et they enable one
to breathe more freely. I only wish they were black; but now
I have to show, not only that blacks can fight, but that
they and white soldiers can act in harmony together."

That evening the enemy came up for a reconnoissance, in the deepest
darkness, and there were alarms all night. The next day the Sixth
Connecticut got afloat, and came up the river; and two days after, to my
continued amazement, arrived a part of the Eighth Maine, under
Lieutenant-Colonel Twichell. This increased my command to four
regiments, or parts of regiments, half white and half black. Skirmishing
had almost ceased,--our defences being tolerably complete, and looking
from without much more effective than they really were. We were safe
from any attack by a small force, and hoped that the enemy could not
spare a large one from Charleston or Savannah. All looked bright
without, and gave leisure for some small anxieties within.

It was the first time in the war (so far as I know) that white and black
soldiers had served together on regular duty. Jealousy was still felt
towards even the _officers_ of colored regiments; and any difficult
contingency would be apt to bring it out. The white soldiers, just from
shipboard, felt a natural desire to stray about the town; and no attack
from an enemy would be so disastrous as the slightest collision between
them and the black provost-guard. I shudder, even now, to think of the
train of consequences, bearing on the whole course of subsequent
national events, which one such mishap might then have produced. It is
almost impossible for us now to remember in what a delicate balance then
hung the whole question of negro enlistments, and consequently of
Slavery. Fortunately for my own serenity, I had great faith in the
intrinsic power of military discipline, and also knew that a common
service would soon produce mutual respect among good soldiers; and so it
proved. But the first twelve hours of this mixed command were to me a
more anxious period than any outward alarms had created.

Let us resort to the note-book again.

"_Jacksonville, March 22, 1863._--It is Sunday; the bell is
ringing for church, and Rev. Mr. F., from Beaufort, is to
preach. This afternoon our good quartermaster establishes a
Sunday school for our little colony of 'contrabands,' now
numbering seventy.

"_Sunday Afternoon._--The bewildering report is confirmed;
and in addit