:23:00
Dear Mother::
The men learn very quickly:::
:23:03
::: faster than white troops,
it seems to me:
:23:06
They´re almost grave and sedate
under instruction:
:23:09
And they restrain themselves:
:23:13
But the moment
they are dismissed from drill:::
:23:16
::: every tongue is relaxed
and every ivory tooth is visible:
:23:20
And you wouldn´t know from the sound
of it that this is an Army camp:
:23:25
They must´ve learned this:::
:23:27
::: from hours of meaningless,
inhuman work::::
:23:29
To set their minds free so quickly:::
:23:33
::: it gives them great energy:
:23:34
And there´s no doubt
we´ll leave this state:::
:23:37
:::as fine a regiment as any
that has marched:
:23:40
As ever, Your son, Robert:
:23:48
They´ve done it.
:23:53
Assemble the men.
:23:55
Attention!
:24:05
In accordance with
President Lincoln´s wishes...
:24:10
...you men are advised
that the Confederate Congress...
:24:14
...has issued a proclamation.
:24:18
It reads:
:24:21
´´Any Negro taken in arms
against the Confederacy...
:24:27
...will immediately be returned
to a state of slavery.
:24:33
Any Negro taken in federal uniform...
:24:37
...will be summarily put to death.
:24:44
Any white officer taken
in command of Negro troops...
:24:51
...shall be deemed as
inciting servile insurrection...
:24:55
...and shall likewise be put to death.´´