http://www.ck12.org Chapter 6. The Gilded Age and the Rise of American Power
“The Negro in the Regular Army” –from The Atlantic Monthly
Source: Excerpt from Oswald G. Villard, “The Negro in the Regular Army,” The Atlantic Monthly, June 1903. The
Atlantic Monthly was a literary magazine published in Boston that was founded in 1857.
It was not until the battle of Santiago, however, that the bulk of the American people realized that the standing army
comprised regiments composed wholly of black men...
In the battle at Santiago, the four colored regiments won praise from all sides, particularly for their advance upon
Kettle Hill, in which the Rough Riders also figured. From the very beginning of the movement of the army after
its landing [in Cuba], the negro troops were in the front of the fighting, and contributed largely to the successful
result. Although they suffered heavy losses, especially in officers, the men fought with the same gallantry they had
displayed on the plains, as is attested by the honors awarded. In every company there were instances of personal
gallantry. The first sergeants especially lived up to the responsibilities placed upon them. The color sergeant of the
Tenth Cavalry, Adam Houston, bore to the front not only his own flags, but those of the Third Cavalry when their
color sergeant was shot down. In several emergencies where troops or companies lost their white officers, the senior
sergeants took command and handled their men in a faultless manner, notably in the Tenth Cavalry.
Questions:
1.Sourcing:Who do you think read this magazine? What do you think the magazine’s white readers thought
about African Americans? Why?
2.Close Reading:How does the magazine describe the fighting of African Americans in Cuba?Vocabulary
Gallantry
Courageous behavior