The Colored Regulars in the United States Army

T. G. (Theophilus Gould) Steward

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• Publié par: mesig
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 31
• Langue: English

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Colored Regulars in the United States Army, by T. G. Steward 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.net Title: The Colored Regulars in the United States Army Author: T. G. Steward Release Date: September 25, 2005 [EBook #16750] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE COLORED REGULARS *** Produced by Suzanne Shell, Richard J. Shiffer, and the PG Online Distributed Proofreading Team. The Colored Regulars In the United States Army WITH A Sketch of the History of the Colored American, and an Account of His Services in the Wars of the Country, from the Period of the Revolutionary War to 1899. INTRODUCTORY LETTER FROM Lieutenant-General Nelson A. Miles Commanding the Army of the United States. BY CHAPLAIN T.G. STEWARD, D.D., Twenty-fifth U.S. Infantry. Philadelphia A.M.E. Book Concern, 631 Pine Street. 1904 Chaplain T.G. Steward, D.D. TABLE OF CONTENTS. INTRODUCTORY . CHAPTER I.—SKETCH OF SOCIAL HISTORY . The Importation of the Africans. Character of the Colored Population in 1860. Colored Population in British West Indian Possessions. Free Colored People of the South. Free Colored People of the North. Notes. 21 CHAPTER II.—THE AMERICAN NEGRO AND THE MILITARY SPIRIT. Early Literature of Negro Soldiers. Negro Soldiers in the War of the Revolution. The War of 1812. Negro Insurrections. Negro Troops in the Civil War. Notes. 57 CHAPTER III.—THE BLACK REGULARS OF THE ARMY OF INVASION IN THE SPANISH WAR. Organization of Negro Regiments in the Regular Army. First Movement in the War. Chickamauga and Tampa. Notes. 84 107 116 150 CHAPTER IV.—BRIEF SKETCH OF SPANISH HISTORY . CHAPTER V.—PASSAGE, LANDING, AND FIRST BATTLE IN CUBA. The Tenth Cavalry at Guasimas. The "Rescue of the Rough Riders." Was there an Ambush? Notes. CHAPTER VI.—THE BATTLE OF EL CANEY . The Capture of the Stone Fort by the Twenty-fifth Infantry. CHAPTER VII.—SAN JUAN. Cavalry Division: The Ninth and Tenth Regiments. Kent's Division: The Twenty-fourth Infantry. Forming under fire. A Gallant Charge. 191 208 220 236 CHAPTER VIII.—SAN JUAN (Continued). Kent's Division. The Twenty-fourth Infantry. Forming Under Fire. A Gallant Charge. CHAPTER IX.—THE SURRENDER AND AFTERWARDS. In the Trenches. The Twenty-fourth in the Fever Camp. Are Negro Soldiers Immune? Camp Wikoff. CHAPTER X.—REVIEW AND REFLECTIONS. Gallantry of the Black Regulars. Diary of Sergeant Major E.L. Baker, Tenth Cavalry. CHAPTER XI.—THE COLORED VOLUNTEERS. The Ninth Ohio Battalion. Eighth Illinois. Twenty-third Kansas. Third North Carolina. Sixth Virginia. Third Alabama. The Immunes. 282 299 CHAPTER XII.—COLORED OFFICERS. By Captain Frank R. Steward, A.B., LL.B., Harvard, 49th U. S. Volunteer Infantry. APPENDIX. 328 PREFACE. Return to Table of Contents The material out of which the story of the COLORED REGULARS has been constructed has been collected with great pains, and upon it has been expended a serious amount of labor and care. All the movements of the Cuban campaign, and particularly of the battles, have been carefully studied by the aid of official reports, and conversations and correspondence with those who participated in them. The work has been performed with an earnest desire to obtain and present the truth, hoping that the reader will be inspired by it to a more profound respect for the brave and skilled black men who passed through that severe baptism of fire and suffering, contributing their full share to their country's honor. It is also becoming in this place to mention with gratitude the encouragement given by the War Department both in granting me the time in which to do the work, and also in supplying me with documents and furnishing other facilities. By this enlightened course on the part of the Department great aid has been given to historical science, and, incidentally, very important service rendered to the cause of freedom and humanity. A struggling people has been helped and further glory reflected upon the Government. The President, himself, has manifested a kindly interest in the work, and has wished that the story of the black soldiers should be told to the world. The interest of the Commanding General of the Army is shown in his letter. Thus encouraged from official sources and receiving the most hearty words of cheer from friends, of whom none has been more potent or more earnest than Bishop B.W. Arnett, D.D., of the African M.E. Church, I have, after five months of severe labor, about completed my task, so far as I find it in my power to complete it; and trusting that the majesty and interest of the story itself will atone for any defects in the style of the narration, the volume is now offered to a sympathetic public, affectionately dedicated to the men whose heroic services have furnished the theme for my pen. T.G. STEWARD. Wilberforce, Ohio, September, 1899. LETTER FROM GENERAL MILES. Headquarters of the Army, Washington, August 5, 1899. Rev. T.G. Steward, Chaplain 25th Infantry, Wilberforce, Ohio. Dear Sir:—Your letter of the 20th ultimo was duly received, but my time has been so much engrossed with official duties, requiring my presence part of the time out of the city, that it has not been practicable to comply with your request earlier; and even now I can only reply very briefly. You will remember that my acquaintance with negro character commenced during the Civil War. The colored race then presented itself to me in the character of numerous contrabands of war, and as a people who, individually, yearned for the light and life of liberty. Ages of slavery had reduced them to the lowest ebb of manhood. From that degree of degradation I have been an interested spectator of the marvelously rapid evolution of the down-trodden race. From the commencement of this evolution to the present time I have been more or less in a position to closely observe their progress. At the close of the war I was in command of one of the very important military districts of the South, and my concern for the welfare of all the people of that district, not excluding the people of color, you will find evidenced in the measures taken by me, more especially in regard to educational matters, at that time. The first regiment which I commanded on entering the Regular Army of the United States at the close of the war was made up of colored troops. That regiment —the 40th Infantry—achieved a reputation for military conduct which forms a record that may be favorably compared with the best regiments in the service. Then, again, refer to my General Order No. 1, issued after the fall of Santiago, and you will see that recognition is not grudgingly given to the troops who heroically fought there, whether of American,