In a letter to Tennessee military governor Andrew Johnson encouraging him to lead the way in raising black troops, Lincoln wrote, "The bare sight of fifty thousand armed, and drilled black soldiers on the banks of the Mississippi would end the rebellion at once".
ɪn ɐ lˈɛɾɚ tə tˌɛnəsˈiː mˈɪlətˌɛɹi ɡˈʌvɚnɚɹ ˈændɹuː dʒˈɑːnsən ɛŋkˈɜːɹɪdʒɪŋ hˌɪm tə lˈiːd ðə wˈeɪ ɪn ɹˈeɪzɪŋ blˈæk tɹˈuːps, lˈɪŋkən ɹˈoʊt, "ðə bˈɛɹ sˈaɪt ʌv fˈɪfti θˈaʊzənd ˈɑːɹmd, ænd dɹˈɪld blˈæk sˈoʊldʒɚz ɔnðə bˈæŋks ʌvðə mˌɪsɪsˈɪpi wʊd ˈɛnd ðə ɹᵻbˈɛliən ɐtwˈʌns".