the hand of the historian. The following letter speaks for itself.

ADJ.-GEN. THOMAS ON NEGRO SOLDIERS.

"WAR DEP'T, ADJ.-GENERAL'S OFFICE, }
"WASHINGTON, May 30, 1864. }

"Hon. H. WILSON:

"DEAR SIR: On several occasions when on the Mississippi River, I
contemplated writing to you respecting the colored troops and to
suggest that, as they have been fully tested as soldiers, their
pay should be raised to that of white troops, and I desire now to
give my testimony in their behalf. You are aware that I have been
engaged in the organization of freedmen for over a year, and have
necessarily been thrown in constant contact with them.

"The negro in a state of slavery is brought up by the master,
from early childhood, to strict obedience and to obey implicitly
the dictates of the white man, and they are thus led to believe
that they are an inferior race. Now, when organized into troops,
they carry this habit of obedience with them, and their officers
being entirely white men, the negroes promptly obey their orders.

"A regiment is thus rapidly brought into a state of discipline.
They are a religious people--another high quality for making good
soldiers. They are a musical people, and thus readily learn to
march and accurately perform their manoeuvres. They take pride in
being elevated as soldiers, and keep themselves, as their camp
grounds, neat and clean. This I know from special inspection, two
of my staff-officers being constantly on inspecting duty. They
have proved a most important addition to our forces, enabling
the Generals in active operations to take a large force of white
troops into the field; and now brigades of blacks are placed with
the whites. The forts erected at the important points on the
river are nearly all garrisoned by blacks--artillery regiments
raised for the purpose,--say at Paducah and Columbus, Kentucky,
Memphis, Tennessee, Vicksburg and Natchez, Mississippi and most
of the works around New Orleans.

"Experience proves that they manage heavy guns very well. Their
fighting qualities have also been fully tested a number of times,
and I am yet to hear of the first case where they did not fully
stand up to their work. I passed over the ground where