Letter of Private Frank Bailey, 34th New York Infantry Regiment to his brother in Middleville, New York: - “West Point, Virginia, 12 May 1862 - I hear that the Rebels sent out a Regt. of ni**ers to fight our men.... The soldiers are death on ni**ers now. If they catch a ni**er in the woods, and there is no officer near, they hang them without any ceremony. Now if this is true that the Southern chivalry as they style themselves put these ni**ers up to such deeds as this, may the curse of good light on them. It is worse than the English were in the Revolution to hire the Indians, but their race is about run when they stoop to such barbarism as that. Yesterday there was two ni**ers hung close by here by our men. One of them had $20.00 government note in his pocket. There is no mistake but the Rebels have black soldiers for I have seen them brought in as prisoners of war. I saw one who had the stripes of an orderly sergeant on his coat. I don’t believe in taking them prisoner, but kill them where ever they find them, that they may never more curse the land with their hateful presence.”
I’d say this Yank was just a wee bit racist. Just a little bit. It’s kind of hard to tell, don’t you think? :)
“I’d say this Yank was just a wee bit racist. Just a little bit. It’s kind of hard to tell, don’t you think? :)”
Odd...I thought there was only racism in the South? Huh. Who’d a thunk it. I’ve lived all over the US, man and boy and the most racist city I have ever been in? Boston.