OFFICERS OF THE PHALANX.
The character, qualifications and proficiency of the men, who, as
officers, commanded the negro troops, may be judged by the process which
they had to undergo in order to obtain commissions. Unlike the officers
of the white volunteers (with whom loyalty and dash were the essential
qualifications) they were required to possess much more than an ordinary
knowledge of military tactics. Major-General Hunter, by whose order the
first negro regiment with white officers was organized, commencing May,
1862, had an eye single to the make up of the men who should be placed
in command of the regiments. As a beginning, Gen. Saxton addressed the
following letter to Capt. T. W. Higginson, of the 51st Reg't. Mass.
Volunteers, Beaufort, S. C., Nov. 5th, 1862:
"MY DEAR SIR:--I am organizing the First Regiment of South
Carolina Volunteers, with every prospect of success. Your
name has been spoken of in connection with the command of
this regiment, by some friends in whose judgment I have
confidence. I take great pleasure in offering you the
position of Col. in it, and hope that you may be induced to
accept. I shall not fill the place until I hear from you, or
sufficient time shall have passed for me to receive your
reply. Should you accept I enclose a pass for Port Royal, of
which I trust you will feel disposed to avail yourself at
once. I am, with sincere regard,
Yours truly,
R. SAXTON,
_Brig. Gen., Mil. Gov._"
This was an excellent selection, and Captain Higginson's acceptance
rather assured a fair trial for the men who should compose this
regiment, as well as the quality of its officers.
[Illustration: MAJOR MARTIN R. DELANEY, U. S. A.]
The first Kansas regiment which recruited in that State, commencing in
August, 1862, was also fortunate in having Colonel R. J. Hinton.
General Butler, at New Orleans, was prevented by circumstances
surrounding him at the time, from choosing among the friends of the
negro race, as was the case in the before mentioned regiments, men to
command the first and second regiments organized by him in the above
named city, in August, 1862. He was only too glad to find white men of
military capacity to take charge of the drilling and disciplining of the
troops. As an experiment he was more than lucky in the appointment of
Colonels Stafford and Daniels to the command of these regiments,
seconded by Lieut. Cols. Bassett and Hall, and Finnegass of the 3rd
Regiment. These officers proved themselves worthy of the trust reposed
in them, and made these regiments, in drill and discipline, second to
none in the Department of the Gulf. Notwithstanding the captains and
subordinate officers of the first and second regiments were men, who
like those in a large majority of the white regiments had never made
arms a profession, and, who, through American prejudice, had but very
limited opportunities for acquiring even the rudiments of a common
English education. Several of them, however, being mulattoes, had had
some training in the schools of the parishes, and some few in the higher
schools of France, and in the Islands of the Caribbean Sea. Maj. Dumas,
of the 2nd Regiment, whose slaves composed nearly one whole company, was
a gentleman of fine tact and ability, as were others.
Considering that they were all negroes, free and slave, their dash and
manly courage, no less than their military aptitude, was equal, and in
many instances superior, to those found in the regiments of Maine and
New York. The 3rd Regiment was officered by soldiers of undoubted
character and pluck, as they proved themselves to be, during the siege
of Port Hudson, especially Capt. Quinn, who won distinction and
promotion, as the record shows. The regiments raised thereafter were
officered, more or less, by the non-commissioned officers of the white
regiments, as a reward for gallantry and meritorious service upon the
field, or on account of proficiency in drill. This rule of selection
held good throughout all the departments in the organizing of negro
troops. In May, 1863, President Lincoln, with a view of correcting an
abuse that a certain commanding general had begun to practice in
assigning inferior, though brave, men to the command of negro regiments;
and in keeping with his new policy of arming the negroes, for which Gen.
Lorenzo Thomas, Adjutant General of the Army, had gone into the
Mississippi Valley region to raise twenty regiments, he appointed a
Board for the examination of those applying for commands in negro
regiments.
The "Record of the 7th Reg't. U.S. Colored Troops," in regard to the
matter, says: "That the labors of this Board contributed very materially
to the success of the experiment of raising this class of troops, no one
cognizant with the facts can doubt. The operations of the Board can best
be shown by quoting the following letter received from Gen. Casey in
reply to some enquiries on the subject:
"BROOKLYN, Nov. 30th, 1875.
* * * "The Board for the Examination of candidates for
officers in colored regiments, of which I was President, was
appointed in May, 1863, and continued its duties about two
years. This movement was, at first, very unpopular with a
portion of the people of the country, as also with a large
portion of the army. I, although doubting at first with
regard to the expediency of operating in large bodies with
this species of force, determined, that so far as I was
concerned, it should have a fair trial.
"A system was adopted for the examination of candidates
which did not allow influence, favor or affection to
interfere with the enforcement of its provisions. The Board
examined nearly three thousand candidates, seventeen hundred
of whom they recommended for commissions in various grades,
from colonel down.
"From my knowledge of the officers of white volunteers,
gained in my duties connected with receiving and organizing,
in the city of Washington, 300,000 of them, and also as
commander of a division on the Peninsula, I have no
hesitation in saying that the officers of the colored
regiments, _who passed the Board_, as a body were superior
to them, physically, mentally and morally.
"From the concurrent reports received from various sources,
there is but little doubt that the success of the colored
troops in the field was brought about in no small degree by
the action of the Board.
"The following is the copy of a letter which I addressed to
a gentleman of Philadelphia, and which you may find of
interest:
'In conversation with you a few days since, I promised to
elaborate somewhat the ideas which I expressed with regard
to the appointment of officers of colored troops.
'Military men, whose opinion is worth having, will agree in
this, that to have good and efficient troops it is
indispensable that we should have good officers. The
material for soldiers which the loyal States have furnished
during this rebellion, I have no hesitation in saying, is
the best that the world has ever seen. Such men deserve to
have officers to command them who have been educated to the
military profession. But few men are really fit to command
men who have not had such an education. In default of this,
as a sufficient number of such men cannot be found in the
country, the number has to be made up from the best
available material. In order to ascertain whether or not the
aspirant possesses the proper knowledge and capacity for
command, it is necessary that he be examined by a board of
competent officers. The fact that the life and death of the
men of the regiment is intimately connected with the
competency of its officers, is not sufficiently appreciated
by the community.
'The Board for the examination of officers of colored troops
over which I preside, considers three things as
indispensable before recommending a candidate, viz.: A good
moral character, physical capacity, true loyalty to the
country. A person possessing these indispensable
qualifications is now submitted to an examination as to his
knowledge of tactics and capacity for command.
'The following grades are entertained, viz.:
Colonel--1st, 2d and 3d Class.
Lieut.-Colonel--1st, 2d and 3d Class.
Major-- "
Captain-- "
1st Lieut.-- "
2d Lieut.-- "
and the recommendations for appointment made according to
the applicant's merits.
'We have endeavored, to the best of our ability, to make
this recommendation without partiality, favor or affection.
We consider alone, in making our awards, the ability of the
person to serve his country in the duties appertaining to
the office. If, in the opinion of the Board, the person is
not possessed of sufficient knowledge or capacity to fill
either of the above named to the advantage of his country,
he is rejected, notwithstanding any influence he may be able
to bring to bear in the case. Let it be remembered that zeal
alone is not sufficient; but what we require for a good
officer is zeal combined with knowledge. No ordinary man can
properly fill the office of colonel of a regiment. To
acquire that knowledge of tactics as would fit him to
command his regiment, as it ought to be in all situations,
requires much study and practice, and is by no means easy.
He should, besides, possess good administrative qualities,
in order that affairs should run smoothly in his command,
and the officers and privates be as contented and happy as
circumstances admit. Nor can too much trouble be taken
properly to prepare persons to fill the responsible position
of officers. Each State should have its military academy. In
the meantime much good can be done by instituting a school
for the instruction of persons (especially those who have
had some experience in the service) who may have the
requisite capacity and zeal to serve their country with
advantage. Eschew all humbuggery and mere pretension, and
let merit be the test of advancement.
'Let it be impressed deeply on the conscience of every man
of influence and authority that when he places in command an
incompetent officer he is guilty of manslaughter. The
country has lost millions of treasure and thousands of lives
by the incompetency of officers. We have many enemies on
earth besides the Southern rebels. The fate of free
institutions, not only in our own country, but in other
lands, the destiny of millions unborn, depend upon our
ability to maintain this contest to a successful issue
against all our enemies, both foreign and domestic.
'The system of examination instituted by this Board, in my
opinion, should be extended to the white as well as colored
troops.
'Many of those who have been unsuccessful in the examination
before the Board have, no doubt, in some cases, felt
aggrieved, as also their friends.
'We have established a system of examination for officers,
the good effects of which are already apparent in the
colored organizations in the field. In the performance of
this responsible, and not always agreeable duty, of
presiding over this Board, I have always endeavored to be
guided by conscientious regard for the good of the country,
and I have every confidence that a just and intelligent
people will award their approbation.
SILAS CASEY,
_Bvt. Major-General U.S. Army._'"
Of course this did not apply to regiments raised at the North,
generally. They were officered by the _elite_, such as Col. R. G. Shaw,
of the 54th Massachusetts, a former member of the 7th New York Regiment,
and upon whose battle monument his name is carved. Cols. James C.
Beecher, Wm. Birney and a host of others, whose names can now be found
on the army rolls, with the prefix General, commanded these regiments.
Of those who commanded Southern regiments this is equally true,
especially of those who served in the 9th, 10th, 18th and 19th Corps.
Col. Godfred Weitzel, who in March, 1865, had been promoted to Major
General of Volunteers, commanded the 25th Corps of 30,000 negro
soldiers. The select corps of officers intended to officer Gen. Ullman's
brigade of four regiments to be raised at New Orleans by order of the
War Department, dated January 1863, as well as the battalion, which he
was also ordered to raise for scouting purposes, the following March,
included many men of rank. To command a negro regiment or company was at
this date a coveted prize, for which men of wealth and education
contended. The distinction which they were continually winning for their
officers, frequently overcame the long-cherished prejudice of West
Point, and the graduates of this caste institution now vied for
commissions in negro regiments, in which many of them served during the
Rebellion and since.
[Illustration: CAPT. O. S. B. WALL, U. S. A.]
It was the idea of Gen. Banks when organizing the Corps d'Afrique to
appoint even the non-commissioned officers from the ranks of white
regiments, and he did so in several instances. His hostility to negro
officers was the cause of his removing them from the regiments, which
Major General Butler organized at New Orleans in 1862. In organizing the
Corps d'Afrique, the order, No. 40, reads:
"The Commanding General desires to detail for temporary or
permanent duty, the best officers of the army, for the
organization, instruction, and discipline of this Corps.
With them he is confident that the Corps will render
important service to the Government. It is not established
upon any dogma of equality or other theory, but as a
practical and sensible matter of business. The Government
makes use of mules, horses, uneducated white men in the
defence of its institutions; why should not the negro
contribute whatever is in his power, for the cause in which
he is as deeply interested as other men? We may properly
demand from him whatever service he can render."
At first it was proposed to pay the officers of negro troops less than
was paid the officers of white soldiers, but this plan was abandoned.
Toward the close of the war nearly all the chaplains appointed to negro
regiments were negroes; non-commissioned officers were selected from the
ranks, where they were found as well qualified as those taken from the
ranks of white regiments. In the 10th and 18th Corps it was a common
thing for the orderly sergeants to call their company's roll from
memory, and the records of many companies and regiments are kept at the
War Department in Washington, as mementoes of their efficiency.
Such were the men who commanded the Black Phalanx. The following are the
names of the negro commissioned officers of the Butler Louisiana
Regiments:
ROSTER OF NEGRO OFFICERS OF THE LOUISIANA NATIVE GUARD VOLUNTEER
REGIMENTS.
FIRST REGIMENT.
Capts. Andrew Cailloux, Louis A. Snaer, John Depass,
" Henry L. Rey, Edward Carter, Joseph Follin,
" James Lewis, James H. Ingraham, Aleide Lewis.
Lieuts. Lewis Petit, Ernest Sougpre, J. G. Parker,
" J. E. Morre, Wm. Harding, John Hardman,
" F. Kimball, V. Lesner, J. D. Paddock,
" Louis D. Lucien.
SECOND REGIMENT.
Major F. E. Dumas,[21]
Capts. E. A. Bertinnean, Hannibal Carter, E. P. Chase,
" W. P. Barrett, S. W. Ringgold, P. B. S. Pinchback,
" William Bellez, Monroe Menllim, Joseph Villeverde,
" Samuel J. Wilkerson, R. H. Isabella.
Lieuts. Octave Rey, J. P. Lewis, Jasper Thompson,
" Ernest Murphy, Calvin Glover, J. Wellington,
" Louis Degray, George T. Watson, Joseph Jones,
" Alphonso Fluery, Rufus Kinsley, Ernest Hubian,
" Theo. A. Martin, Soloman Hoys, Alfred Arnis,
" Peter O. Depremont.
THIRD REGIMENT.
Capts. Jacques Gla, Peter A. Gardner, Leon G. Forstall,
" Joseph C. Oliver, Charles W. Gibbons, Samuel Laurence,
" John J. Holland.
Lieuts. Paul Paree, Morris W. Morris, Emile Detrege,
" Eugene Rapp, E. T. Nash, Alfred Bourgoan,
" E. Moss, Chester W. Converse, G. B. Miller,
" G. W. Talmon, Octave Foy, Chas. Butler.
NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.
74TH U. S. C. T. CO. I. 2D LA. N. G.
Sergts. Joseph Boudraux, Andrieu Vidal, Joseph Bellevue,
" Louis Martin, Jessy C. Wallace,
Corpls. Paul Bonne, Thos. William, Joseph Labeaud,
" Joseph Toolmer, Louis Ford, Peter Fleming,
As "muster in" rolls show.
74TH U. S. C. T. CO. D. 2ND N. G.
1st Sergts. Joseph Francois, Adolph Augustin, John Frick,
" Francois Remy, Louis Duquenez.
Corpls. Dorsin Sebatier, Auguste Martin, Lucien Boute,
" Adolphe Decoud, Oscar Samuel, Andre Gregoire,
" Joseph Armand, Achilles Decoud.
As "muster out" rolls show.
[Illustration: CAPT. P. B. S. PINCHBACK 2ND LA. VOLS.
SURGEON. A. T. AUGUSTA.
LT. JAMES M. TROTTER 55TH MASS. VOLS.
LT. W. H. DUPREE 55TH MASS. VOLS.]
75TH U. S. C. T. CO. F. 3RD N. G.
Sergts. Hy. White, Robert Williams, Mathew Roden,
" Frank Nichols,
Corpls. Alfred Kellie, Philip Craff, Julius Vick.
As mustered out.
73RD U. S. C. T. CO. A. 1ST LA. N. G.
Sergts. Joseph R. Forstall, Edmund Tomlinson, Edgar Thezan,
" Numa Brihou, Edward P. Ducloslange,
Corpls. John G. Seldon, Thelesphore J. Sauvinet, Alonzo Tocca,
" Joseph Francois, Antonio Segura, Auguste Martin,
" Francois Remy, Ernest Brustic,
73RD U. S. C. T. CO. B. 1ST LA. N. G.
Sergts. Faustin Zenon, Louis Francois, August Bartholenny,
" Joseph Alfred, Wm. Armstrong,
Arthur Gaspard was a Sergeant at "muster in" of company; discharged for
wounds Dec. 10th, 1863.
Corpls. Alphonse Barbe, Albert Victor, Wm. John Baptist,
" Louis Gille.
These were non-commissioned officers of Co. B at "muster out."
73RD U. S. C. T. CO. H. 1ST LA. N. G.
Capt. Henry L. Rey, 1st Lieut. Eugene Rapp,
2nd Lieut. Louis Arthur Thibaut,
1st Sergt. Henry Mathien, 2nd Sergt. Armand Daniel,
3rd Sergt. J. B. Dupre.
4th " Felix Mathien, 5th " Lucien Dupre,
Corpls. Ernest Hewlett, Frank Delhomme, D. J. Marine,
" Felix Santini, Celestine Ferrand, Auguste Campbell,
" Narcis Hubert, Caliste Dupre.
As "muster in."
73RD U. S. C. T. CO. G, 1ST LA. N. G.
Sergts. Theodule Drinier, Peter Pascal, Peter Robin,
" Gustave St. Leger, Armand Le Blanc.
Corpls. Edward Louis, Cherry Fournette, Townsen Lee,
" John Thompson, Perrin Virgile, William Charity,
" John Marshall, Soloman Fisher.
The above were the non-commissioned officers at "muster out" of Company.
Corporal W. Heath, killed at Port Hudson.
74TH U. S. C. T. CO. G. 2ND LA. N. G.
Sergts. Thos. Martin, Etienne Duluc, Arthur Frilot,
" Louis Martin, J. B. Lavigne,
Corpls. Martin Forstals, Emile Duval, Gustave Ducre,
" Joseph Naroce, Polin Paree,* Jerome Alugas,
" Ernest Butin, Pierre Jignac.
* Deserted Oct. 5th, 1863.
The above were the non-commissioned officers at "muster in" of company,
Oct. 1862.
OTHER REGIMENTS.
Surgeons U. S. Army.--Dr. W. P. Powell, Dr. A. T. Augusta.
Major, Martin R. Delaney. Capt., O. S. B. Wall.
Lieuts. 55th Regt.--James M. Trotter, Chas. L. Mitchell, W. H. Dupree,
" J. F. Shorter.
There were a number of negroes commissioned during the war whose record
it has not been possible to obtain. Quite a number of mulattoes served
in white regiments, some as officers; they were so light in complexion
that their true race connection could not be told. This is true of one
of the prominent Ohioans of to-day, who served on the staff of a Major
General of volunteers. There were several among the Pennsylvania troops,
and not a few in the New York and Massachusetts regiments. While lying
on a battle-field wounded and exhausted, an officer of the brigade to
which the writer belonged, rode up, passed me his canteen, and enquired
if I knew him. A negative answer was given. "I am Tom Bunting," he
replied. "You know me now, don't you? We used to play together in our
boyhood days in Virginia; keep the canteen. I will let your people know
about you." So saying he dashed away to his command; he belonged to a
Massachusetts regiment. There was quite a large number of mulattoes who
enlisted under Butler, at New Orleans, and served in white regiments;
this is also true of the confederate army. The writer has an intimate
acquaintance now living in Richmond, Va., who served in a New York
Regiment, who, while marching along with his regiment through Broad
street, after the capture of that city, was recognized by his mother,
and by her was pulled from the ranks and embraced. A man who became
United States Marshal of one of the Southern States after the war, was
Captain in the 2nd Louisiana Native Guards Regiment. Numerous instances
of this kind could be cited.
[Illustration: SERG'T. W. H. CARNEY.--Co. C. 54TH MASS. VOLS.
"The old flag never touched the ground, boys!"]
FOOTNOTES:
[21] Capt. F. E. Dumas organized a company of his own slaves, and
attached it to this regiment. He was promoted to the rank of Major, and
commanded two companies at Pascagoula, Miss., during the fight. He was a
free negro, wealthy, brave and loyal.