During the fiscal year from June 30, l883 to June 30, l884, the army Surgeon General reported the following:

One black and three white soldiers were judged insane and dismissed

Two blacks and 8 whites died of "non service realted" gunshot wounds: all were homicides

No black soldier comitted suicide; 27 whites did

One black and l3 white soldiers drowned

No black but two whites died from poisoning (probably from eating army SOS for breakfast)

Finally--322 of every l,000 blacks that tired to enlist were rejected for medical reasons; the ratio for whites was 326/1K

This also from the Surgeon General's report:

"The colored troops present a higher rate than white troops for...veneral disease. On the other hand, their comparative freedom from intemperance continues to be of interest."

This obsevation opens the door to all kinds of speculation about the health, recreational sex and drinking habits of enlisted regulars; black and white.
I won't go through that door here.

What I've posted in these tweo "snap shot" messages is what the record shows. Draw you own conclusions, just as I have drawn mine.

Tom Phillips