“It was the best piece of work I ever witnessed.  The police went to the depot, not armed with the regulation ‘billy,’ but carrying stout hickory clubs about two and one-half feet long.

Their idea was that a mahogany or lignum vitae billy was too costly a weapon to be broken over a Negro’s head.  The police were on board the train before it stopped even, and the way they went for the Negroes was inspiring.  The police tolerated no impudence, much less rowdyism, from the Negroes, and if a darky even looked mad, it was enough for some policeman to bend his club double over his head.  In fact after the police finished with them they were the meekest, mildest, most polite set of colored men I ever saw.”  This language is respectfully dedicated to the memory of the proud city of Nashville, and presents to the readers the portrait of her police.

Despite this vile treatment, the colored soldier went on to his home, ready again to respond to his country’s call, and to rally to the defence of his country’s flag, and, incidentally, to the preservation of the lives and homes of the misguided, heartless beings who can delight in his sufferings.  The hickory club belongs to one sort of warrior; the rifle to quite another.  The club and rifle represent different grades of civilization.  The Negro has left the club; the language from Nashville does honor to the club.  Billy and bully are the theme of this officer of the law, and for a “darkey even to look mad” is ample justification for “some policeman to bend his club double over his head.”  Were these policemen rioters?  Or were they conservaters of the peace?  Judge ye!

OUTLINE HISTORY OF THE NINTH (SEPARATE) BATTALION, OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.

By the Battalion Adjutant, Lieutenant Wilson Ballard.

The Ninth Battalion, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, the only colored organization from Ohio in the Volunteer Army during the war with Spain, was, previous to the date of its muster into the United States service, known as the Ninth Battalion, Ohio National Guard.  April 25th, 1898, the battalion, consisting of three companies, A from Springfield, under Captain R.R.  Rudd; B from Columbus, under Captain James Hopkins, and C from Xenia, under Captain Harry H. Robinson, was ordered into camp at Columbus, Ohio.  The battalion was under the command of Major Charles Fillmore.

May 14, 1898, the battalion was mustered into the volunteer service by Captain Rockefeller, U.S.A.  Lieutenant Charles Young, U.S.A., then on duty at Wilberforce University, Wilberforce, Ohio, as professor of military science and tactics, was commissioned by Governor Bushnell as Major commanding the Ninth Battalion, O.V.I., relieving Major Fillmore.  In order to enable Lieutenant Young to accept his volunteer commission, he was granted an indefinite leave of absence by the War Department.

May 19, 1898, the command having been ordered to join the Second Army Corps at Camp Russell A. Alger, near Falls Church, Va., left Camp Bushnell and arrived at Camp Alger May 21, 1898.