Recruiting in Helena

Recruiting in Helena. . , Lorenzo Thomas at Fort Curtis , Adjutant General Lorenzo Thomas spoke in Helena on April 6, 1863. About 4,000 soldiers stood in formation in Fort Curtis. They heard Thomas, their commanding officer, the district commander, a congressman, and several colonels endorse the new government policy of recruiting former slaves into the army., Thomas told the men about the shortage of soldiers and the need to recruit as many black men as possible. He spoke to them as a fellow soldier, as one who understood the hardships of war. He told them of his Southern upbringing and prejudice. With this new policy, he told them, President Lincoln meant to arm former slaves and use them to help crush the rebellion., Thomas declared, "I am here this day to say that I am authorized to raise as many regiments of Blacks as can be possibly collected. I am authorized to give commissions from the highest to the lowest. I want those persons who are earnest in this work to take hold of it. I want only those whose hearts are in the work. I don't care who they are.", The Men Approve Wholeheartedly , "General Prentiss got up and told the boys that he wanted them to give some demonstration in favor of the policy for Gen. Thomas to carry back to President Lincoln[:] he told them that was in favor of arming the negroes to pull off their hats and in a second every head... was barel: he then told them to give three cheers and such yelling you never heard." , Minos Miller, an lowa soldier who later became an officer in the 2nd Arkansas of African Decent (54th U.S. Colored Infantry), [Photo captions] , Middle left: Abraham Seachrist, 33rd Iowa became a lieutenant in the 2nd Arkansas Infantry of African Descent (later designated the 54th U.S. Colored Infantry). , Bottom: The troops standing in formation at Fort Curtis to hear Thomas must have looked much like this Union regiment.