The Project Gutenberg EBook of My Service in the U.S. Colored Cavalry, by
Frederick W. Browne
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: My Service in the U.S. Colored Cavalry
A Paper Read before the Ohio Commandery of the Loyal Legion,
March 4, 1908
Author: Frederick W. Browne
Release Date: April 13, 2010 [EBook #31972]
Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SERVICE IN U.S. COLORED CAVALRY ***
Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images
generously made available by The Internet Archive/American
Libraries.)
MY SERVICE IN THE U. S.
COLORED CAVALRY
A PAPER READ BEFORE
THE OHIO COMMANDERY OF THE LOYAL LEGION
MARCH 4, 1908
BY
FREDERICK W. BROWNE, SECOND LIEUT.
1ST U. S. COLORED CAVALRY
Paper
of
Frederick W. Browne,
Second Lieut. 1st U. S. Colored Cavalry
of
Cincinnati, Ohio,
Read before The Ohio Commandery
of The Loyal Legion,
March 4, 1908.
MY SERVICE IN THE U. S. COLORED CAVALRY
Having served over two years in a good, hard-fighting infantry regiment,
and being encamped at Newport News, Va., holding the dignified rank of
Sergeant, I one day met our little fighting Major John G. Chambers who
asked me if I would like a commission in the 1st U. S. Colored Cavalry,
then forming at Fort Monroe, to which I made answer that I would, and two
or three days thereafter I received an order, mustering me out of the
service and also an order to report to Colonel Garrard for duty as an
officer of the new regiment. Early the next morning, going down to the
wharf to embark for Ft. Monroe, I showed to the sentry on the wharf (as my
authority for leaving) the order mustering me out. He looked it over and
said in a home-sick way, "I would give $800 for that paper." I reported to
Colonel Garrard, and for the first time saw this officer with whose
reputation as a brave and efficient Major of the 3d N. Y. Cavalry I had
been well acquainted in the Department of North Carolina. This regiment,
being the first colored cavalry regiment, had in its ranks a rather better
class of men than the infantry regiments had; some being from the North
and some being the outlaw negroes who, in slavery times, had been able to
maintain their liberty in the swamps of Eastern Virginia and North
Carolina. The regiment was officered largely from the 3d N. Y. Cavalry,
and they were a thoroughly efficient and capable corps of officers. The
regiment was soon filled, mounted and equipped, and constant drill soon
made it have the manner and bearing of soldiers. Every one knew that the
Campaign of 1864 meant business, and therefore all was in readiness when
about May 1st orders came to move. We marched out through Hampton, of
which not one house was left except the little old stone church which is
still standing there. Through Big Bethel, the scene of one of the earliest
disasters of the war, to Yorktown, memorable for its two sieges in two
wars, and thence on to Williamsburg, passing between Yorktown and
Williamsburg our infantry who, much to our surprise were marching very
hurriedly back to Yorktown. We learned afterward they were put on board
transports at Yorktown and sent up the James to City Point and Bermuda
Hundred. The next day we went up the Peninsula, passing 6 and 12 Mile and
burnt ordinarys, camping at night at New Kent Court House. I commanded the
picket that night on the Bottoms Bridge Road and the enemy's scouts were
against us all night, keeping matters well stirred up. The next morning we
turned South and met the enemy at Jones Ford on the Chickahominy. They
were in an earthwork across the Ford and we opened on them with our
howitzers in front and deployed as to cross in front, but a force was sent
to the right up stream who managed to cross, and, coming down on the
opposite side of the river, took the enemy in flank and soon drove them
away from the ford. Killing some and capturing some of the enemy, and
having some killed and wounded, our movement having been a feint to make
the enemy believe that Butler's Army of the James, as it was afterward
called, was moving up the Peninsula, having been accomplished, we returned
to Williamsburg, arriving there the next day, where, to our astonishment,
we met an order to go back at once and cross the Chickahominy at Jones
Ford, sometimes called Jones Bridge, and proceed to Harrison's Landing,
which we at once did, again fighting our way across at Jones Ford.
Steamers were lying at the wharf in front of the old Westover mansion,
and, going on board, we were soon thereafter landed at Bermuda Hundred and
passing out took the advance of Butler's Army, being at the time the only
cavalry he had. The first day out we came to the Richmond and Petersburg
turnpike and turning to the right on said pike started "on to Richmond,"
but as the road approached Drewry's Bluff we were fired on by both
infantry and artillery and forced back with loss. Halting and feeding at
the Howlett House, a fine mansion on a high bluff overlooking the James,
where the Confederates afterward erected a strong battery to hold back our
Navy from ascending the river. In the afternoon we started out again on
the same road with orders to break the Richmond & Petersburg R. R., which
ran parallel with the pike; beyond the pike, when we crossed, we left
three companies to guard and hold the crossing which was in a low swamp
and heavily wooded ground. The remainder of the force passed through the
swamp up a steep hill, and when we were fairly on top of the hill there
came a crashing volley of musketry down behind us at the crossing, and
looking down to the pike we saw the fragments of those three companies
drift down the pike toward Petersburg like dry leaves before an autumn
gale. A brigade of Confederate infantry was concealed in that swamp, who,
letting us pass, thinking they had us cut off and securely bagged, had
then simply risen and fired a volley at close range into these three
companies. This volley killed Lieutenant Mains and killed and wounded a
good many of the men. When we heard the volley, Lieutenant Vandervoort,
commanding the howitzers, tore down the fence, running his guns out into
an open field on the brow of the hill, opened fire on the confederate
infantry: but the Colonel did not think our position was just what he
desired, as we now had the confederate infantry behind us and we knew the
confederate cavalry was guarding the R. R. in front of us. These we went
out expecting to fight but were not reckoning on the infantry, so we
started on toward the R. R., seeking another road to return to our own
lines and soon found one into which we turned at a gallop. Just as we did
so the Confederate Cavalry, whose curiosity had been excited by the
firing, and had come down the road to meet us, poured a volley into us,
the bullets rattling on the wooden fence at the turn of the road like
hail. This did not retard our speed and we came back into our infantry
lines in such a cloud of dust that they sprang into line to meet us. The
next morning we again struck the Richmond and Petersburg Pike and turned
toward Richmond, this time with the infantry behind us, and we soon struck
the enemy's infantry near where they had fired on the three companies the
day before and we soon turned over the task to our infantry. We lined up
along the side of the pike with our horses' tails in the bushes and the
infantry and artillery defiled past us, going from our left to our right
into action. Among the infantry was the 6th Connecticut, armed entirely
with Spencer rifles. Just beyond the right of our regiment the pike
crossed a low ridge or swell of ground, and on this ridge in the pike our
people planted a couple of 20 pounder Parrott guns and opened with them on
the enemy. This fire the enemy's artillery quickly returned, and I was
sitting on my horse lazily watching our men work the pieces and the
constantly recurring puffs of white smoke as the confederate shells burst
over their heads when suddenly I noticed a commotion among the gunners who
came running back down the pike with their rammers and swabs in their
hands, and the teams with the caissons and limbers came back on the run
and immediately the confederate infantry swarmed over the guns. I was no
longer sleepy. It looked as if the cavalry was going to have a chance to
win more glory, but our infantry was too quick, and with a counter charge
they at once retook the guns. The gunners and the teams ran back, and
immediately the guns were again jumping like mad creatures under the
recoil of their discharge. Of the battle beyond this ridge I could see
nothing, but the firing was heavy and at once there came from the front,
defiling past us to the rear, a ghastly procession of men wounded in
every way in which men could be wounded and still retain the power of
locomotion. Among them was a stout, hearty sergeant of this 6th
Connecticut regiment limping to the rear, using two muskets as crutches.
The calf of his right leg had been struck by a solid shot or unexploded
shell. Though no bones had been broken, there was nothing left of the calf
but bloody strings of flesh and trouser leg. But we were getting too near
Richmond, and during the next day or two the enemy in our front was very
heavily reinforced and outflanking our right Heckman's Brigade,
impetuously attacked at the earliest dawn along the whole front. Heckman's
Brigade was veteran troops who had heretofore had only victories and it
fought with stubborn temper, but the confederates finally advanced with
such a rush that they ran over Heckman's Brigade and left it, the dead and
wounded and living in the rear of the confederate line of battle, not even
stopping to place guards in charge; and a good many of our men, finding
they were not restrained, passed down to the left, around the left of the
confederate line and got back once more into our own lines, thus missing
the pleasures of Andersonville.
The battle raged all day and only ceased with darkness. During the night
Butler decided to withdraw his army within his fortified lines at Bermuda
Hundred. Our cavalry picket line was ordered to hold its place only until
the enemy advanced and then fall back also, within the fortified lines.
Personally I was in command of that part of the line at Weirs Bottom
Church where we had a howitzer. The infantry retired during the night, and
in the morning we were unsupported except for the fortified lines about 3
or 4 miles in our rear. We had the howitzer loaded with shell and aimed at
the road where it crossed the low hill back of the Howlett House, but the
enemy were in no hurry to close in, and it was about 3 o'clock P. M. when,
looking at this point in the road where our howitzer was aimed, I saw 8 or
10 confederate cavalry slowly and watchfully advancing. They were just
where the howitzer was aimed and we fired on them at once, but they jumped
their horses to the right and left out of the road like cats, and when the
shell got there, there was nothing but the road for it to hit. They
scattered to the right and left across the fields and carefully inspected
our position but did nothing further on that part of the line.
I had been in the saddle night and day and was thoroughly worn out and was
more than half sick with malarial fever, and so after dark, holding my
horse's reins in my hands, I sat down at the road side with my back to
the trunk of a tree, never dreaming of going to sleep, but alas, the next
thing I knew I heard the Captain of my Company, who had commanded the line
a little to the left, give the command, "Fours right, gallop, march," and
away they all went in the darkness, leaving me alone in the woods. Be sure
I was on my feet trying to gather a few of my scattered senses, when
suddenly I heard a horse whining in the darkness, out a short distance in
the woods, and rushing headlong in the direction of the sound, ran bodily
against my horse who was quietly browsing on the young leaves. Mounting at
once and spurring out into the road, started on the gallop down the road
after the company; but soon coming to where the road forked, and not
knowing where any of the roads led, as we were retiring on a different
road from the one we went out on, I checked the horse to a walk and let
him have his head and go where he pleased, and taking a good swinging
stride with his head low he went on his way without hesitation. For
myself, I drew a revolver and cocked and held it ready for what might
happen. Going on thus for about an hour I suddenly heard in the darkness
in front of me, the jingle of horse equipments and at once the challenge,
"Who comes there?" To this I at once answered, "A friend," and riding up
with my revolver in my hand found one of the men of my own company. Asking
where the company was, I rode on to the bivouac and dismounting, with my
saddle for a pillow, slept. Thus I believe I was the last man of that
whole army to retire from the front of the enemy, but I never called the
General's attention to the fact. As General Grant said, we were bottled up
at Bermuda Hundred and the enemy used to amuse himself by firing on the
transports going up and down the river below Bermuda Hundred, especially
at a high bluff commanding the river, called Fort Powhatan. So Butler sent
my company of cavalry and a battery of artillery and a regiment of
infantry to hold and fortify the place. The artillery and infantry
fortified toward the land with the river at their backs and the cavalry
bivouacked outside the fortification. We scouted the country out toward
Petersburg and brought in supplies of all sorts, among which were several
fish seines, and with these we caught some fine shad, and with rowing and
bathing we had a good time.
One morning an "intelligent contraband" came into camp and I asked him
where he came from. He said he was a slave on the plantation of Mr.
Wilcox, whose plantation was up the river. I was interested in horses and
he told me that Mr. Wilcox, who was an officer in the 2d Virginia
Cavalry, had a very fine horse at home, resting and feeding up, and was
now in first rate shape. That it was broken only to the saddle. The more I
thought of this horse the worse I felt, and so I soon took my saddle and
bridle, and strapping on a revolver, went down to the river and had a
couple of our men row me up till we were opposite the Wilcox plantation,
when I went ashore, and shouldering my saddle and bridle told the men to
row back to camp, and going up across the fields went into the stable and
without difficulty found the horse. Saddling and bridling him, I mounted
and rode out past the house where I saw some ladies but did not speak to
them. That horse was a beauty, and he went over fences, ditches, etc.,
like a bird. His color was a dark bay. A creek runs into the James River
between the Wilcox plantation and Fort Powhatan and I had to ride about a
mile back into the country before I could find a ford. I put the horse on
a gallop to the ford, crossed and started back toward camp; when across
the fields to the right, on a converging road, I saw a squad of
confederate cavalry. It was a race for the fork of the roads, but I was
the better mounted and got there first and came into our lines flying. One
of the men said, "For God's sake, Lieutenant, don't come in that way
again, we came near shooting you." I tied my prize to the picket line and
felt that I had done a good thing.
When we first went there Colonel Kiddoo was in command, but he had been
superseded by another. About 6 o'clock an orderly appeared and gave me an
order to report at headquarters, and upon so reporting, the Commander
opened on me with "I understand you have been outside the lines without
leave." I said, "Colonel Kiddoo gave me a standing authority to scout as I
deemed proper," whereupon I was informed that said authority was revoked.
Then the Commander said, "I understand you stole a fine horse and brought
him into the lines," to this I said, "I could prove that he was a
confederate cavalry horse and I did not need any authority to capture
him." Whereupon he said, "Have that horse here at my headquarters
to-morrow morning at 9 o'clock." and I went back to camp determined to, in
the morning, take the worst horse from the picket line and send him up to
headquarters, but that night a courier rode into our camp with orders to
go on board the steamer on which he came, then lying at the landing, and
report to our regiment at Bermuda Hundred. I took the horse up the river
with me and about midnight we joined the regiment and soon had our picket
line stretched and the horses fastened and stable guard mounted. I saw my
prize beauty securely fastened and went to bed. The first thing the next
morning I went out to see him, and he had disappeared. The stable guard
swore that no horse got loose and no human being approached the line
during the night, but my horse was gone and I am still looking for him.
Still shut up in the Bermuda Hundred lines, cavalry was of but little use
there, but one day headquarters decided to make use of us and an order
came to camp for the regiment to report at a certain point near the line
at 9 o'clock P. M., in light marching order, and we were there. An orderly
rode along the line with word for all officers to report at the right of
the regiment. Going there, the Colonel informed us that the order was that
the regiment was to pass out through the lines, and as soon as the head of
the column was fired on by the enemy it was to charge right through the
fortified lines of the confederate army, and getting through to its rear
onto Richmond and Petersburg Pike, and destroy all confederate wagon
trains and then pass on and tear up as much as possible of the Richmond &
Petersburg R. R., and then when pursued by a superior force to escape
westerly into the Shenandoah Valley or eastwardly to Norfolk. I may say
that so far as I ever knew there was not so much as a hatchet in the
regiment with which to destroy anything, or a match with which to set the
fragments on fire, and as we rode back to the company I said to my
Captain, "Well! somebody is drunk at headquarters," to which he made no
response in particular, seeming engaged in thought. The regiment at once
started down the road into the dark pine woods and presently came to our
infantry outposts, who informed us that the enemy were right in front and
we would be fired on at once, which was exactly what happened, and,
according to orders, as soon as the Confederate infantry opened on us the
order to charge was given, and on we went at a gallop, but were soon
brought up in a heap. The head of the column had run into a heavy slashing
of felled trees, among which, and in the woods on both sides of which was
a heavy force of Confederate infantry. I was at the middle of the column,
and, looking down the road to the front, in the darkness the fire of the
Confederate infantry looked like a swamp full of fire flies. The men in
the head of the column were firing on the Confederates with their
revolvers. The Colonel was at the front, and seeing the hopelessness of
the situation, gave the command, "Fours, right about, gallop, march," but
it was slow getting the command back to the rear of the column, and I
suppose we were in there about 20 minutes. A while after this the white
cavalry became so short of horses that we were dismounted, the officers,
of course, retaining their own horses, and the regiment moved back into a
camp near the landing at Bermuda Hundred. While here one of our
Lieutenants, named Bittner, got into a quarrel with the sutler, and,
taking about ten men with their carbines, went to the sutler's tent and
ordered his men to tear it down, which they proceeded to do when the
sutler came out with a revolver and blazed away at Bittner's head, putting
a bullet through his jaw, into his throat, whereupon Bittner's men opened
fire on the sutler with their carbines and the sutler ran for his life,
the men chasing him and firing as fast as they could, and managed to put a
bullet through the sutler's lungs from rear to front. He ran into the
adjutant's tent, and falling on his cot, died there: and a few minutes
afterwards they brought Bittner into camp on a board. He survived the
wound. A few days thereafter Lieutenant Spencer, by the Colonel's order,
shot one of the men dead in his tracks for disobedience of orders. We lay
there in camp for a while, and then were sent into the lines about
Petersburg, and details were made each day to act as ambulance corps and
haul away the dead and wounded, who were all the time falling on the siege
lines. While engaged in this work one day, two men got into a quarrel and
one of them shot the other one dead in the Company street. He was at once
arrested and tried by general court martial, and one day he was brought
into camp by the provost guard with an order that he be hanged at once in
the presence of the regiment. So a squad was sent into the woods to
prepare the scaffold, and another went to the quartermaster's train for a
piece of rope, and another dug the grave. It was a drizzly day and the
ground wet, so the grave soon filled with water. The regiment was drawn up
on three sides of a square around the grave and the prisoner was brought
in an old farm cart, drawn by hand. The rope was adjusted around his neck,
and then the cart was drawn out from under him, but the rope was new and
wet and he hung dangling and kicking in the air, so the old grizzle
bearded sergeant, who had charge of the execution squad, took hold of his
feet and pulled down till he broke the prisoner's neck, and so the
performance was ended.
Late in the fall of 1864 we were sent to Norfolk, Va., to do Provost Guard
duty, and were there to the end of the war. Norfolk was at that time the
base of supplies, so to speak, of the great armies up the James, and of
the great naval establishment which we at that time had. Its inhabitants
were chiefly gamblers, thieves, saloon keepers and prostitutes, and out
in the roads lay the fleets of France, Great Britain, Russia and the
United States, and when the sailors got shore leave, things at times got
very hot; in fact, on two or three occasions we were obliged to fire on
the fighting mobs in the streets to disentangle them.
After Lee's surrender all the colored troops in the East were collected at
City Point and organized into the 25th Corps. It was understood we were
going to Mexico to fight the French and Maximillian, but strange stories
got around among the colored troops. The story being that the Government
was going to send them south to work on the cotton plantations to pay the
national debt, and many went to their officers to ask if it was true, and,
being assured there was no truth in it, would declare themselves
satisfied; but a marked change came over them, and they became sullen and
disobedient.
This increased, and when half of my regiment was put on a small, light
draft river steamer, to go down the James River to Hampton Roads, they
went aboard with no good grace and we had only begun our journey down the
river when the men on the lower deck began firing at objects on the shore.
I was on the upper deck, and, drawing my revolver, started down to stop
the firing, but I had got but half way down when a dozen carbines were put
to my head and breast, and I was told that I could kill one man, but it
would be the last one I ever would kill, and hundreds were standing around
with their carbines in their hands. The argument was convincing, and I
returned to the upper deck. Shortly after they either run out of
ammunition or got tired of the sport, as they ceased firing. When we got
to Hampton Roads and went on board the steamship Meteor, which was to take
us to Texas, we found that the other half of the regiment had also
mutinied on their way down the river, and when the whole regiment got
together on the decks of the Meteor and compared notes of what they had
done, they just went wild, and, refusing to obey all orders, began raising
the devil generally. It was already dark when we went on board the Meteor,
and during the night word was sent to Gen. Nelson A. Miles, the commandant
of Ft. Monroe. He sent orders for the regiment to land at the wharf at
eight o'clock the next morning, and when the steamship headed for the
wharf the men very readily fell in at the order, supposing they were to
have their own way and not be sent south. The wharf was then where it is
now, between the Chamberlain and Hygeia Hotels, though neither of those
hotels were there at the time. Approaching the wharf we saw the garrison
of Ft. Monroe drawn up in line about 150 feet from the beach, on the
exact spot where the Hygeia Hotel was afterward built. They were facing
the water, and when my regiment went ashore it was marched in between the
garrison and the water, and then the order was given to ground arms. Many
obeyed the order at once, but many hesitated and looked back at the
garrison, and then all laid down their arms. They were at once marched
back on board the ship, and the ship returned to her anchorage above the
Rip Raps. This was the first and last time I ever saw Gen. Nelson A.
Miles. He was a tall, handsome, blonde complexioned young man of about 25
years of age, who wore the straps of a Major-General with dignity and
honor. When the ship returned to her moorings the men at first seemed
dazed, but as the day wore on they became more and more unruly, and
presently we found they had broken into the hold of the ship into the
sutler's stores and were all hands getting wild drunk. They were shut out
from this, but they already had a good supply hidden under their skins and
elsewhere, and they went wild. Just about sunset a big pock-marked mulatto
got on top of the pilot house near the bows of the ship and was haranguing
the crowds on the deck below him, when he turned, and, shaking his fist at
the group of officers on the quarter deck, he said, "You damned white
livered ---- of ---- we will throw you overboard," at which a great howl
went up from his audience, whereupon three of the officers with their
revolvers in their hands forced their way through the crowd and jerked the
orator off the pilot house and dragged him back on the quarterdeck where
Capt. Whiteman, of Xenia, Ohio, put his pistol to his breast and told him
to hold up his hands and put his thumbs together. We were going to swing
him up to the rigging by his two thumbs, but the fellow simply folded his
arms and looked at his captors with an air of drunken bravado. Whiteman
told him three times to hold up his hands, but he made no motion to obey
and Whiteman fired. I was standing at Whiteman's left and was looking the
man in the face when the shot was fired, and he did not change a muscle,
and I thought Whiteman had missed him, but, looking down to his breast, I
saw blood reddening his shirt front, and at once his arms dropped limply
at his sides and he fell in a heap at our feet on the deck. When they saw
their champion go down the men raised a wild yell and shouting, "Kill
them; throw them overboard," they seized axes, hand spikes, pieces of
lumber and whatever could be used as weapons which they found around the
deck, and came pouring aft to attack us. Some of the officers of the
regiment were sick, some on detached duty, some were absent on furlough,
and some on shore, so there were just sixteen of us to face the torrent.
Without a word of command, perhaps by that instinct born of years of
military service, we lined up across the quarter deck, each with a
revolver in each hand. It seemed as if we would be swept away in a minute,
but not a shot was fired, and they came pouring aft. Presently I saw one
or two of those in front drop back and let others get ahead, and presently
all stopped and glared at us like wild beasts. Then one threw down his axe
and another his handspike and they all sneaked off toward the bow of the
ship. Then we knew we had conquered. There was a thirty pounder Parrott
gun lashed to the rail on the quarter deck, and, sending for the howitzer
crews, we ordered the gun unlashed and the muzzle swung out so it swept
the deck forward, and made them load it with cannister. Then we sent for
the band and we sat around on the quarter deck with our revolvers in our
hands and made them play for about an hour, but at every pause in the
music we could hear the dying groans of the man shot. The surgeon had laid
him on a blanket on the deck where he fell, and so great was his vitality
that he lived for two days. Before that, while I was still in the
infantry, I was in a fight where the man behind me was killed and the man
first on my left was wounded, and I had a bullet through my coat, which
happily did not touch the hide, all in about five minutes, and I thought
that was pretty strenuous; but I can say it was but a Sunday School picnic
compared to the time when, in the fading light of a summer day, sixteen of
us lined up across the quarter deck of the old steamship Meteor and faced
a howling, rushing mob of 700 half-drunken devils in the absolute
assurance that we had found the place where without poetry or trimmings we
must either conquer or die.
The ship sailed the next day. We went to Mobile, to the Southwest pass of
the Mississippi, and then to Brazos Santiago, Texas, where we landed on
July 3d, 1865. We lay in camp on the sand hills for about three months,
but soldiering had lost its interest, and one morning I wrote out my
resignation and took it to the Colonel. He laughed and said he would sign
it, but I could not get it through. I took it to the Commander of the
brigade and he signed it, but said as the Colonel had. I went on board a
small steamer going up the Rio Grande to Brownsville, arriving there the
next morning. I went to the headquarters of Gen. Weitzel. He demurred, but
signed it, saying I would never get it past Gen. Steele, but with the
expenditure of some eloquence I persuaded _him_, and, returning to Brazos
Santiago, took a steamer for New Orleans via Galveston. At Galveston I had
to get the signature of Gen. H. G. Wright, and then went on to New
Orleans, and, going to the headquarters of Gen. P. H. Sheridan, left the
papers, being told to come back the next day. The next day I received a
certified copy of the order mustering me out, dated September 27th, 1865,
making my service in the army all told, three days less than four years.
With the order in my pocket, I returned to my room in the St. Charles
Hotel, and, taking off my hat, looked at the crossed sabres on its front.
With my pocket knife I cut them off; then taking off my jacket, I cut off
the shoulder straps and realized, not without a heart pang, that I was no
longer a soldier.
I still have the pistols which I held in my hands when we lined up across
the quarter deck of the Meteor. I still have the crossed sabres and straps
which I cut off in the St. Charles Hotel. They are not as pretty as they
were forty-two years ago, but they still have for me a certain value.
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of My Service in the U.S. Colored Cavalry, by
Frederick W. Browne
*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SERVICE IN U.S. COLORED CAVALRY ***
***** This file should be named 31972.txt or 31972.zip *****
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
https://www.gutenberg.org/3/1/9/7/31972/
Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images
generously made available by The Internet Archive/American
Libraries.)
Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
will be renamed.
Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules,
set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project
Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you
do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is
subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
redistribution.
*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
https://gutenberg.org/license).
Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works
1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works. See paragraph 1.E below.
1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the
collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an
individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in
a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check
the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning
the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
States.
1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
copied or distributed:
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
1.E.9.
1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked
to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg-tm License.
1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or
distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
that
- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is
owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments
must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License. You must require such a user to return or
destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
Project Gutenberg-tm works.
- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
of receipt of the work.
- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the
Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
1.F.
1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
your equipment.
1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.
1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with
the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy
is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
opportunities to fix the problem.
1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any
provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists
because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
people in all walks of life.
Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org.
Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
Foundation
The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
https://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at
809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
[email protected]. Email contact links and up to date contact
information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
page at https://pglaf.org
For additional contact information:
Dr. Gregory B. Newby
Chief Executive and Director
[email protected]
Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation
Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.
The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To
SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
particular state visit https://pglaf.org
While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.
International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including including checks, online payments and credit card
donations. To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate
Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works.
Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily
keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
https://www.gutenberg.org
This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
