rience, one, years ago, had been a lieutenant in the
Regular Army; another was promoted from Post Quartermaster-Sergeant; a
third at one time had been First Sergeant of Artillery; the remaining
two had more or less experience in the militia. Of the eighteen
lieutenants with previous military experience, twelve had served in
the Regular Army; eight of these, not one with a service less than
fifteen years, were promoted directly from the ranks of the regulars
for efficiency and gallantry. At the time of their promotion two were
Sergeants, five First Sergeants and one a Post Quartermaster-Sergeant.
The four others from the Regular Army had served five years each. Of
the six remaining Lieutenants with previous military experience, four
had received military training in high schools, three of whom were
subsequently officers in the militia; fifth graduated from a state
college with a military department; the sixth had been for years an
officer in the militia. With this advantage at the start, it is no
extravagance to say that the colored officers practically made the
companies. To them was due the greater part of the credit for whatever
efficiency the companies showed. Moreover, these colored officers were
not behind in intelligence. Among them were four graduates of
universities and colleges, two lawyers, two teachers, one journalist,
five graduates of high schools and academies, and the men from the
Regular Army, as their previous non-commissioned rank indicates, were
of good average intelligence. There is no reason to believe that this
one of the four colored volunteer regiments was in any degree
exceptional.

These are the officers for whom the War Department had erected their
arbitrary bar at captaincy, and declared that no show of efficiency
could secure for them the titular rank which they more than once
actually exercised. For they were repeatedly in command of their
companies through sickness or absence of their captains. They served
as officers without the incentive which comes from hope of promotion.
They were forced to see the credit of their labors go to others, and
to share more than once in discredit for which they were not
responsible. They were, and in this lay their chief embarrassment,
without the security and protection which higher rank would have
accorded them. In case of trial by court-martial, captains and other
higher officers filled the court to the exclusion of almost all
others. These were white m