"Extempore musical and terpischorean entertainment at the United States arsenal, Baton Rouge, La., under the patronage of the Forty-First Massachusetts, the one hundred and Thirty-First New York and the Twenty-Fifth Connecticut Volunteers- contraband children dancing the breakdown. If anything were necessary to show the sensuous nature of music, it would be found in the eagerness with which the contraband race pursued it. The Federals, with that love of fun which ever distinguishes the brave soldier off duty, got up, a few evenings after their arrival at Baton Rouge, an extempore musical and terpsichorean entertainment, in which the darky element was largely and loudly represented. The hall was one of the extensive rooms in the United States Arsenal building, and prominent among the promoters were the Forty-first Massachusetts, One Hundred and Thirty-first New York and the Twenty-fifth Cennecticut Volunteers. One of the features was a breakdown, which was dance, or rather jumped, with great vigor by a couple of contraband juveniles."— Frank Leslie, 1896

Civil War Musical Entertainment

"Extempore musical and terpischorean entertainment at the United States arsenal, Baton Rouge, La., under…