The New York Evening Post of Jan. 1862 printed an interview with John Parker a contraband, who claimed to have been in Confederate service at the Battle of Manassas. He stated he was "hired out" into military service in March of 61, to work upon the batteries and trenches at Winchester was discharged in June and he went home to the plantation near Manassas. While there an officer took all the best colored men from the plantation to drill down to "Bull Run". He stated that there was one whole regiment of free colored persons, and two regiments of slaves among the white regiments, one company to each. All white officers. They spent their time drilling in loading cannon and setting up masked batteries. He claimed there were four masked batteries and went on to discribe how many guns in each and how he and other Blacks were involved in the fighting manning these guns.

"When your troops charge the musket we run behind the trenches. Our guns kill most, as you could not see us. Fight till nine- o'clock- jist light so as to see. Den dey both run, all run, jist towards Richmond and Junction, till aid de camp tell Beauregard you run; den de 600 Black Horse Cavalry jist follow you, chase you clear to Alexandria."

"Wy when you shells come in de trenches dey jist kill ebrybody there. One big one split, kill twenty-three colored men in number four- most all in de trench. Dey climb out and not go back. De shells jist go clar ober de four mask battery, kill everybody. Most ebery one of de free colored regiment killed."

The story is found in the Burlington Free Press, Jan. 31, 1862. Image 2. Column 5, mid way down.

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84023127/1862-01-31/ed-1/seq-2/;words=regiment+colored?date1=01%2F01%2F1861&rows=20&searchType=advanced&proxdistance=5&date2=5%2F31%2F1862&ortext=&proxtext=&phrasetext=colored+regiments&andtext=&dateFilterType=range&index=4

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David Upton