Dr. Seth Rogers to his Daughter, January 17, 1863, Evening

January 17, Evening.

This has been a triumphant day for our regiment. We have marched to Beaufort and back in such style as to turn jeers into admiration, and tonight our men are full of music and delight. The Colonel, not content with marching the whole length of the front street, actually stopped on the parade ground and drilled the regiment an hour or more, and then they marched home to the music of their own voices. The different encampments at Beaufort had large delegations by the way-side, as we entered the town, and we were greeted with such language as pertains to vulgar negro haters. Our men were apparently indifferent to it and the officers could afford to wait in silence. I fell aback to the rear with the major and was constantly delighted at the manly bearing of our soldiers. Not a head was turned to the right or left — not a word spoken. At length a white soldier struck a negro man, not of our regiment, and the poor fellow appealing to us, we wheeled our horses upon the rabble, and Major Strong, with drawn sword pursued the offender, with the point of that instrument a little nearer the fellow's back than seemed wholesome. I have rarely seen one more thoroughly frightened. The effect was magical, no more audible sneers. But wasn’t it good to march our regiment proudly in the front of those mansions where two years ago the [Southern] chivalry were plotting something as strange, but quite unlike.

SOURCE: Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Volume 43, October, 1909—June, 1910: February 1910. p. 345