[60] recruits, who did not march in the ranks, and who said, after watching the astonishment of some white soldiers, “De buckra sojers look like a man who been-a-steal a sheep,” --that is, I suppose, sheepish. After passing and repassing through the town, we marched to the parade-ground, and went through an hour's drill, forming squares and reducing them, and doing other things which look hard on paper, and are perfectly easy in fact; and we were to have been reviewed by General Saxton, but he had been unexpectedly called to Ladies Island, and did not see us at all, which was the only thing to mar the men's enjoyment. Then we marched back to camp (three miles), the men singing the “John Brown song,” and all manner of things,--as happy creatures as one can well conceive. It is worth mentioning, before I close, that we have just received an article about “Negro troops,” from the London Spectator, which is so admirably true to our experience that it seems as if written by one of us. I am confident that there never has been, in any American newspaper, a treatment of the subject so discriminating and so wise.
January 21, 1863.
To-day brought a visit from Major-General Hunter and his staff, by General Saxton's invitation,--the former having just arrived in the Department.
I expected them at dress-parade, but they came during battalion drill, rather to my dismay, and we were caught in our old clothes.
It was our first review, and I dare say we did tolerably; but of course it seemed to me that the men never appeared so ill before,--just as one always thinks a party at one's own house a failure, even if the guests seem to enjoy it, because one is so keenly sensitive to 