A particularly desirable copy, inscribed by the author, accompanied by a very rare four-page pamphlet advertising the work.
Charles Frederick White (1876-1955) a veteran of the Spanish-American War who served in Cuba with the Black regiment, the Eighth Illinois. He later became the chaplain of Wesley S. Brass Camp no. 37, United Spanish War Veterans.
“In 1899, White enlisted in the Army, and served in combat in Cuba in the Spanish-American War. He rose to the rank of Corporal and served as a Chaplain. He wrote about this experience in a number of memorable poems in his only collection of poetry, Plea of the Negro Soldier: And a Hundred Other Poems. Several of his poems dealing with his time in the military reflect pride in serving as part of an African American regiment in the conflict. However, some of his poems also reflect his frustration as a Black soldier subject to institutionalized racism” (Singh).
The “Spanish-American War experience prompted the creation of a valuable body of Black American poetry and fiction. The authors of this literature include the little-known soldier-poet Charles Frederick White, Sutton E. Griggs, a novelist popular in the Black community of his time and presently undergoing rediscovery, and the well-established figures James Weldon Johnson and [Paul Lawrence] Dunbar” (Payne, 19-20). In contrast to the more specifically disillusioned work of other Black poets, White’s work was “a literature of innocence and idealism toward the war experience” (ibid). This is largely contained in poems written before the commencement of hostilities, such as “War’s Inspiration.” That soon changed and the verse “The Eighth Illinois in Cuba” presents a more realistic, less sunny view of war. “Within four months after his return home, White’s attitude toward his war service changed from one of pride to a sense of betrayal, as strongly expressed in his poem ‘The Negro Volunteer,’ dated June 1899” (ibid, 21). White charts his disillusionment as the enthusiastic reception by crowds at his homecoming did nothing to mitigate the day-to-day racism he experienced post-war. This is even more evident in the title poem, “Please of the Negro Soldier.”
Rare in the trade.
Payne, J.R., “Afro-American Literature of the Spanish-American War” in MELUS Vol. 10, No. 3, (Autumn, 1983), pp.19-32; Singh, A., “Charles Frederick White” in African American Poetry: A Digital Anthology [open access].
