eran soldiers who
are good readers and writers, some of them even fair
scholars, who took their first lessons from some manly
officer or no less manly fellow-soldier in the manner
mentioned, during such camp intervals as were allowed by the
dread arbitrament of war. In a number of regiments these
fortunate intervals were quite frequent and of long
duration, and in such cases, therefore, much progress was
made.

"It must, of course, be remembered that in our colored
regiments a very large percentage of the men were
illiterate, especially in those composed of men from the
south and so lately escaped from under the iron heel of
slavery. Indeed, in many of them there could scarcely be
found at the commencement of the service a man who could
either read or write. Many an officer can recall his rather
novel experience in teaching his first sergeant enough of
figures and script letters to enable the latter to make up
and sign the company morning report. All honor to those
faithful, patient officers, and all honor, too, give to
those ambitious sergeants who after a while conquered great
difficulties and became educationally proficient in their
lines of duty.

"In this connection I readily call to mind one of the most,
if not the most, unique figures of all my experience in the
army. It was Colonel James Beecher, of the famous Beecher
family, and a brother of Henry Ward Beecher. He was in
command of the First North Carolina Colored Regiment. In
this position it would be hard to overestimate the variety
and value of his services, for he became for his soldiers at
once a gallant fighter, an eloquent, convincing preacher,
and a most indefatigable and successful school-teacher.
Preaching had been his vocation before entering the army,
and so it was but natural for him to continue in that work.
At one time our regiment lay encamped near his in South
Carolina, and I well remember how, on one Sabbath morning,
the two commands formed a union service, all listening with
deep, thrilling interest to the inspiring words of this
"fighting parson." That he was indeed a fighting parson we
fully learned not long after this Sabbath service. For again
we met on the bloody field of battle, where in the very
front of the fight we saw him gal