With the close of the Revolutionary War the prejudice against a
standing army was so great that the army was reduced to scarce six
hundred men, and the Negro as a soldier dropped out of existence. When
the War of 1812 closed sentiment with regard to the army had made but
little advancement, and consequently no place in the service was left
for Negro soldiers. In the navy the Negro still lingered, doing
service in the lower grades, and keeping up the succession from the
black heroes of '76 and 1812. When the War of the Rebellion closed the
country had advanced so far as to see both the necessity of a standing
army, and the fitness of the Negro to form a part of the army; and
from this position it has never receded, and if the lessons of the
Cuban campaign are rightly heeded, it is not likely to recede
therefrom. The value of the Regular Army and of the Black Regular were
both proven to an absolute demonstration in that thin line of blue
that compelled the surrender of Santiago.
In July, 1866, Congress passed an act adding eight new regiments of
infantry and four of calvary to the nineteen regiments of infantry and
six of calvary of which those arms of the Regular Army were at that
time composed, thus making the permanent establishment to consist of
five regiments of artillery, twenty-seven of infantry, and ten of
cavalry.
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