hat
the Commanding General asks nothing of them which he was not
willing that one of his own flesh and blood should be
engaged in.

"The work was now fairly in progress, but the barriers of
prejudice were not to be lightly overthrown.
Non-commissioned officers and men of the right stamp, and
able to pass the examination requisite, were scarce
articles. Ten had the hardihood or moral courage to face
the screaming, riotous ridicule of their late associates in
the white regiments. We remember one very striking instance
in point, which we shall give as a sample of the whole.

"Our friend Mr. Charles F. Briggs, of this city, so well
known in literary circles, had a nephew enlisted in that
excellent regiment the 48th New York, then garrisoning Fort
Pulaski and the works of Tybee Island. This youngster had
raised himself by gallantry and good conduct to be a
non-commissioned officer; and Mr. Briggs was anxious that he
should be commissioned, according to his capacities, in the
colored troops then being raised. The lad was sent for,
passed his examination with credit, and was immediately
offered a first lieutenancy, with the promise of being made
captain when his company should be filled up to the required
standard,--probably within ten days.

"The inchoate first-lieutenant was in ecstasies; a gentleman
by birth and education, he longed for the shoulder-straps.
He appeared joyously grateful; and only wanted leave to run
up to Fort Pulaski for the purpose of collecting his traps,
taking leave of his former comrades, and procuring his
discharge-papers from Col. Barton. Two days after that came
a note to the department headquarters respectfully declining
the commission! He had been laughed and jeered out of
accepting a captaincy by his comrades; and this--though we
remember it more accurately from our correspondence with Mr.
Briggs--was but one of many scores of precisely similar
cases.

"At length, however, officers were found; the ranks were
filled; the men learned with uncommon quickness, having the
imitativeness of so many monkeys apparently, and such
excellent ears for music that all evolutions seemed to come
to them by nature. At once, despite all hostile influence,
the negro regiment became one of the lions of the