dvanced picket-station, there were
about two hundred soldiers of the Pennsylvania Fifty-Fifth awaiting
orders to proceed to Beaufort. I said, in a careless tone, to one of the
Pennsylvania soldiers, who was looking at Higginson's regiment as it
stood in line,--

"Isn't this rather new, to be relieved by a negro regiment?"

"All right," said he. "They've as much right to fight for themselves as
I have to fight for them."

A squad of half a dozen men stood by, making no dissent, and accepting
him as their spokesman. Moving in another direction, I said to a
soldier,--

"What do you think of that regiment?"

The answer was,--

"All right. I'd rather they'd shoot the Rebels than have the Rebels
shoot me"; and none of the by-standers dissented.

As one of the negro companies marched off the field to picket a station
at the Ferry, they passed within a few feet of some twenty of the
Pennsylvania soldiers, just formed into line preparatory to marching to
Beaufort. The countenances of the latter, which I watched, exhibited no
expression of disgust, dislike, or disapprobation, only of curiosity.
Other white soldiers gave to the weary negroes the hominy left from the
morning meal. The Major of the Fifty-Fifth, highest in command of the
relieved regiment, explained very courteously to Colonel Higginson the
stations and duties of the pickets, and proffered any further aid
desired. This was, it is true, an official duty, but there are more ways
than one in which to perform even an official duty. I rode back to
Beaufort, part of the way, in company with a captain of the First
Massachusetts Cavalry, who was the officer of the day. He said "he
wasn't much of a negro-man, but he had no objection to their doing our
fighting." He pronounced the word as spelled with two _g_s; but I prefer
to retain the good English. Colonel Montgomery, who had a partly filled
regiment, most of whom were conscripts, said that on his return from
Jacksonville he sent a squad of his men ashore in charge of some
prisoners he had taken. Some white soldiers seeing them approach from
the wharf, one said,--

"What are those coming?"

"Negro soldiers," (word pronounced as in the former case,) was the
answer.

"Damn 'em!" was the ejaculation.

But as they approached nearer, "What have they got with 'em?" was
inquired.

"Why, some Secesh prisoners."

"Bully for the negroes!" (the same pronunciation as before,) was then
the response from all.

So qui