"Sam" or "Will," nor omit the proper handle to their names. The value
of the habitual courtesies of the regular army is exceedingly apparent
with these men: an officer of polished manners can wind them round his
finger, while white soldiers seem rather to prefer a certain
roughness. The demeanor of my men to each other is very courteous, and
yet I see none of that sort of upstart conceit which is sometimes
offensive among free negroes at the North, the dandy-barber strut.
This is an agreeable surprise, for I feared that freedom and
regimentals would produce precisely that.

They seem the world's perpetual children, docile, gay, and lovable, in
the midst of this war for freedom on which they have intelligently
entered. Last night, before "taps," there was the greatest noise in camp
that I had ever heard, and I feared some riot. On going out, I found the
most tumultuous sham-fight proceeding in total darkness, two companies
playing like boys, beating tin cups for drums. When some of them saw me
they seemed a little dismayed, and came and said, beseechingly,--"Gunnel,
Sah, you hab no objection to we playin', Sah?"--which objection I
disclaimed; but soon they all subsided, rather to my regret, and
scattered merrily. Afterward I found that some other officer had told
them that I considered the affair too noisy, so that I felt a mild
self-reproach when one said, "Cunnel, wish you had let we play a little
longer, Sah." Still I was not sorry, on the whole; for these sham-fights
between companies would in some regiments lead to real ones, and there
is a latent jealousy here between the Florida and South Carolina men,
which sometimes makes me anxious.

The officers are more kind and patient with the men than I should
expect, since the former are mostly young, and drilling tries the
temper; but they are aided by hearty satisfaction in the results