PREFACE 1 HAW been asked many times by my friends, and also by members of the Grand Army of the Republic and Womens Relief Corps, to write a book of my army life, during the war of 1861-65, . with the regiment of the 1st South Carolina Colored Troops, later called 33d United States Colored Infantry. At first I did not think I would, but as the years rolled on and my friends were still urgihg me to start with it, I wrote to Colonel C. T. Trowbridge who had command of this regiment, asking his opinion and advice on the matter. His answer to me was, Go ahead I write it that is just what I should do, were I in your place, and I will give you all the assistance you may need, whenever you require it. This in spired me very much. In 1900 I received a letter from a gentleman, sent from the xec tive Mansion at St. Paul, Minn., saying Colonel Trowbridge had told him I was about to write a book, and when it was published he wanted one of the Grst copies. This, coming from a total stranger, gave me more confidence, so I now present these reminiscences to you, hoping they may prove of some interest, and ahow 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. So, with the hope that the following pages will accomplish some good and instruction for its readers, I shall proceed with my narrative. SUSIE KING TAYLOR. BOSTON 19, 0 2. CONTENTS PIGO INTRODU BY C CTOILO. TNH O WSE NTWORTH HIWINSON . . . . . . xiLETTER F ROX EUT.-COLC.. T. TROWBRIDGE x iii I. A BRIEF SKETCH O F my ANCESTORS . . 1 11. MY CHILDHOOD . . . . ., . 5 111. ON ST. SIMONS I SLAN 1 D 86, 2 . . . . 11 IV. CAB SAXTO - N P ROCLAMATIO AN N D BARBECUE. 1863 . . . . . . . . 18 V. I S I T A R Y EXPEDITION A S N, D LIFE IN CAMP . 22 VI. ON MORRIS M D OTHERI SIANDS . . . 31 VII. CAST AWAY . . .. . . . . . 37 VIII. A Fua OF TRUCE . . . -. . . 40 IX. CAPTURE OF CHARLESTON . . . . . 42 X. MUSTERED OU T . . . . . . . 45 XI. AFTER THE WAR . . . . . . . 53, XII. THE WO ENRSE LIEF CORPS . . ., 69 XIII. THOUGHT O S N PRESENTC ONDITIONS . . . 61 XIV. A VISIT TO LOUISIANA . . . . . 69 APPENDIX. Roster of Survivors of 33d Regiment United States Colored Troops . . . . . 79 A List of the Battles fought by the Regiment 82 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE W. SUSIE KING TAYLOR . . . . Fro nti piece GROU P CAPT. A . W. HEASLEY, C APT. W ALKERC, APT. W. W. SAMPSONC, A PT. CHARLE E S . PARKER. . 16 COLONETLH OBL WS ENTWORTHHI GGINSON . . 24 GROUP MAJOR H. A. WHITNEYL, IEUT. J. B. WEST, HENRY B ATCHLOTT . . 28 GROUP L IEUT. J OHN A . TROWBRIDGLEIE, UT. ELI C. NERRI ML, IEUT. JAME M S . THOMPSOLNIE, UT. JEROM T. E F URNAN . 36 GROUP CAPT. L . W. METCALF C, APT. MIRONW . SBTON, CAPT. A . W. JACKSO CO N R, PORAP E TEHW AGQALL 4 0 LIEUT.-COLC. . T. TROWBRIDG . E . . . . 46 S HOOLFIOU EINSAVA . AH . . . . . 54 INTRODUCTION ACTUAL military life is rarely described by a woman, and this is especially true of a woman whose place was in the ranks, as the wife of a soldier and herself a regimental laundress. No such description has ever been given, I am sure, by one thus connected with a colored regiment so that the nearly 200,000 black soldiers 178, -975 of . ourCivil War have never before been delineated from the womans point of view...

The only Civil War memoir by an African American woman.

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

Reminiscences of My Life In Camp: With The 33D United States Colored Troops Late S.C. Volunteers with illustrations.

"These are the memoirs of a black woman who was born a slave, who had the good fortune to gain her freedom early in the war, with the education and ability to observe and the will to recall in later years the significance of the events in which she was a vigorous participant. Susie King Taylor's recollections are invaluable for those who wish to understand the Civil War from the black woman's point of view. ... A treasure in the light of today's feminist movement." (from the Introduction by Willie Lee Rose)

Near the end of her classic wartime account, Susie King Taylor writes, ""There are many people who do not know what some of the colored women did during the war."" For her own part, Taylor spent four years - without pay or formal training - nursing sick and wounded members of a black regiment of Union soldiers. In addition, she worked as a camp cook, laundress, and even teacher. Written from a perspective unique in the literature of the Civil War, ""Reminiscences of My Life in Camp"" not only chronicles daily life on the battlefront but also records interactions between blacks and whites, men and women, and northerners and southerners during and after the war. Taylor tells of being born into slavery and of learning, in secret, to read and write. She describes maturing under her wartime responsibilities and traveling with the troops in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. After the war, Taylor dedicated herself to improving the lives of black southerners and black Union Army veterans. The final chapters of Reminiscences are filled with depictions of the racism to which these efforts often exposed her. This volume reproduces the text of the original 1902 edition. Catherine Clinton's new introduction provides historical context for the events that form the backdrop of Taylor's memoir, as well as for the problems of race and gender it illuminates.