To Address You As My Friend by Jonathan W. White;

Author:Jonathan W. White;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University of North Carolina Press

Four Black Soldiers Ask for Equal Pay and to Be Allowed to Fight

The Fourteenth Corps d’Afrique was organized at New Orleans in August 1863 and was stationed around the city as part of the Union defenses. In October 1863, the regiment was transferred to the District of West Florida, and in April 1864, it was redesignated the Eighty-Sixth USCT. Like many other black soldiers, the noncommissioned officers of this regiment asked for equal treatment as white soldiers.

Barrancas  West Fla  Pensacola Bay

Jan 16th 1864

Honorable Abraham Lincon  Presedent of the united States

Sir

we the undersign non commissioned offerciers So called and Your Most humble Servant off The fourteenth Regiment Corps de afrique we ask off You to gain information wether we Ar to have the Same treatment bestowed on ous As all off the Regtiments that is now fighting In the field to bestow [restore?] the union as it was

Please Your Honor    we inlisted to fight For our country and for the laws off the Land    we have tryed to do so ever sence we Have been in the Service and that has been Six Months, and ever Sence we landed on this peninsula we have done our utmost in pretecting goverment property    Thare has not been a call for defending The cause that we ar fighting for Sence we Have been on this peninsula that we refused To do,  thay tell ous for working quality we ar fare surperior to all the white regtment and for fighting we will never faulter From that

Please Your Honor    sence we have Been on this peninsula for the defence off The Navy Yard we have thowing up breats Works [been throwing up breastworks] from the bay to the buyio and all off the fettuge duty is preformed by this regiment and the grand out post is preformed by ous    also the line off pickets Exstend for nine Miles

Please Your Honor    when we inlisted in the united States Service the understanding was that we Should recieve the Same pay and rattion as the white Soldiers    we have the Same felling For our Wifes and Chrildrens at home and we Study the wellfare off them as much so as the white Soldiers,  the majoyity off the Men in this Regtiment have familys in New orleans and from letters recieved here Thay ar in a Starving condistion    thare are Some four or five oderly Sergant that have wife In the North how is Exspecting to derived off ous something to live on    we cant seport Them on Seven dollas per a month—

Please Your Honor

all we ask for is Justist Bestowed on ous and thare Shant be one Star on the Glourious banner off liberty that wont Shine out Brightly over all off the patriots Fighting to montaining your most just law

Please Your Honor we dont looke for Eney better treatment than the white Soldiers but the Same    the cannon and Rifles ball have not a bit off respects off person in action    our lives is as Sweet to ous as it is to them that recieves thirteen Dollars per month

Please Your Honor

when you called for Soldiers off african desent I John.

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