The Saber and Scroll Journal Volume 1, Issue 1, April 2015 | Page 58

was, “Shooting niggers Sir. I have tried to make the boys desist but I
can’t control them.” I made some answer in effect that it seemed horrible
to kill the wounded devils, and he again answered, “That’s so Sir, but
one young fellow over yonder told me the niggers killed his brother after
being wounded, at Fort Billow, and he was twenty three years old, that
he had already killed nineteen and needed only four more to make the
matter even, so I told him to go ahead and finis [sic] the job.” I rode on
but the firing continued. 25
The 8th USCT entered this battle with twenty-one officers and 544 men, a total of
565. The regiment suffered great losses—sixty-six killed (one officer and sixty-
five men), 262 wounded (wounded and missing—one officer and forty-nine men;
other wounded—eight officers and 204 men), and fifteen missing men, a total loss
of 343. 26 The Confederates stripped the dead of their clothing. Seymour requested
the Confederates mark Fribley’s grave for later reburial; however, Finegan denied
his request. Seymour also requested the return of Fribley’s effects to his widow.
Finegan felt compassion for the widow and returned an ambrotype, 27 his watch, a
letter, and Fribley’s diary. 28 A letter published March 30, 1864 in the Savannah
Daily News showed no compassion: “The black-hearted Frieble had a dog’s
burial. A leader of a horde of infuriated negroes, on a mission of murder, robbery
and rape, ought he not have been left to rot on the plain, to the obscene birds to
fatten on his vitals, and the great wolves to gnaw on his bones?” 29 Confederates
probably buried Colonel Fribley in a mass grave with his men. Officers and men
who survived the post-battle slaughter were imprisoned at Andersonville—
stripped of their uniforms, forced to wear castoff clothing, denied medical
treatment, and forced to work around the prison. “These black soldiers
represented everything the South was fighting against . . . . Persons just marched
them into the stockade, where they congregated in their own little encampment
near the south gate—ignored by everyone, including the doctors.” 30 Many of
these soldiers died from their wounds.
The Olustee disaster enraged the public. Newspapers and racists
denounced the black troops for running away. Seymour claimed the 54th
Massachusetts was the only good black regiment under his command. As the facts
became evident, it was clear that, “the African-American troops in Seymour’s
command, even the inexperienced Eighth USCT, acted with extraordinary
heroism.” 31 Seymour was blamed for disobeying orders, leading the men into a
trap, and for changing the weapons of 7th New Hampshire prior to battle. He put
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