Mary Thacher Higginson, Thomas Wentworth Higginson: the story of his life

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The other is the saying of one of our men who was asked if he belonged to Col. Montgomery's regiment. “No,” said he proudly, “I'se belong to Colonel Higginson's regulars.” This is the triumph of self-respect, with a witness!.

This war seems to me glorious, however slow, when I think of these freedmen and women here. These are days of the Lord, each a thousand years.

It was while at Port Royal doing picket duty that Colonel Higginson passed a rash night in the water which he described in an ‘Atlantic’ paper and afterwards included in ‘Army Life.’ In July, the regiment made another expedition up the South Edisto River, being gone thirty-six hours. After the capture of Port Royal, the plantations along the coast were abandoned and the slaves withdrawn into the interior. In order to reach the black population, it was necessary to navigate shallow, winding, and muddy rivers for miles. This proved a disastrous adventure for the Colonel. He wrote to his mother from Beaufort:—

July 12, 1863.

Only time to say that we have had another expedition up the South Edisto River . . . 30 miles and brought away 200 contrabands—such a scene— “like notina but de Judgment Day” they said. I had a knock on the side, not breaking the skin, I don't know from what, which still lames me somewhat but it does n't amount to the dignity of a wound,