hands. To such
appeals there is ever a prompt response. One of the most effective ways
of disciplining an offender is by holding him up to the ridicule of his
fellows. The desire of the colored soldiers to amuse and to be amused
gives the officers an easy way of obtaining a hold upon them and their
affections. The regimental rifle team, the baseball nine, the minstrel
troupe, and the regimental band offer positions of importance for which
the competition is much keener than in the white regiments. There
is also a friendly rivalry between companies, which is much missed
elsewhere in the service. The negroes are natural horsemen and riders.
It is a pleasure to them to take care of their mounts, and a matter of
pride to keep their animals in good condition. Personally they are clean
and neat, and they take the greatest possible pride in their uniforms.
In no white regiment is there a similar feeling. With the negroes the
canteen question is of comparatively slight importance, not only because
the men can be more easily amused within their barracks, but because
their appetite for drink is by no means as strong as that of the white
men. Their sociability is astonishing. They would rather sit up and tell
stories and crack jokes than go to bed, no matter how hard the day has
been.

The dark sides are, that the negro soldiers easily turn merited
punishment into martyrdom, that their gambling propensities are almost
beyond control, that their habit of carrying concealed weapons is
incurable, and that there is danger of serious fighting when they fall
out with one another. Frequent failure to act honorably toward a comrade
in some trifling matter is apt to cause scuffling and fighting until the
men are well disciplined. Women are another cause of quarrels, and are
at all times a potent temptation to misconduct and neglect of duty.
It is very difficult to impress upon the men the value of government
property, and duty which requires memorizing of orders is always the
most difficult to teach. For the study of guard duty manuals or of
tactics they have no natural aptitude. The non-commissioned officers are
of very great importance, and in the regulars they are looked up to and
obeyed implicitly, much more so than is the case with white troops. It
is necessary, however, for the officers to back up the sergeants and
corporals very vigorously, even when they are slightly in the wrong.
Then colored men are more easily "rattled" by poor