The Black Phalanx Part 28

"I. Courage as indicated by their behavior under fire.

"II. Skill and appreciation of their duties, referring to the quality of the work performed.

"III. Industry and perseverence, with reference, to the quant.i.ty of the work performed.

"IV. If a certain work were to be accomplished in the least possible time, _i. e._, when enthusiasm and direct personal interest is necessary to attain the end, would whites or blacks answer best?

"V. What is the difference, considering the above points between colored troops recruited from the free States and those from the slave States?

"Very respectfully your obedient servant,

"T. B. BROOKS,

"_Major, Aide-de-Camp and a.s.s't Engineer._"

_Six_ replies to these enquiries were received from engineer officers who had been engaged in the siege, the substance of which is embraced in the following summary, following which two replies are given in full,

"1. To the first question all answer that the black is more timorous than the white, but is in a corresponding degree more docile and obedient, hence more completely under the control of his commander, and much more influenced by his example.

"2. All agree that the black is less skillful than the white soldier, but still enough so for most kinds of siege work.

"3. The statements unanimously agree that the black will do a greater amount of work than the white soldier because he labors more constantly.

"4. The whites are decidedly superior in enthusiasm. The blacks cannot be easily hurried in their work, no matter what the emergency.

"5. All agree that the colored troops recruited from free States are superior to those recruited from slave States.

"It may with propriety be repeated here, that the average percentage of sick among the negro troops during the siege was 13.9, while that of the white infantry was 20.1 per cent.

"The percentage of tours of duty performed by the blacks as compared with the white infantry, was as 56 to 41. But the grand guard duty, which was considered much more wearing than fatigue, was all done by the whites.

"The efficiency and health of a battalion depends so much upon its officers, that, in order to inst.i.tute a fair comparison, when so small a number of troops are considered, this element should be eliminated. This has not, however, been attempted in this paper."

[_Reply in Full No. 1._]

"MORRIS ISLAND, S. C., Sept. 11th, 1863.

"MAJOR:--In answer to your several queries as per circular of September 10, 1863, requesting my opinion as to the relative merits of white and black troops, for work in the trenches, I have the honor to make the the following replies:

"I. 'Their courage as indicated by their behavior under fire.' I will say, in my opinion, their courage is rather of the pa.s.sive than the active kind. They will stay, endure, resist, and follow, but they have not the restless, aggressive spirit. I do not believe they will desert their officers in trying moments, in so great numbers as the whites; they have not the will, audacity or fertility of excuse of the straggling white, and at the same time they have not the heroic, nervous energy, or vivid perception of the white, who stands firm or presses forward.

"I do not remember a single instance, in my labors in the trenches, where the black man has skulked away from his duty, and I know that instances of that kind have occurred among the whites; still I think that the superior energy and intelligence of those remaining, considering that the whites were the lesser number by the greater desertion, would more than compensate.

"II. 'Skill and appreciation of their duties referring to the quality of the work.'

"They have a fair share of both; enough to make them very useful and efficient, but they have not apparently that superior intelligence and skill that may be found largely among the non-commissioned officers and privates of the white regiments.

"III. 'Industry and perseverence with reference to the quant.i.ty of the work done.'

"I think they will do more than the whites; they do not have so many complaints and excuses, but stick to their work patiently, doggedly, obediently, and accomplish a great deal, though I have never known them to work with any marked spirit or energy. I should liken the white man to the horse (often untractable and balky), the black man to the ox.

"IV. 'If a certain work were to be accomplished in the least possible time, _i. e._, when enthusiasm and direct personal interest is necessary to attain the end, would whites or blacks answer best?'

"I cannot make up my mind that it is impossible to arouse the enthusiasm of the blacks, for I have seen enough of them to know that they are very emotional creatures; still though they might have more dash than I have seen and think possible, it is unquestionable to my mind that were the enthusiasm and personal interest of both aroused, the white would far surpa.s.s the black.

"It seems to me that there is a hard nervous organization at the bottom of the character of the white, and a soft susceptible one at the bottom of the character of the black.

"V. 'What is the difference, considering the above points, between colored troops recruited from the free States and those from the slave States?'

"I should say that the free State men were the best; they have more of the self-reliance, and approximate nearer to the qualities of the white man in respect to dash and energy, than those from the slave States.

"_Summary._--To me they compare favorably with the whites; they are easily handled, true and obedient; there is less viciousness among them; they are more patient; they have great constancy. The character of the white, as you know, runs to extremes; one has bull-dog courage, another is a pitiful cur; one is excessively vicious, another pure and n.o.ble. The phases of the character of the white touches the stars and descends to the lowest depths. The blacks character occupies the inner circle. Their status is mediocrity, and this mediocrity and uniformity, for military fatigue duty, I think, answers best.

"I am respectfully your obedient servant,

"JOSEPH WALKER.

"_Captain New York Volunteer Engineers._

"Major T. B. BROOKS,

"_Aide-de-Camp and a.s.s't. Eng. Dept. of the South."_

[_Reply in Full No. 2._]

"MORRIS ISLAND, Sept. 16th, 1863.

"MAJOR T. B. BROOKS, _a.s.s't. Engineer Dept. of the South._

"SIR: I have the honor to state that I received from you a circular of inquiry respecting the comparative merits of white and black soldiers for fatigue duty, requesting my opinion as derived from observation and actual intercourse with them, on several specified points, which I subjoin with the respective answers.

"I. 'Courage as indicated by conduct under fire.'

"I have found that the black troops manifest more timidity under fire than the white troops, but they are at the same time more obedient to orders, and more under control of their officers, in dangerous situations, than white soldiers.

"II. 'Skill and appreciation of their duties with reference to the quality of the work performed.'

"White soldiers are more intelligent and experienced and of course more skillful than the black ones, but they have not generally a corresponding appreciation of their duties. As a consequence I have found in most cases the work as well done by black as by white soldiers.

"III. 'Industry and perseverence with reference to the amount of work performed.'

"White soldiers work with more energy while they do work than the black ones, but do not work as constantly. Black soldiers seldom intermit their labors except by orders or permission. The result, as far as my observations extends, is that a greater amount of work is usually accomplished with black than with white soldiers.

"IV. 'If a certain work were to be accomplished in the least possible time, when enthusiasm and direct personal interest is necessary to the attainment of the end, would whites or blacks answer best?'

"Whites. Because though requiring more effort to control, they possess a greater energy of character and susceptibility of enthusiasm than the black race, which can be called into action by an emergency or by a sufficient effort on the part of their officers.

"V. 'What is the difference, considering the above points, between colored troops recruited from the free States and those from the slave States?'