“ [509] be d-d if he would surrender as a prisoner to a nigger ;” the colored lieutenant remonstrated, and urged his surrender, but the Virginian, probably hoping that a white officer would be summoned to receive his surrender, refused still more peremptorily. “Very well,” said the negro officer, “I have offered you your life, and you wont have it; you may stay here ;” and seizing a musket from the hands of one of his men he pinned the rebel officer to the earth with the bayonet. The most remarkable acts of heroism related of the colored troops, however, were those which occured at Port Hudson. At the time of the siege of that stronghold, there were but few colored troops in the army. Two or three regiments had been raised in New Orleans, and had joined General Banks' army before Port Hudson. Twice, it will be recollected, General Banks attempted to carry the rebel fortress by assault. On the second occasion, June 14, 1863, General H. E. Paine, leading his troops, was severely wounded in the leg, while far in advance, and left upon the ground, while his troops were driven back several hundred yards by the constant and deadly fire of the enemy, who swept the whole field with their artillery. It was of course of great importance to bring the general off the field, or if this should prove impossible, to furnish him with water and food, and to stanch the bleeding from his wound. His adjutant.general called for volunteers to go to his relief and bring him off, if possible; but the men looked upon the wide plain, swept with a constant artillery fire under which nothing could live, and though the adjutant-general offered large rewards not a man could be found willing to risk the almost inevitable death which would follow
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