PREFACE 1 HAW been asked many times by my friends, and also by members of the Grand Army of the Republic and Womens Relief Corps, to write a book of my army life, during the war of 1861-65, . with the regiment of the 1st South Carolina Colored Troops, later called 33d United States Colored Infantry. At first I did not think I would, but as the years rolled on and my friends were still urgihg me to start with it, I wrote to Colonel C. T. Trowbridge who had command of this regiment, asking his opinion and advice on the matter. His answer to me was, Go ahead I write it that is just what I should do, were I in your place, and I will give you all the assistance you may need, whenever you require it. This in spired me very much. In 1900 I received a letter from a gentleman, sent from the xec tive Mansion at St. Paul, Minn., saying Colonel Trowbridge had told him I was about to write a book, and when it was published he wanted one of the Grst copies. This, coming from a total stranger, gave me more confidence, so I now present these reminiscences to you, hoping they may prove of some interest, and ahow how much service and good we can do to each other, and what sacrifices we can make for our liberty and rights, and that there were loyal women, as well as men, in those days, who did not fear shell or shot, who cared for the sick and dying women who camped and fared as the boys did, and who are still caring for the comrades in their declining years. So, with the hope that the following pages will accomplish some good and instruction for its readers, I shall proceed with my narrative. SUSIE KING TAYLOR. BOSTON 19 , 0 2. CONTENTS PIGO INTRODU BY C CTOILO. TNH O WSE NTWORTH HIWINSON . . . . . . xi LETTER F ROX EUT.-COLC.. T. TROWBRIDGE x iii I. A BRIEF SKETCH O F my ANCESTORS . . 1 11. MY CHILDHOOD . . . . . , . 5 111. ON ST. SIMONS I SLAN 1 D 86 , 2 . . . . 11 IV. CAB SAXTO - N P ROCLAMATIO AN N D BARBECUE. 1863 . . . . . . . . 18 V. I S I T A R Y EXPEDITION A S N , D LIFE IN CAMP . 22 VI. ON MORRIS M D OTHERI SIANDS . . . 31 VII. CAST AWAY . . .. . . . . . 37 VIII. A Fua OF TRUCE . . . -. . . 40 IX. CAPTURE OF CHARLESTON . . . . . 42 X. MUSTERED OU T . . . . . . . 45 XI. AFTER THE WAR . . . . . . . 53 , XII. THE WO ENRSE LIEF CORPS . . . , 69 XIII. THOUGHT O S N PRESENTC ONDITIONS . . . 61 XIV. A VISIT TO LOUISIANA . . . . . 69 APPENDIX. Roster of Survivors of 33d Regiment United States Colored Troops . . . . . 79 A List of the Battles fought by the Regiment 82 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE W. SUSIE KING TAYLOR . . . . Fro nti piece GROU P CAPT. A . W. HEASLEY, C APT. W ALKERC, APT. W. W. SAMPSONC, A PT. CHARLE E S . PARKER. . 16 COLONETLH OBL WS ENTWORTHHI GGINSON . . 24 GROUP MAJOR H. A. WHITNEYL, IEUT. J. B. WEST, HENRY B ATCHLOTT . . 28 GROUP L IEUT. J OHN A . TROWBRIDGLEIE, UT. ELI C. NERRI ML, IEUT. JAME M S . THOMPSOLNIE, UT. JEROM T. E F URNAN . 36 GROUP CAPT. L . W. METCALF C , APT. MIRONW . SBTON, CAPT. A . W. JACKSO CO N R , PORAP E TEHW AGQALL 4 0 LIEUT.-COLC. . T. TROWBRIDG . E . . . . 46 S HOOLFIOU EINSAVA . AH . . . . . 54 INTRODUCTION ACTUAL military life is rarely described by a woman, and this is especially true of a woman whose place was in the ranks, as the wife of a soldier and herself a regimental laundress. No such description has ever been given, I am sure, by one thus connected with a colored regiment so that the nearly 200,000 black soldiers 178,-975 of . our Civil War have never before been delineated from the womans point of view...