South
Carolina and Fort Pillow, Kentucky. Negro troops participated in the
siege of the former place by the Federal forces under General Banks,
which began in May 1863, and ended in the surrender of the fort July 8,
1863. Fort Wagner was one of the defenses of Charleston. It was reduced
by General Gilmore, September 6,1863 and Negro troops contributed in a
glorious and heroic manner to the result. Fort Pillow had been taken by
the Federals and was garrisoned by a Negro regiment and a detachment of
cavalry. It was recaptured April 12, 1864 by the Confederates under
General Forrest. Practically the entire garrison was massacred, an act
that will stain forever the name of Forrest, and the cause for which he
struggled.

By the close of the Civil war, the value and fitness of the Negro as a
soldier had been so completely demonstrated that the government decided
to enlarge the Regular army and form fifty percent of the increase from
colored men. In 1866 eight new infantry regiments were authorized of
which four were to be Negroes and four new cavalry regiments of which
two were to be Negroes. The Negro infantry regiments were numbered the
38th 39th, 40th and 41st. The cavalry regiments were known as the 9th
and 10th.

In 1869 there was a general reduction in the infantry forces of the
Regular army and the 38th and 41st were consolidated into one regiment
numbered the 24th and the 39th and 40th into one regiment numbered the
25th. The strength and numerical titles of the cavalry were not changed.
For over forty years the colored American was represented in our Regular
Army by those four regiments. They have borne more than their
proportionate share of hard service, including many Indian campaigns.
The men have conducted themselves so worthily as to call forth the best
praise of the highest military authorities. General Miles and General
Merritt, actively identified with the Indian wars, were unstinting in
their commendation of the valor and skill of Negro fighters.

Between 1869 and 1889, three colored men were regularly graduated and
commissioned from the United States military academy at West Point and
served in the Regular Army as officers. They were John H. Alexander,
Charles Young and H.O. Flipper. The latter was dismissed. All served in
the cavalry. Alexander died shortly before the Spanish-American war and
up to the time of his demise, enjoyed the confidence and esteem of his
associates, white and black. Young became