13 Jul: "I will tell you the truth about this, I will tell you all about it" by Tracy K. Smith

I will tell you the truth about this, I will tell you all about it


Excellent Sir, My son went in the 54th regiment–

Sir, my husband, who is in Company K, 22nd Regiment, U.S. Colored Troops
(and now in the Macon Hospital at Portsmouth with a wound in his arm)
has not received any pay since last May and then only thirteen dollars–

Sir, We The Members of Company D, of the 55th Massachusetts volunteers
Call the attention of your Excellency to our case–

for instant look and see
that we never was freed yet
Run Right out of Slavery
In to Soldiery & we
hadent nothing atall &
our wifes & mother most all of them
is aperishing all about & we
all are perishing our self–

i am willing to bee a soldier and serve my time
faithful like a man but i think it is hard to bee
poot off in such dogesh manner as that–

Will you see that the colored men fighting now,
are fairly treated. You ought to do this,
and do it at once, Not let the thing run along
meet it quickly and manfully. We poor oppressed ones
appeal to you, and ask fair play–

So please if you can do any good for us do it
in the name of god–

Excuse my boldness but pleas–

your reply will settle the matter and will be appreciated,
by, a colored man who, is willing to sacrifice his son
in the cause of Freedom & Humanity–

I have nothing more to say
hoping that you will lend a listening ear
to an umble soldier
I will close–

Yours for Christs sake–
(I shall hav to send this with out a stamp
for I haint money enough to buy a stamp)