Chapter I: The Black Phalanx at School

The esteem in which education was held by the soldiers of the Black Phalanx, can be judged of best by the efforts they made to educate themselves and to establish a system of education for others of their race. Doubtless many persons suppose that the negro soldier elated with his release from slavery, was contented; that his patriotism was displayed solely upon the field of battle, simply to insure to himself that one highest and greatest boon, his freedom. Such a supposition is far from the truth. The Phalanx soldiers had a strong race pride, and the idea that ignorance was the cause of their oppression gave zest to their desire to be educated.

When they found following the United States Army a large number of educated people from the North, establishing schools wherever they could in village, city and camp, and that education was free to all, there was awakened in the black soldier's breast an ambition, not only to obtain knowledge, but to contribute money in aid of educational institutions, which was done, and with liberal hands, during and subsequent to the war.

Unlettered themselves, they became daily more and more deeply impressed, through their military associations, and by contact with things that required knowledge, with the necessity of having an education. Each soldier felt that but for his illiteracy he might be a sergeant, company clerk, or quartermaster, and not a few, that if educated, they might be lieutenants and captains. This was not an unnatural conclusion for a brave soldier to arrive at, when men no braver than himself, were being promoted for bravery.

Generally there was one of three things the negro soldiers could be found doing when at leisure: discussing religion, cleaning his musket and accoutrements, or trying to read. His zeal frequently led him to neglect to eat for the latter. Every camp had a teacher, in fact every company had some one to instruct the soldiers in reading, if nothing more. Since the war I have known of more than one who have taken up the profession of preaching and law making, whose first letter was learned in camp; and not a few who have entered college.

The negro soldier was not only patriotic in the highest sense but he was a quick observer of both the disadvantages and opportunities of his race. He recognized the fact that the general education of the white men who composed the Union army in contra-distinction to so many of those of the confederate army, gave them great prestige over the enemy. The ingenuity of the Yankee he attributed to his education, and he readily decided that he lacked only the Yankee's education to be his equal in genius. Great was the incentive given him by example, arousing his latent hope to be something more than a free man; if not that, his children might rise from the cornfield to the higher walks of life. Their thirst for a knowledge of letters was evinced in more ways than one, as was their appreciation of the opportunity to assist in providing for coming generations.

Colonel G. M. Arnold says:

"Aside from the military duties required of the men forming
the Phalanx regiments, the school teacher was drilling and
preparing them in the comprehension of letters and figures.
In nearly every regiment a school, during the encampment,
was established, in some instances female teachers from the
North, impulsed by that philanthropy which induced an army
of teachers South to teach the freedmen, also brought them
to the barracks and the camp ground to instruct the soldiers
of the Phalanx. Their ambition to learn to read and write
was as strong as their love of freedom, and no opportunity
was lost by them to acquire a knowledge of letters. So
ardent were they that they formed squads and hired
teachers, paying them out of their pittance of seven dollars
per month, or out of the bounty paid to them by the State to
which they were accredited. In a number of instances the
officers themselves gave instructions to their command, and
made education a feature and a part of their duty, thereby
bringing the soldier up to a full comprehension of the
responsibility of his trust. "Taps" was an unpleasant sound
to many a soldier, who, after the fatigue and drill of the
day was over, sat himself down upon an empty cracker box,
with a short candle in one hand and a spelling book in the
other, to study the ab, eb, ob's. When the truce was sounded
after a day or night's hard fighting, many of these men
renewed their courage by studying and reading in the 'New
England Speller.' And where they have fought,--died where
they fell, and their bodies left to the enemy's mercy, they
often found in the dead soldier's knapsack a spelling-book
and a Testament. At the siege of Port Hudson and Charleston,
and of Richmond, agents of the Christian Commission and of
various other societies, made a specialty of the
spelling-book for distribution among the soldiers of the
Phalanx, and upon more than one occasion have these soldiers
been found in the trenches with the speller in hand,
muttering, bla, ble."

The historian of the 55th Regiment says:

"A great desire existed among those who had been deprived of
all educational privileges to learn to read and write, and
through the kindness and labors of Dr. Bowditch and others,
a school was established to teach those who desired to
learn. Many availed themselves of this, and many were
assisted by their company officers and their better informed
fellow-soldiers, so that a decided improvement in this
respect was effected among the men during their stay at
Readville."

But it is not necessary to dwell upon the subject to show the eagerness of these soldiers to learn to read and write, as many of them did.

Lieutenant James M. Trotter,[47] in an article published in Mr. Fortune's paper, gives this graphic description of "The School-master in the Army":

"Of the many interesting experiences that attended our
colored soldiery during the late war none are more worthy of
being recounted than those relating to the rather improvised
schools, in which were taught the rudimentary branches. One
would naturally think that the tented field, so often
suddenly changed to the bloody field of battle, was the last
place in the world where would be called into requisition
the schoolteacher's services; in fact it would hardly be
supposed that such a thing was possible. Yet in our colored
American army this became not only possible but really
practicable, for in it frequently, in an off-hand manner,
schools were established and maintained, not only for
teaching the soldiers to read and write but also to sing,
nor were debating societies, even, things unheard of in the
camp life of these men. Besides in quite a number of the
colored regiments military bands were formed, and under the
instruction of sometimes a band teacher from the north, and
at others under one of their own proficient fellow-soldiers,
these bands learned to discourse most entertaining music in
camp, and often by their inspiriting strains did much to
relieve the fatigue occasioned by long and tiresome marches.
But we are speaking now mainly of the work of the
school-teacher proper. And what shall we say of the halls of
learning in which were gathered his eager pupils? Well,
certainly these would not compare favorably with those of
civil life, as may well be imagined. As says Bryant, truly
and beautifully, speaking of primitive religious worship:

'The groves were God's first temples.'

So, too, in the groves and fields of their new land of
liberty, these men found their first temples of learning,
and in spite of all inconveniences these school tents were
rendered quite serviceable. Of the text books used there is
not much to say, for these were generally 'few and far
between.' Books were used at times, of course, but quite as
often the instruction given was entirely oral. That these
spare facilities did not render the teacher's efforts
ineffective was abundantly proven in the service, and has
been proven since in civil life. Scattered here and there
over this broad country to-day are many veteran soldiers who
are good readers and writers, some of them even fair
scholars, who took their first lessons from some manly
officer or no less manly fellow-soldier in the manner
mentioned, during such camp intervals as were allowed by the
dread arbitrament of war. In a number of regiments these
fortunate intervals were quite frequent and of long
duration, and in such cases, therefore, much progress was
made.

"It must, of course, be remembered that in our colored
regiments a very large percentage of the men were
illiterate, especially in those composed of men from the
south and so lately escaped from under the iron heel of
slavery. Indeed, in many of them there could scarcely be
found at the commencement of the service a man who could
either read or write. Many an officer can recall his rather
novel experience in teaching his first sergeant enough of
figures and script letters to enable the latter to make up
and sign the company morning report. All honor to those
faithful, patient officers, and all honor, too, give to
those ambitious sergeants who after a while conquered great
difficulties and became educationally proficient in their
lines of duty.

"In this connection I readily call to mind one of the most,
if not the most, unique figures of all my experience in the
army. It was Colonel James Beecher, of the famous Beecher
family, and a brother of Henry Ward Beecher. He was in
command of the First North Carolina Colored Regiment. In
this position it would be hard to overestimate the variety
and value of his services, for he became for his soldiers at
once a gallant fighter, an eloquent, convincing preacher,
and a most indefatigable and successful school-teacher.
Preaching had been his vocation before entering the army,
and so it was but natural for him to continue in that work.
At one time our regiment lay encamped near his in South
Carolina, and I well remember how, on one Sabbath morning,
the two commands formed a union service, all listening with
deep, thrilling interest to the inspiring words of this
"fighting parson." That he was indeed a fighting parson we
fully learned not long after this Sabbath service. For again
we met on the bloody field of battle, where in the very
front of the fight we saw him gallantly leading his no less
gallant men, even after he had been wounded, and while the
blood almost streamed down his face. Seeing him thus was to
ever remember him and his noble work with his regiment.

"Colonel Beecher when encamped neglected no opportunity to
form schools of instruction for his men, in order that they
might become not only intelligent, efficient soldiers, but
also intelligent, self-respecting citizens, should they
survive the perils of war. I do not know what are his
thoughts to-day, but judging from the grand work of Colonel
Beecher in his black regiment, I can not doubt that he looks
back to it all with satisfaction and pride, and as forming
the richest experience of his life.

"I know another ex-colonel and scholar, of high rank as a
man of letters and in social life, who yielding to the call
of duty, not less to country than to a struggling race, left
his congenial studies and took command of a colored
regiment, becoming not only their leader, but, as chance
afforded, their school-teacher also. However, as he has
given to the world his army experience in a book abounding
in passages of thrilling dramatic interest, I need only in
this connection make mention of him. I refer to that true
and tried friend of the colored race, Colonel T. W.
Higginson.

"But let it not be supposed for a moment that only officers
and men of another race were engaged in this noble work of
school-teaching in our colored army. Not a few of the best
workers were colored chaplains, who wisely divided their
time between preaching, administering to the sick by reason
of wounds or otherwise, and to teaching the old 'young idea
how to shoot;' while many non-commissioned officers and
private soldiers cheerfully rendered effective service in
the same direction. Nor must we close without expressing
warm admiration for those earnest, ambitious soldier pupils
who, when finding themselves grown to man's estate, having
been debarred by the terrible system of slavery from
securing an education, yielded not to what would have been
considered only a natural discouragement, but, instead,
followed the advice and instruction of their comrade
teachers, and, bending themselves to most assiduous study,
gained in some cases great proficiency, and in all much that
fitted them for usefulness and the proper enjoyment of their
well-earned liberty. And so we say, all honor to teachers
and taught in the Grand Army that made a free republic,
whose safe foundation and perpetuity lies in the general
education of its citizens."

FOOTNOTES:

[47] Now Registrar at Washington, D. C.