r, says: "That the labors of this Board contributed very materially
to the success of the experiment of raising this class of troops, no one
cognizant with the facts can doubt. The operations of the Board can best
be shown by quoting the following letter received from Gen. Casey in
reply to some enquiries on the subject:

"BROOKLYN, Nov. 30th, 1875.

* * * "The Board for the Examination of candidates for
officers in colored regiments, of which I was President, was
appointed in May, 1863, and continued its duties about two
years. This movement was, at first, very unpopular with a
portion of the people of the country, as also with a large
portion of the army. I, although doubting at first with
regard to the expediency of operating in large bodies with
this species of force, determined, that so far as I was
concerned, it should have a fair trial.

"A system was adopted for the examination of candidates
which did not allow influence, favor or affection to
interfere with the enforcement of its provisions. The Board
examined nearly three thousand candidates, seventeen hundred
of whom they recommended for commissions in various grades,
from colonel down.

"From my knowledge of the officers of white volunteers,
gained in my duties connected with receiving and organizing,
in the city of Washington, 300,000 of them, and also as
commander of a division on the Peninsula, I have no
hesitation in saying that the officers of the colored
regiments, _who passed the Board_, as a body were superior
to them, physically, mentally and morally.

"From the concurrent reports received from various sources,
there is but little doubt that the success of the colored
troops in the field was brought about in no small degree by
the action of the Board.

"The following is the copy of a letter which I addressed to
a gentleman of Philadelphia, and which you may find of
interest:

'In conversation with you a few days since, I promised to
elaborate somewhat the ideas which I expressed with regard
to the appointment of officers of colored troops.

'Military men, whose opinion is worth having, will agree in
this, that to have good and efficient troops it is
indispensable that we should have good officers. The
material for soldiers which