to my surprise, I find that this (the
Confederate) Government assumes power to arm the slaves, which involves
also the power of emancipation. This proposition would be regarded as a
confession of despair. If we are right in passing this measure, we are
wrong in denying to the old government the right to interfere with
slavery and to emancipate slaves. If we offer the slaves their freedom
as a boon we confess that we are insincere and hypocritical in saying
slavery was the best state for the negroes themselves. I believe that
the arming and emancipating the slaves will be an abandonment of the
contest. To arm the negroes is to give them freedom. When they come out
scarred from the conflict they must be free."

[43] Of these twenty volunteers six of them are frequently to be met on
the streets of Richmond, while some of them are members of the Colored
State Militia of Virginia.

[44] The veterans of General Henry A. Wise's Legion adopted resolutions
commending the scheme.

[45] On April 1st, 1865, quite a company of negroes, most of whom were
pressed into the service, paraded the streets of Richmond.

[46] This letter is a copy of the original now in possession of Senator
George A. Brooks. It has never before been published.

PART III.

MISCELLANY.

CHAPTER I.

THE BLACK PHALANX AT SCHOOL.

The esteem in which education was held by the soldiers of the Black
Phalanx, can be judged of best by the efforts they made to educate
themselves and to establish a system of education for others of their
race. Doubtless many persons suppose that the negro soldier elated with
his release from slavery, was contented; that his patriotism was
displayed solely upon the field of battle, simply to insure to himself
that one highest and greatest boon, his freedom. Such a supposition is
far from the truth. The Phalanx soldiers had a strong race pride, and
the idea that ignorance was the cause of their oppression gave zest to
their desire to be educated.

When they found following the United States Army a large number of
educated people from the North, establishing schools wherever they could
in village, city and camp, and that education was free to all, there was
awakened in the black soldier's breast an ambition, not only to obtain
knowledge, but to contribute money in aid of educational institutions,
which was done, and with liberal hands, during and subsequent to the
war.

Unlettered themselves, they became dai