Letter from W. L. M. Burger to Rufus Saxton Regarding Martin R. Delany
12/21/1865
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M. R. Delany was a black doctor, abolitionist, writer, and politician who recruited for the United States Colored Troops (U.S.C.T.) during the Civil War. After meeting with President Abraham Lincoln about a strategy to end the war, including Delany's idea for all-black regiments led by black officers, Lincoln appointed Dr. Delany a Major, making him the first black field officer in the United States Army. Upon the war's end, Major Delany was transferred to the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands – better known as the Freedmen's Bureau.
Assistant Adjutant General W. L. M. Burger sent this letter on behalf of Major General D. E. Sickles to Brevet Major General Rufus Saxton asking that Major Delany be ordered to report to him for special duty. Saxton was the assistant commissioner of the Freedmen's Bureau. At the time, Major Delany was working as an agent of the Freedmen's Bureau at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Upon reporting to Major General Sickles, he received special orders to inspect and report upon the conditions of the freedpeople in Port Royal, South Carolina.
Assistant Adjutant General W. L. M. Burger sent this letter on behalf of Major General D. E. Sickles to Brevet Major General Rufus Saxton asking that Major Delany be ordered to report to him for special duty. Saxton was the assistant commissioner of the Freedmen's Bureau. At the time, Major Delany was working as an agent of the Freedmen's Bureau at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Upon reporting to Major General Sickles, he received special orders to inspect and report upon the conditions of the freedpeople in Port Royal, South Carolina.
Transcript
Headquarters, Department of South Carolina,Assistant Adjutant General's Office.
Charleston, S. C., Dec 21st, 1865.
Bt. Maj. Gen. R. Saxton
Asst. Comr. Bureau R.F. & A.L.
Charleston S.C.
General
I am instructed by the Maj. Gen. Comg. to request that you will detail Maj. M. R. Delany of your Bureau, to report to these Headquarters as soon as possible, for important special duty for a short time.
Maj. Delany is now in Charleston.
Very respectfully
Your obedient servant
W. L. M. Burger
Asst. Adj. Genl.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Adjutant General's Office.
National Archives Identifier: 113401743
Full Citation: Letter from W. L. M. Burger to Rufus Saxton Regarding Martin R. Delany; 12/21/1865; Military Service Record of Martin R Delany, United States Colored Troops: 104th US Colored Infantry; Carded Records Showing Military Service of Soldiers Who Fought in Volunteer Organizations During the American Civil War, 1890 - 1912; Records of the Adjutant General's Office, Record Group 94; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/burger-saxton-delany, March 23, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
