; they must forget the three +hundred Negroes who were the victims of mob violence in the United +States during the year 1898; they must forget that the government they +fought for in Cuba is powerless to correct these evils, and does not +correct them. + + +WHY THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT DOES NOT PROTECT ITS COLORED CITIZENS. + +Is due to the peculiar and complicated construction of the laws +relating to STATES RIGHTS. The power to punish for crimes against +citizens of the different States is given by construction of the +Constitution of the United States to the courts of the several States. +The Federal authorities have no jurisdiction unless the State has +passed some law abridging the rights of citizens, or the State +government through its authorized agents is unable to protect its +citizens, and has called on the national government for aid to that +end, or some United States official is molested in the discharge of +his duty. Under this subtle construction of the Constitution a citizen +who lives in a State whose public opinion is hostile becomes a victim +of whatever prejudice prevails, and, although the laws may in the +letter, afford ample protection, yet those who are to execute them +rarely do so in the face of a hostile public sentiment; and thus the +Negroes who live in hostile communities become the victims of public +sentiment. Juries may be drawn, and trials may be had, but the juries +are usually white, and are also influenced in their verdicts by that +sentiment which declares that "this is a white man's government," and +a mistrial follows. In many instances the juries are willing to do +justice, but they can feel the pressure from the outside, and in some +instance the jurors chosen to try the cases were members of the mob, +as in the case of the coroner's jury at Lake City. + +It is the duty of a State Governor, when he finds public sentiment +dominating the courts and obstructing justice, to interfere, and in +case he cannot succeed with the sheriff and posse comitatus, then to +invoke National aid. But this step has never yet been taken by any +Governor of the States in the interest of Negro citizenship. Some of +the State Governors have made some demonstration by way of threats of +enforcing the law against those who organize mobs and take the law +into their own hands; and some of the mob murderers have been brought +to trial, which in most cases, has resulted in an acquittal for +the reason that juries have as aforestated, chosen to obey public +sentiment, which is not in favor of punishing white men for lynching +Negroes, rather than obey the law; and cases against the election laws +and for molesting United States officials have to be tried in the +district where these offences occur, and the juries being in sympathy +with the criminals, usually acquit, or there is a mistrial because +they cannot all agree. + +THAT MOBOCRACY IS SUPREME in many parts of the Union is no longer +a mooted question. It is a fact; and one that forebodes serious +consequences, not only to the Negro but to any class of citizens who +may happen to come into disfavor with some other class. + +[Illustration: CHURCH OF SAN SEBASTIANO, MANILLA.] + +WHAT THE NEGRO SHOULD do under such circumstances must be left to the +discretion of the individuals concerned. Some advise emigration, but +that is impracticable, en masse, unless some suitable place could be +found where any considerable number might go, and not fare worse. +The colored people will eventually leave those places where they are +maltreated, but "whether it is better to suffer the ills we now bear +than flee to those we know not of," is the question. The prevailing +sentiment among the masses seems to be to remain for the present, +where they are, and through wise action, and appeals to the Court of +Enlightened Christian Sentiment, try to disarm the mob. There is no +doubt a class of white citizens who regret such occurrences, and from +their natural horror of bloodshed, and looking to the welfare and +reputation of the communities in which such outrages occur, and +feeling that withal the Negro makes a good domestic and farm hand, +will, and do counsel against mob violence. In many places where mobs +have occurred such white citizens have been invaluable aids in saving +the lives of Negroes from mob violence; and trusting that these +friends will increase and keep up their good work the Negro has seldom +ever left the scene of mob violence in any considerable numbers, the +home ties being strong, and he instinctively loves the scene of his +birth. He loves the white men who were boys with him, whose faces +he has smiled in from infancy, and he would rather not sever those +friendly ties. A touching incident is related in reference to a +colored man in a certain town where a mob was murdering Negroes right +and left, who came to the door of his place of business, and seeing +the face of a young white man whom he had known from his youth, asked +protection home to his wife and five children; the reply came with an +oath, "Get back into that house or I will put a bullet into you." The +day before this these two men had been "good friends," had "exchanged +cigars"-but the orders of the mob were stronger in this instance than +the ties of long years of close friendship. Another instance, though, +will show how the mob could not control the ties of friendship of +the white for the black. It was the case of a colored man who was +blacklisted by a mob in a certain city, and fled to the home of a +neighboring white friend who kept him in his own house for several +days until escape was possible, and in the meantime, summoned his +white neighbors to guard the black man's family-threatening to shoot +down the first member of the mob who should enter the gate, because, +as he said, "you have no right to frighten that woman and her children +to death." Such acts as this assures to the Negroes in places where +feeling runs against them that perhaps they may be fortunate enough to +escape the violence of this terrible race hatred that is now running +riot in this country. In this connection it is well to remark that +kindness will win in the long run with the Negro Race, and make them +the white man's friend. Georgia and those States where Negroes are +being burned are sowing to the wind and will ere long reap the +whirlwind in the matter of race hatred. Criminal assaults were not +characteristic of the Negro in the days of slavery, because as a rule +there was friendship between master and slave-the slave was too fond +of his master's family but to do otherwise than protect it; but the +situation is changed-instead of kindness the Negro sees nothing but +rebuff on every hand; he feels himself a hated and despised race +without country or protection anywhere, and the brute-spirit rises in +those, who, by their make-up and training, cannot keep it down-then +follows murder, outrage, rape. It is true that only a few do these +things, but those few are the natural products of the Southern +system of oppression and the wonder is, when the question is viewed +philosophically, that there are so few. The conclusion here reached is +that Georgia will not get rid of her brutes by burning them and taking +the charred embers home as relics, but rather by treating her Negro +population with more kindness and showing them that there is some hope +for Negro citizenship in that State. The Negroes know that white men +have been known to rape colored girls, but that never has there been a +suggestion of lynching or burning for that, and they feel despondent, +for they know the courts are useless in such cases, and this +jug-handle enforcement of lynch law is breeding its own bad fruits on +the Negro race as well as making more brutal the whites. My advice, +then, to our white friends is to try kindness as a remedy for rape in +the South, and I am convinced of the force of this remedy from what I +know of the occurrence of assaults and murders in those States where +the Negroes are made to feel that they are citizens and are at home. + +WHAT COURAGE! WHAT AN EXAMPLE OF FAITHFULNESS TO DUTY + +Did the colored troopers exhibit in forgetting all these shortcomings +to themselves and race of their own government when they made those +daring charges on San Juan and El Caney!! They were possessed +with large hearts and sublime courage. How they fought under such +circumstances, none but a divine tongue can answer. It was a miracle, +and was performed, no doubt, that good might come to the race in the +shape of the testimonials given them as appears heretofore in this +book. Their deeds must live in history as an honor to the Negro Race. +Let them be taught to the children. Let it be said that the Negro +soldier did his duty under the flag, whether that flag protects him or +not. The white soldier fought under no such sad reflections--he did +not, after a hard-fought battle, lie in the trenches at night and +dream of his aged mother and father being run out of their little home +into the wintry blasts by a mob who sought to "string them up" for +circulating literature relating to the party of Wm. McKinley--the +President of the United States--this was the colored soldiers' dream, +but he swore to protect the flag and he did it. The colored soldier +has been faithful to his trust; let others be the same. If Negroes who +have other trusts to perform, do their duty as well as the colored +soldiers, there will be many revisions in the scale of public +sentiment regarding the Negro Race in America--many arguments will +be overthrown and the heyday towards Negro citizenship will begin to +dawn--there are other battles than those of the militia. + +THE SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM IS MAINLY IN THE RACE'S OWN HANDS + +They must climb up themselves with such assistance as they can get. +The race has done well in thirty years of freedom, but it could have +done better; banking on the progress already made the next thirty +years will no doubt show greater improvement than the past--TIME, +TIME, TIME, which some people seem to take so little into account, +will be the great adjuster of all such problems in the future as +it has been in the past. Many children of the white fathers of the +present day will read the writing of their parents and wonder at their +short-sightedness in attempting to fix the metes and bounds of the +American Negro's status. We feel reluctant to prophesy, but this much +we do say, that fifty years from now will show a great change in the +Negro's condition in America, and many of those who now predict his +calamity will be classed with the fools who said before the Negro was +emancipated that they would all perish within ten years for lack of +ability to feed and clothe themselves. The complaint now with many of +those who oppose the Negro is not because he lacks ability, but rather +because he uses too much and sometimes gets the situation that they +want. This is pre-eminently so from a political standpoint and the +reported arguments used to stir the poorer class of whites to rally +against the Negroes in Wilmington during the campaign just before the +late MASSACRE there in the fall of 1898, was a recital by impassioned +orators of the fact that Negroes had pianos and servants in their +houses, and lace curtains to their windows-this outburst being +followed by the question, "HOW MANY OF YOU WHITE MEN CAN AFFORD TO +HAVE THEM?" So as to the problem of the Negro's imbibing the traits of +civilization, that point is settled by what he has already done, and +the untold obstacles which are being constantly put in his way by +those who fear his competition. The question then turns not so much on +what shall be done with the Negro as upon WHAT SHALL BE DONE WITH THE +WHITE + +Men who are so filled with prejudice that neither law nor religion +restrains their bloody hands when the Negro refuses to get into what +he calls "his place," which place is that of a menial; and often there +seems no effort even to put the Negro in any particular place save the +grave, as many of the lynchings and murders appear to be done either +for the fun of shooting someone, or else with extermination in view. +There is no attempt at a show of reason or right. The mob spirit is +growing--prejudice is more intense. Formerly it was confined to the +rabble, now it has taken hold of those of education, and standing. Red +shirts have entered the pulpits, and it is a matter boasted of rather +than condemned--the South is not the only scene of such outrages. +Prejudice is not confined to one section, but is no doubt more intense +in the Southern State, and more far-reaching in its effects, because +it is there that the Negroes, by reason of the large numbers in +proportion to the other inhabitants, come into political competition +with the whites who revolt at the idea of Negro officers, whether they +are elected by a majority of citizens or not. The whites seem bent +on revolution to prevent the force and effect of Negro majorities. +Whether public sentiment will continue to endorse these local +revolutions is the question that can be answered only by time. Just so +long as the Negro's citizenship is written in the Constitution and he +believes himself entitled to it, just so long will he seek to exercise +it. The white man's revolution will be needed every now and then to +beat back the Negro's aspirations with the Winchester. The Negro race +loves progress, it is fond of seeing itself elevated, it loves office +for the honor it brings and the emoluments thereof, just as other +progressive races do. It is not effete, looking back to Confucius; it +is looking forward; it does not think its best days have been in the +past, but that they are yet to come in the future; it is a hopeful +race, teachable race; a race that absorbs readily the arts and +accomplishments of civilization; a race that has made progress in +spite of mountains of obstacles; a race whose temperament defied the +worst evils of slavery, both African and American; a race of great +vitality, a race of the future, a race of destiny. + +In closing this resume of this little work it is proper that I should +warn the younger members of the race against despondency, and against +the looseness of character and habits that is singularly consequential +of a despondent spirit. Do not be discouraged, give up, and throw away +brilliant intellects, because of seeming obstacles, but rather resolve +to BE SOMETHING AND DO SOMETHING IN SPITE OF OBSTACLES. + +"It was not by tossing feather balls into the air that the great +Hercules gained his strength, but by hurling huge bowlders from +mountain tops 'that his name became the synonymn of manly strength.' +So the harder the struggle the greater the discipline and fitness. +If we cannot reach success in one way, let us try another. 'If the +mountain will not come to Mahomet let Mahomet go to the mountain.'" + + + +[Illustration: UNCLE SAM AND HIS NEW ACQUISITIONS.--(N.Y. WORLD.)] + +THE SOUTH IS A GOOD PLACE FOR THE NEGRO TO LIVE, provided, however, +the better class of citizens will rise up and demand that lynchings +and mobs shall cease, and that the officers of the law shall do their +duty without prejudice. The only way to suppress mob violence is to +make punishment for the leaders in it, sure and certain. The reason +we have mobs is because the leaders of them know they will not be +punished. The enforcement of the law against lynchers will break it +up. + +The white ministers should take up the cause of justice rather than +endorse the red shirts, or carry a Winchester themselves. They should +be the counselors of peace and not the advocates of bloodshed. Most +of them, no doubt, do regret the terrible deeds committed by mobs on +helpless and innocent people, but it is a question as to whether or +not they would be suffered by public sentiment to "cry aloud" against +them. It takes moral courage to face any evil, but it must be faced or +dire consequences will follow of its own breeding. Our last word then, +is an appeal to our BROTHERS IN WHITE, in the pulpit, that they should +rally the people together for justice and; condemn mob violence. The +Negroes do not ask social equality, but civil equality; let the false +notions that confound civil rights with social rights be dispelled, +and advocate the civil equality of all men, and the problem will be +solved. + +Edmund Burke says that "war never leaves where it found a nation." +applying this to the American nation with respect to the Negro it is +to be hoped that the late war will leave a better feeling toward him, +especially in view of the glorious record of the Negro soldiers who +participated in that conflict. + + +LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. + +William McKinley.......................................Frontispiece + +General Fitzhugh Lee............................................. 6 + +General Antonio Maceo............................................ 8 + +Miss Evangelina Cosio y Cisneros ............................... 10 + +U.S.S. Maine.................................................... 12 + +Eddie Savoy..................................................... 14 + +Jose Maceo...................................................... 16 + +Sergeant Frank W. Pullen........................................ 20 + +Charge on El Caney.............................................. 26 + +Corporal Brown ................................................. 28 + +George E. Powell................................................ 35 + +Col. Theodore B. Roosevelt...................................... 39 + +Gen. Nelson A. Miles.......... ................................. 47 + +Sergeant Berry.................................................. 48 + +General Thomas J. Morgan........................................ 50 + +General Maximo Gomez............................................ 54 + +First Pay-day in Cuba for the Ninth and Tenth Cavalry........... 58 + +First President of the Cuban Republic........................... 64 + +Cubans Fighting from Tree Tops.................................. 70 + +Investment of Santiago by U.S. Army............................. 78 + +General Russell A. Alger, Secretary of War...................... 82 + +Cuban Women Cavalry............................................. 84 + +Officers of the Ninth Ohio...................................... 92 + +Major John R. Lynch............................................. 96 + +Major R.R. Wright.............................................. 100 + +Major J.B. Johnson............................................. 106 + +Third North Carolina Volunteers and Officers................... 108 + +President Charles F. Meserve................................... 110 + +Mr. Judson W. Lyons............................................ 113 + +The Games Family............................................... 115 + +Coleman Cotton Factory......................................... 116 + +John R. Brown, Uncle Sam's Money Sealer........................ 118 + +Gen. Pio Pilar................................................. 120 + +Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Negro Poet............................... 122 + +A Philipino Lady............................................... 124 + +Emilio Aguinaldo, Military Dictator of the Filipinos........... 128 + +Felipe Agoncillo............................................... 130 + +Convent at Cavite, Aguinaldo's Headquarters.................... 132 + +Church at San Sebastiano, Manila............................... 136 + +Uncle Sam and His New Acquisitions............................. 142 + + + + + +APPENDIX. + + +THE TWENTY-FOURTH UNITED STATES INFANTRY. + +BY SERGEANT E.D. GIBSON. + +The Twenty-fourth United States Infantry was organized by act of +Congress July 28, 1866. Reorganized by consolidation of the 38th and +41st regiments of infantry, by act of Congress, approved March 3, +1869. Organization of regiment completed in September, 1869, with +headquarters at Fort McKavett, Texas. + +Since taking station at Fort McKavett, headquarters of the regiment +have been at the following places: + +1870-71, Fort McKavett, Tex.; 1872, Forts McKavett and Brown, Texas; +1873-74, Forts Brown and Duncan, Tex.; 1875-76, Fort Brown, Tex.; +1877-78, Fort Clark, Tex.; 1879, Fort Duncan, Tex.; 1880, Forts Duncan +and Davis, Tex.; 1881-87, Fort Supply, Ind. Terr.; 1888, Forts Supply +and Sill, Ind. Terr., and Bayard, N.M.; 1889 to 1896, Forts Bayard, +N.M., and Douglas, Utah; 1897, Fort Douglas, Utah; 1898, Fort Douglas, +Utah, till April 20, when ordered into the field, incident to the +breaking out of the Spanish-American war. At Chickamauga Park, Ga., +April 24 to 30; Tampa, Fla., May 2 to June 7; on board transport _S.S. +City of Washington_, en route with expedition (Fifth Army Corps) to +Cuba, from June 9 to 25; at Siboney and Las Guasimas, Cuba, from June +25 to 30; occupied the immediate block-house hill at Fort San Juan, +Cuba, July 1 to 10, from which position the regiment changed to a +place on the San Juan ridge about one-fourth of a mile to the left of +the block-house, where it remained until July 15, when it took station +at yellow fever camp, Siboney, Cuba, remaining until August 26, 1898; +returned to the United States August 26, arriving at Montauk Pt., +L.I., September 2, 1898, where it remained until September 26, when +ordered to its original station, Fort Douglas, Utah, rejoining October +1, 1898. + + + + +FIELD AND STAFF OFFICERS. + +Colonel.--Henry B. Freeman, under orders to join. + +Lieutenant-Colonel.--Emerson H. Liscum, Brig.-Gen. Vols. On sick leave +from wounds received in action at Fort San Juan, Cuba, July 1, 1898. + +Majors.--J. Milton Thompson, commanding regiment and post of Fort +Douglas, Utah. Alfred C. Markley, with regiment, commanding post of +Fort D.A. Russell, Wyoming. + +Chaplain.--Allen Allenworth, Post Treasurer and in charge of schools. + +Adjutant.--Joseph D. Leitch, recruiting officer at post. + +Quartermaster.--Albert Laws. + +On July 1, 1898, our regiment was not a part of the firing line, and +was not ordered on that line until the fire got so hot that the +white troops positively refused to go forward. When our commander, +Lieutenant-Colonel E.H. Liscum, was ordered to go in he gave the +command "forward, march," and we moved forward singing "Hold the Fort, +for we are coming," and on the eastern bank of the San Juan river +we walked over the Seventy-first New York Volunteer Infantry. After +wading the river we marched through the ranks of the Thirteenth +(regular) Infantry and formed about fifty yards in their front. We +were then about six hundred yards from and in plain view of the +block-house and Spanish trenches. As soon as the Spaniards saw this +they concentrated all of their fire on us, and, while changing from +column to line of battle (which took about eight minutes). + +Illustration: A large size photo of above picture can be had on +application to P.H. Bauer, Photographer, Leavenworth, Kansas. we lost +one hundred and two men, and that place on the river to-day is called +"bloody bend." We had only one advantage of the enemy-that was our +superior marksmanship. I was right of the battalion that led the +charge and I directed my line against the center of the trench, which +was on a precipice about two hundred feet high. + +Illustration: A large size photo of above picture can be had on +application to P.H. Bauer, Photographer, Leavenworth, Kansas. + +I was born December 4, 1852, in Wythe county, Virginia, and joined the +army in Cincinnati, Ohio, November 22,1869, and have been in the army +continuously since. I served my first ten years in the Tenth Cavalry, +where I experienced many hard fights with the Indians. I was assigned +to the Twenty-fourth Infantry by request in 1880. + +E.D. GIBSON, + +_Sergeant Co. G, 24th U.S. Infantry_, + +PRESIDIO, CALIFORNIA. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of History of Negro Soldiers in the +Spanish-American War, and Other Items of Interest, by Edward A. 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