Upon the re-organization
of the Regular Army at the close of the war the theatre shifted to
our Western frontier, where the Negro soldier continued to display his
ability to command. Finally, in the Spanish War, just closed, the
Negro soldier made the nation again bear witness not alone to his
undaunted bravery, but also to his conspicuous capacity to command.
Out of this abundant and conclusive array of incontestable facts,
frankly, is there anything left to the arbitrary formula that Negroes
cannot command, but a string of ipse dixits hung on a very old, but
still decidedly robust prejudice? There is no escape from the
conclusion that as a matter of fact, with opportunity, Negroes differ
in no wise from other men in capacity to exercise military command.
Undoubtedly substantial progress has been made respecting colored
officers since 1863, when colored soldiers were first admitted in
considerable numbers into the army of the Union. At the period of the
Civil War colored officers for colored soldiers was little more than
thought of; the sole instance comprised the short-lived colored
officers of the three regiments of Louisiana Native Guards, and the
sporadic appointments made near the close of the war, when the
fighting was over.
More than three hundred colored officers served in the volunteer army
in the war with Spain.
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