ment, after declaring them free.

Notwithstanding the President revoked Hunter's order, a considerable
force was organized and equipped as early as December, 1862; in fact a
regiment of blacks was under arms when the President issued the
Emancipation Proclamation. This regiment, the 1st South Carolina, was in
command of Colonel T. W. Higginson, who with a portion of his command
ascended the St. Mary's river on transports, visited Florida and
Georgia, and had several engagements with the enemy. After an absence of
ten or more days, the expedition returned to South Carolina without the
loss of a man.

Had there been but one army in the field, and the fighting confined to
one locality, the Phalanx would have been mobilized, but as there were
several armies it was distributed among the several forces, and its
conduct in battle, camp, march and bivouac, was spoken of by the
commanders of the various armies in terms which any class of soldiers,
of any race, might well be proud of.

General Grant, on the 24th of July, following the capture of Vicksburg,
wrote to the Adjutant-General:

"The negro troops are easier to preserve discipline among
than are our white troops, and I doubt not will prove
equally good for garrison duty. All that have been tried
have fought bravely."

This was six days after the unsurpassed bravery of the 54th Regiment
Massachusetts Volunteers--representing the North in the black
Phalanx--had planted its bloodstained banner on the ramparts of Fort
Wagner. It was the Southern negroes, who, up to this time, had reddened
the waters of the Mississippi. It was the freedman's blood that had
moistened the soil, and if ignorance could be so intrepid still greater
daring might be expected on the part of the more intelligent men of the
race.

The assault on Fort Wagner, July 18, 1863, was one of the most heroic of
the whole four years' war. A very graphic account of the entire movement
is given in the following article:

"At daylight, on the morning of the 12th of July a strong
column of our troops advanced swiftly to the attack of Fort
Wagner. The rebels were well prepared, and swept with their
guns every foot of the approach to the fort, but our
soldiers pressed on, and gained a foothold on the parapet;
but, not being supported by other troops, nor aided by the
guns of the fleet, which quietly looked on, they were forced
to retreat, leaving man