Romulus' "New Business"
The “New Business” that Charles mentions in regard to
Romulus here is his promotion into a Colored Regiment, specifically he was
commissioned as a Full 2nd Lieutenant in Company B of the 3rd
United Stated Colored Infantry on July 25th, 1863, months before
Charles Goodyear would receive his commission.
The 3rd U.S.C.I. was mustered at Camp William Penn (named
after the Quaker who founded the state of Pennsylvania). Camp William Penn has the distinction of
being the first training ground specifically for training Black troops. Romulus would have taken part in training the
first Black troops from Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey.
This letter seems to suggest that Romulus was happy with his new position, and it is possible that this could have been part of the reason why Charley eventually also worked to become an officer in a Colored Regiment. The two did, after all, have a pattern of following one another. Also, being a student of F. W. Gunn, Romulus probably shared Mr. Gunn’s abolitionist views, and this could have influenced his own decision to be one of the first officers in the U.S.C.I.
Source:
http://www.usct.org/CampWillianPenn/CampWilliamPenn.htm
This letter seems to suggest that Romulus was happy with his new position, and it is possible that this could have been part of the reason why Charley eventually also worked to become an officer in a Colored Regiment. The two did, after all, have a pattern of following one another. Also, being a student of F. W. Gunn, Romulus probably shared Mr. Gunn’s abolitionist views, and this could have influenced his own decision to be one of the first officers in the U.S.C.I.
Source:
http://www.usct.org/CampWillianPenn/CampWilliamPenn.htm