We have been permitted to make use of the following extract from a letter of a highly intelligent and competent officer of a Massachusetts regiment at Baton Rouge. The letter is under date of April 30, 1863 :
“And now for the most important feature, the negro troops. I have seen two regiments of them, and I must say that I have seen many white regiments that will not compare with them. They very far exceeded my expectations. I much prefer them to white troops. They obey ail orders given to them cheerfully and with alacrity. They drill remarkably well and their camps are neat and clean. One regiment was officered by white officers entirely, and in the other the field and staff officers only were white, the officers of the line being black. The feeling of the generality of officers here is in favor of blacks, and if we get as good a set of men as those in the regiments we have seen, we shall be perfectly satisfied. The feeling here in regard to them is rapidly changing in their favor. We look upon the whole matter as a fixed fact.
The regiment officered by black officers I thought to be in the best order. One of them is a millionaire and some of them are worth over $200,000 each. The enlisted men take great pride and interest in their drilling, much more so than most white troops. They seem to be somewhat disciplined when they first become soldiers, and their natural pride stimulates them when they become soldiers to excel as such. I predict very great success in raising black troops here and hope I may be fortunate enough to have command of a regiment of them. As to their fighting qualities, there is but one opinion expressed here, and that is that they will fight like devils, because they express but one determination, and that is that they never will be taken prisoners. They express a longing for a chance, the first chance ever afforded them, to strike for the liberty of their race. Where is the instance upon record of any nationality of men who would not fight to the death for freedom? and you may be sure that these regiments will not fail when they meet the oppressors of their race.”
The Caledonian, St. Johnsbury, VT
