regiment was
organized. The first regiment's line officers were colored, and the
field officers were white. Those who made up this regiment were not all
free negroes by more than half. Any negro who would swear that he was
free, if physically good, was accepted, and of the many thousand slave
fugitives in the city from distant plantations, hundreds found their way
into Touro building and ultimately into the ranks of the three regiments
formed at that building. The second, like the first, had all colored
line officers; the third was officered regardless of color. This was
going beyond the line laid down by General Phelps. He proposed that
white men should take command of these troops exclusively. By November
these three regiments were in the field, where in course of time they
often met their former masters face to face and exchanged shots with
them. The pro-slavery men of the North and their newspapers endeavored
to make the soldiers in the field believe that the negroes would not
fight; while not only the papers and the soldiers, but many officers,
especially those from the West Point Academy, denounced General Butler
for organizing the regiments. General Weitzel, to whose command these
regiments were assigned in an expedition up the river, objected to them,
and asked Butler to relieve him of the command of the expedition. Butler
wrote him in reply:

"You say that in these organizations you have no confidence.
As your reading must have made you aware, General Jackson
entertained a different opinion upon that subject. It was
arranged between the commanding general and yourself, that
the colored regiments should be employed in guarding the
railroad. You don't complain, in your report, that they
either failed in this duty, or that they have acted
otherwise than correctly and obediently to the commands of
their officers, or that they have committed any outrage or
pillage upon the inhabitants. The general was aware of your
opinion, that colored men will not fight. You have failed to
show, by the conduct of these free men, so far, anything to
sustain that opinion. And the general cannot see why you
should decline the command, especially as you express a
willingness to go forward to meet the only organized enemy
with your brigade alone, without farther support. The
commanding general cannot see how the fact that they are
guarding your