The Daily Dispatch: may 20, 1861.

Petersburg, May 18, 1861.

The company of free negroes, under the command of Captain Finn, who have been engaged at Norfolk for several weeks, returned this afternoon, to spend the holidays with their wives and sweethearts. They will go back next week. It did one good to look on their happy, joyous faces, on which not a care of any kind has left its imprint. They appeared to be quite flush of the needful, and as soon as they were disbanded, numbers of them proceeded to the market-house, for the purpose of treating their families to the delicacies of the season. Mon Coeur.

----------------------------------
The Daily Dispatch: July 17, 1861.

The Convention and the free negroes → .
--The Convention, after authorising the impressment of the free negro population to aid in works of defence, further provides--

That all ← free negroes → thus detailed, and appearing at the place of rendezvous, shall be received into public service (under such officers as may be detailed by the Commandant as aforesaid to receive them) as laborers, on condition that they be entitled to such compensation, rations, quarters, and medical attendance, as may be allowed other labor of a similar character employed in the public service; and that they shall not be detained, at any one time, for a longer period than thirty days, without their consent.

That any free nervously detailed and notified as aforesaid, who shall fail or refuse to obey the requisition as aforesaid, shall be subject to the penalties provided by law for persons drafted from the militia and failing or refusing to obey such draft.

Such ← free negroes shall, whilst engaged in the public service as aforesaid, be subject to the rules and articles of war.

----------------------------------
The Daily Dispatch: September 19, 1861

Contribution from free Negroes.
The Charleston Mercury says:

The free colored men of Charleston have contributed $450 to sustain the cause of the South. The zealous and unfailing alacrity with which this class of our population have always devoted their labor and their means to promote the safety of the State, is alike honorable to themselves and gratifying to the community.
----------------------------------