history paper

Reminiscences of My Life in Camp by Susie King Taylor (1902)

Susie King Taylor, "born under the slave law in Georgia, in 1848," was brought up by her

grandmother in Savannah. Her grandmother, by Taylor's description, appears to have been free,

or if a slave, one who was allowed a great deal of freedom. This grandmother saw to it that

Taylor learned to read and write at a clandestine school. Taylor's accomplishments served her

well when Union troops took possession of the sea islands off of Georgia's coast in the spring of

1862, for upon her fleeing to their lines with her uncle's family, she was put in charge of a school

for the children of St. Simon's Island. While there she met her first husband, Edward King.

Together with her husband, who was made a sergeant, and some of her relatives, Taylor became

part of the First South Carolina Volunteers (later known as the 33d United States Colored

Troops or 33d United States Colored Infantry), the first black regiment organized by the Union

Army. There was still opposition to the recruitment of black troops in the North, but necessity

and some white officers challenged the prejudices and fears behind that opposition as they filled

their regiments in the South. Taylor later wrote of her experiences to "show how much service

and good we can do to each other, and what sacrifices we can make for our liberty and rights,

and that there were 'loyal women,' as well as men, in those days, who did not fear shell or shot,

who cared for the sick and dying; women who camped and fared as the boys did, and who are

still caring for the comrades in their declining years."

* * *

The latter part of August, 1862, Captain C. T. Trowbridge, with his brother John and Lieutenant

Walker, came to St. Simon's Island from Hilton Head, by order of General Hunter, to get all the

men possible to finish filling his regiment which he had organized in March, 1862. He had heard

of the skirmish on this island, and was very much pleased at the bravery shown by these men. He

found me at Gaston Bluff teaching my little school, and was much interested in it. When I knew

him better I found him to be a thorough gentleman and a staunch friend to my race.

Captain Trowbridge remained with us until October, when the order was received to evacuate,

and so we boarded the Ben-De-Ford, a transport, for Beaufort, S. C. When we arrived in

Beaufort, Captain Trowbridge and the men he had enlisted went to camp at Old Fort, which they

named "Camp Saxton." I was enrolled as laundress.

* * *

The first colored troops did not receive any pay for eighteen months, and the men had to depend

wholly on what they received from the commissary, established by General Saxton. A great

many of these men had large families, and as they had no money to give them, their wives were

obliged to support themselves and children by washing for the officers of the gunboats and the

soldiers, and making cakes and pies which they sold to the boys in camp. Finally, in 1863, the

government decided to give them half pay, but the men would not accept this. They wanted "full

pay" or nothing. They preferred rather to give their services to the state, which they did until

1864, when the government granted them full pay, with all the back pay due.

I remember hearing Captain Heasley telling his company, one day, "Boys, stand up for your full

pay! I am with you, and so are all the officers." This captain was from Pennsylvania, and was a

very good man; all the men liked him. . . .

I had a number of relatives in this regiment,—several uncles, some cousins, and a husband in

Company E, and a number of cousins in other companies. Major Strong, of this regiment, started

home on a furlough, but the vessel he was aboard was lost, and he never reached his home. He

was one of the best officers we had. After his death, Captain C. T. Trowbridge was promoted

major, August, 1863, and filled Major Strong's place until December, 1864, when he was

promoted lieutenant-colonel, which he remained until he was mustered out, February 6, 1866.

* * *

March 10, 1863, we were ordered to Jacksonville, Florida. Leaving Camp Saxton between four

and five o'clock, we arrived at Jacksonville about eight o'clock next morning, accompanied by

three or four gunboats. When the rebels saw these boats, they ran out of the city, leaving the

women behind, and we found out afterwards that they thought we had a much larger fleet than

we really had. Our regiment was kept out of sight until we made fast at the wharf where it

landed, and while the gunboats were shelling up the river and as far inland as possible, the

regiment landed and marched up the street, where they spied the rebels who had fled from the

city. They were hiding behind a house about a mile or so away, their faces blackened to disguise

themselves as negroes, and our boys, as they advanced toward them, halted a second, saying,

"They are black men! Let them come to us, or we will make them know who we are." With this,

the firing was opened and several of our men were wounded and killed. The rebels had a number

wounded and killed. It was through this way the discovery was made that they were white men.

Our men drove them some distance in retreat and then threw out their pickets.

While the fighting was on, a friend, Lizzie Lancaster, and I stopped at several of the rebel homes,

and after talking with some of the women and children we asked them if they had any food. They

claimed to have only some hard-tack, and evidently did not care to give us anything to eat, but

this was not surprising. They were bitterly against our people and had no mercy or sympathy for

us.

The second day, our boys were reinforced by a regiment of white soldiers, a Maine regiment, and

by cavalry, and had quite a fight. On the third day, Edward Herron, who was a fine gunner on the

steamer John Adams, came on shore, bringing a small cannon, which the men pulled along for

more than five miles. This cannon was the only piece for shelling. On coming upon the enemy,

all secured their places, and they had a lively fight, which lasted several hours, and our boys

were nearly captured by the Confederates; but the Union boys carried out all their plans that day,

and succeeded in driving the enemy back. . . . =

* * *

We remained here a few weeks longer, when, about April first, the regiment was ordered back to

Camp Saxton, where it stayed a week, when the order came to go to Port Royal Ferry on picket

duty. . . . We arrived at Seabrooke at about four o'clock, where our tents were pitched and the

men put on duty. We were here a few weeks, when Company E was ordered to Barnwell

plantation for picket duty.

Some mornings I would go along the picket line, and I could see the rebels on the opposite side

of the river. Sometimes as they were changing pickets they would call over to our men and ask

for something to eat, or for tobacco, and our men would tell them to come over. Sometimes one

or two would desert to us, saying, they "had no negroes to fight for." Others would shoot across

at our picket, but as the river was so wide there was never any damage done, and the

Confederates never attempted to shell us while we were there.

I learned to handle a musket very well while in the regiment, and could shoot straight and often

hit the target. I assisted in cleaning the guns and used to fire them off, to see if the cartridges

were dry, before cleaning and reloading, each day. I thought this great fun. I was also able to take

a gun all apart, and put it together again.

* * *

One night, Companies K and E, on their way to Pocotaligo to destroy a battery that was situated

down the river, captured several prisoners. The rebels nearly captured Sergeant King, who, as he

sprang and caught a "reb," fell over an embankment. In falling he did not release his hold on his

prisoner. Although his hip was severely injured, he held fast until some of his comrades came to

his aid and pulled them up. These expeditions were very dangerous. Sometimes the men had to

go five or ten miles during the night over on the rebel side and capture or destroy whatever they

could find.

* * *

. . . We had fresh beef once in a while, and we would have soup, and the vegetables they put in

this soup were dried and pressed. They looked like hops. Salt beef was our stand-by. Sometimes

the men would have what we called slap-jacks. This was flour, made into bread and spread thin

on the bottom of the mess-pan to cook. Each man had one of them, with a pint of tea, for his

supper, or a pint of tea and five or six hard-tack. I often got my own meals, and would fix some

dishes for the non-commissioned officers also.

Mrs. Chamberlain, our quartermaster's wife, was with us here. She was a beautiful woman; I can

see her pleasant face before me now, as she, with Captain Trowbridge, would sit and converse

with me in my tent two or three hours at a time. She was also with me on Cole Island, and I think

we were the only women with the regiment while there. I remember well how, when she first

came into camp, Captain Trowbridge brought her to my tent and introduced her to me. I found

her then, as she remained ever after, a lovely person, and I always admired her cordial and

friendly ways.

Our boys would say to me sometimes, "Mrs. King, why is it you are so kind to us? you treat us

just as you do the boys in your own company." I replied, "Well, you know, all the boys in other

companies are the same to me as those in my Company E; you are all doing the same duty, and I

will do just the same for you." "Yes," they would say, "we know that, because you were the first

woman we saw when we came into camp, and you took an interest in us boys ever since we have

been here, and we are very grateful for all you do for us."

When at Camp Shaw, I visited the hospital in Beaufort, where I met Clara Barton. There were a

number of sick and wounded soldiers there, and I went often to see the comrades. Miss Barton

was always very cordial toward me, and I honored her for her devotion and care of those men.

* * *

On February 28, 1865, the remainder of the regiment were ordered to Charleston, as there were

signs of the rebels evacuating that city. Leaving Cole Island, we arrived in Charleston between

nine and ten o'clock in the morning, and found the "rebs" had set fire to the city and fled, leaving

women and children behind to suffer and perish in the flames. The fire had been burning fiercely

for a day and night. When we landed, under a flag of truce, our regiment went to work assisting

the citizens in subduing the flames. It was a terrible scene. For three or four days the men fought

the fire, saving the property and effects of the people, yet these white men and women could not

tolerate our black Union soldiers, for many of them had formerly been their slaves; and although

these brave men risked life and limb to assist them in their distress, men and even women would

sneer and molest them whenever they met them.

I had quarters assigned me at a residence on South Battery Street, one of the most aristocratic

parts of the city, where I assisted in caring for the sick and injured comrades. After getting the

fire under control, the regiment marched out to the race track, where they camped until March

12, when we were ordered to Savannah, Ga. We arrived there on the 13th, about eight o'clock in

the evening, and marched out to Fairlong, near the A. & G. R. R., where we remained about ten

days, when we were ordered to Augusta, Ga., where Captain Alexander Heasley, of Co. E, was

shot and killed by a Confederate. After his death Lieutenant Parker was made captain of the

company, and was with us until the regiment was mustered out. . . .

The regiment remained in Augusta for thirty days, when it was ordered to Hamburg, S. C., and

then on to Charleston. It was while on their march through the country, to the latter city, that they

came in contact with the bushwhackers (as the rebels were called), who hid in the bushes and

would shoot the Union boys every chance they got. Other times they would conceal themselves

in the cars used to transfer our soldiers, and when our boys, worn out and tired, would fall asleep,

these men would come out from their hiding places and cut their throats. Several of our men

were killed in this way, but it could not be found out who was committing these murders until

one night one of the rebels was caught in the act, trying to cut the throat of a sleeping soldier. He

was put under guard, court-martialed, and shot at Wall Hollow.

* * *

[From Susie King Taylor, Reminiscences of My Life in Camp (1902; New York: Arno Press and

The New York Times, 1968), pp. 15–17, 22–27, 29–30, 42–44, 50–51.]