New Orleans, Dec. 25, 1866.
New Orleans Riots Congressional Committee.
Charles W. Gibbons (colored) sworn and examined.
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Question; Had you been a captain in any other service than in the United States service?
Witness; Never; I have been a free man since my infancy. At the time the rebellion broke out,they called on all the free people to do something for the confederate government; and if they did not do it, a committee was appointed to look after them, and they would be robbed of their property, if not killed. I was against the rebellion until the last moment. There was a policeman by the name of Robinson, who came to me and said I had better go into the service; if I did not, they would take me and lynch me. Under that advice I enlisted in Captain Jourdan's company, but I did not stay in it longer than I was absolutely compelled to. At the time I got out I tendered my resignation, and it was accepted, though it is the first time I have heard of tendering a resignation as a private.
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Question; Were there not colored men in the city of New Orleans who did not enlist in the confederate service?
Witness; There were plenty of them.
Question; What necessity was there, then, for yon to do otherwise than they did?
Witness; Becanse I was free. A majority of the population of the city of New Orleans had to do the same thing in order to save themselves; if they did not they would have been hung or driven out of the country. We did not go with the intention of fighting for the rebels; we said among ourselves that the moment "we saw the flag, we were going to drop our arms; that we would not fight;" but we had to enlist to save ourselves.
Question; Do not you know of any free people in New Orleans who did not join the confederate service?
Witness; I do.
Question; Are there quite a number of them?
Witness; That is more than I can say.
Question; Those who did not choose to join the confederate service did not lose their lives, did they?
Witness; No, sir, not to my knowledge. Nobody ever lost his life, for we never went into any engagement.
Question; Then why could you not have done as the others did, and not volunteered in the confederate service?
Witness; Because of the warnings I received.
Question; You volunteered then, you did not wait to be conscripted?
Witness; There was no conscription in the State, at that time.
Question; So you were a volunteer in the confederate service?
Witness; Yes,, sir, in order to save myself, as a majority of us had to do it in order to save ourselves. But the moment General Butler arrived, several of us wrote him a petition asking his anthority to raise a company. I assisted first in raising a company to fill up a company for the second regiment. Then I recruited a company for the third regiment, of which I went captain.
Question; How long were you in the confederate service?
Witness; About two weeks.
Question; Did you state all the circumstances, in your opinion, that compelled you to join the confederate service?
Witness; Yes, sir