his established policy are
unavailing. He will neither be persuaded by promises nor
intimidated by threats. To-day he was called upon by two United
States Senators and rather peremptorily requested to accept the
services of two negro regiments. They were flatly and
unequivocally rejected. The President did not appreciate the
necessity of employing the negroes to fight the battles of the
country and take the positions which the white men of the nation,
the voters, and sons of patriotic sires, should be proud to
occupy; there were employments in which the negroes of rebel
masters might well be engaged, but he was not willing to place
them upon an equality with our volunteers, who had left home and
family and lucrative occupations to defend the Union and the
Constitution, while there were volunteers or militia enough in
the loyal States to maintain the Government without resort to
this expedient. If the loyal people were not satisfied with the
policy he had adopted, he was willing to leave the administration
to other hands. One of the Senators was impudent enough to tell
the President he wished to God he would resign."[93]

But there the regiment was,--one thousand loyal and competent
soldiers; and there was no way out but for the government to father
the regiment, and, therefore, on the 25th of August, 1862, the
Secretary of War sent General Rufus Saxton the following order:

"3. In view of the small force under your command, and the
inability of the Government at the present time to increase it,
in order to guard the plantations and settlements occupied by the
United States from invasion, and protect the inhabitants thereof
from captivity and murder by the enemy, you are also authorized
to arm, uniform, equip, and receive into the service of the
United States, such number of Volunteers of African descent as
you may deem expedient, not exceeding five thousand; and may
detail officers to instruct them in military drill, discipline,
and duty, and to command them; the persons so received into
service, and their officers, to be entitled to and receive the
same pay and rations as are allowed by law to Volunteers in the
service.

"4. You will occupy, if possible, all the islands and plantations
heretofore occupied by the Government, and secure and harvest the