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Chapter 13: Conclusion.
My personal forebodings proved to be correct, and so were the threats of the surgeons.
In May, 1864, I went home invalided, was compelled to resign in October from the same cause, and never saw the First South Carolina again.
Nor did any one else see it under that appellation, for about that time its name was changed to the Thirty-Third United States Colored Troops, “a most vague and heartless baptism,” as the man in the story says.
It was one of those instances of injudicious sacrifice of esprit de corps which were so frequent in our army.
All the pride of my men was centred in “de Fus' Souf” ; the very words were a recognition of the loyal
South as against the disloyal.
To make the matter worse, it had been originally designed to apply the new numbering only to the new regiments, and so the early numbers were all taken up before the older regiments came in. The governors of States, by especial effort, saved their colored troops from this chagrin; but we found here, as more than once before, the disadvantage of having no governor to stand by us.
“It's a far cry to Loch Awe,” said the Highland proverb.
We knew to our cost that it was a far cry to
Washington in those days, unless an officer left his duty and stayed there all the time.
In June, 1864, the regiment was ordered to
Folly Island, and remained there and on
Cole's Island till the siege of
Charleston was done.
It took part in the battle
