“Worth what?”
“Worth five million dollars.”
“For God’s sake introduce me to him,” was the reply.
CHAPTER XLV—SIXTH REGIMENT UNITED-STATES VOLUNTEERS.
Organization of the Regiment.—Assigned to Hard Work.—Brought under Fire.—Its Bravery.—Battle before Richmond.—Gallantry of the Sixth.—Officers’ Testimony.
The following sketch of the Sixth Regiment United-States colored troops was kindly furnished by a gentleman of Philadelphia, but came too late to appear in its proper place.
The Sixth Regiment United-States colored troops was the second which was organized at Camp William Penn, near Philadelphia, by Lieut.-Col. Louis Wagner, of the Eighty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers. The regiment left Philadelphia on the 14th of October, 1863, with nearly eight hundred men, and a full complement of officers, a large majority of whom had been in active service in the field.
The regiment reported to Major-Gen. B. F. Butler, at Fortress Monroe, and were assigned to duty at York-town, Va., and became part of the brigade (afterwards so favorably known), under the command of Col. S. A. Duncan, Fourth United-States colored troops. Here they labored upon the fortifications, and became thoroughly disciplined under the tuition of their colonel, John W. Ames, formerly captain of the Eleventh Infantry, United-States Army, ably seconded by Lieut.-Col. Royce and Major Kiddoo. During the winter, the regiment took a prominent part in the several raids made in the direction of Richmond, and exhibited qualities that elicited the praise of their officers, and showed that they could be fully relied upon in more dangerous work.