Blue-Eyed Child of Fortune: The Civil War Letters of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw

CHAPTER TEN: "I as a Nigger Colonel"

C H A P T E R I O During the early months of 1863, with battlefieldcasualties rising, desertions increasing, and volunteering decreasing, Lincoln and Congress acted to securemen for the Union armies. On March3,Congress passed the Enrollment Act, which authorized a draft of all men of ages twenty to forty-five to serve a three-yearenlistment.That conscription act caused riots in Northern cities and wasnearlyasunpopularasthe North's other new focus for soldier procurement. In lateJanuary, Lincoln had authorized Secretary of WarEdwin M. Stanton to enlist black men into volunteer regiments.Manypeoplewho supported the war for union lashed out at Lincoln for changingthe goal of the war to one for freedom of the slaves. The idea of black men in uniformswith guns frightened some Northerners and most Southerners. Many white soldiers loathed the idea of serving with black soldiers. Nevertheless, Lincoln persisted with his plan. The first unit approved and organized in the North was the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. To command this vanguard regiment, Governor John A. Andrew handpicked a veteran soldier and son of a respected abolitionist family—Robert Gould Shaw. 2.82. as a nigger colonel" I Stafford Court-House,Va. [RGS] Feb. 4,1863 My Dear Annie, Your two letters, of the 15th and Z9th of January, have reached me at last, and I was glad enough to get them. Bythis time you are on your wayto New York, where you will find my last letter. I sent it to Father, thinking that you were going to Susie's. I did not read General Hitchcock's testimony in McDowell's case.1 Holt's summing up of the testimony for and against Porter, seemed to meverypoor, for a man of his ability; and if I could persuade myself that the court (composed as it was, of officers of honourable standing) could be dishonest, I should think there had been foul play.2 Several officers have been dismissed for uttering the like sentiments; so I think I had better keep my opinion to myself. I was much surprised to hear, the other day, from a regular officer in Porter's Corps, that, though they considered the latter a fine officer, he was not personally liked. I have hitherto heard just thecontrary. We are tolerably comfortable here now, asour log-huts are going up again, and we have come across a sutler who furnishes the officers with means to keep a very good mess. Father has just left here. He came down yesterday,and brought me an offer from Governor Andrew of the Colonelcy of his new black regiment.3 The Governor considers it a most important command; and I could not help feeling , from the tone of his letter, that he did me a great honour in offering it to me. MyFather will tell you some of the reasons whyI thought I ought not to accept it. If I had taken it, it would only have been from a sense of duty; for it would have been anything but an agreeabletask. Please tell me, without reserve, what you think about it; for I amvery anxious to know. I should have decided much sooner than I did, if I had known before. I am afraid Mother will think I am shirking my duty; but I had some good practical reasons for it, besides the desire to be at libertyto decide what to do when my threeyears have expired.4 You asked me in one of your letters whether I was a Unitarian. Since I have been old enough to think for myself,I haveconsidered I had better not try to decide about sects. I alwayslike to go to church, and I like to hear agood sermon , whether it is preached in an Episcopal or a Methodist church. The only Sunday school I everwent to, wasEpiscopal, and I have been to the Unitarian church less than to anyother. While I am on this subject, I must remind you of the Bibleyou are going to send me. I likethe name Robert much better than Bob, and shallbeveryglad to have c t l AS A N I G G E R C O L O N E L " 2.83 you call me so. Father, Mother, and Effie always call me "Rob," which slight change of a letter makesa great difference in the name. There does not seem to be much enthusiasm for Hooker. The cry...