History

David Heighway

Hamilton County and the USCT

here are eleven names of African American soldiers carved onto the Civil War monument at Crownland Cemetery. While it was nice that they were recognized, this is actually very inadequate. It is a random collection of eleven names out of the fortysix known men who served, and some of the names are misspelled. Recently, the first comprehensive list of Hamilton County African American soldiers from the Civil War was created by Lezli Davis and myself, and it is now possible to recognize the service of all of these men.

United States Colored Troops

Most of the men were in the 28th United States Colored Troops, which was organized in Indiana in early 1864. The regiment saw serious action, including the Siege of Petersburg, which ran from June 1864 to April 1865. They were at the Battle of the Crater on July 30, 1864, where nearly half the men were killed or wounded. The regiment was absorbed into the 25th Corps, formed in December 1864 under Major General Godfrey Weitzel, which was made up solely of African American soldiers. They were at the surrender of Richmond and were one of the regiments who marched into the city on April 4, 1865. Three of the Hamilton County men in the 28th were wounded at the Battle of the Crater—Corporal Thomas Lawrence, Private Solomon Dawson, and Private Leonard Carter. Carter was so severely wounded that he was discharged and sent home. He died soon after he returned and was buried at Riverside Cemetery, but, because of a bureaucratic error, he did not receive a grave marker until 1939. Gooding T. Newsom, (1837-1895) had notable service. He joined up with the 28th USCT in Indianapolis on December 24, 1863—the day that enlistment opened. His experiences during the war were significant. He was probably at the Battle of the Crater on July 30, 1864. He was wounded at the Battle of Hatcher’s Run on October 24, 1864. He probably marched with the first troops into Richmond on April 4, 1865, and possibly saw the first Juneteenth Day on June 19, 1865. He is listed on the national African American Civil War Memorial in Washington, D.C. He has been completely forgotten in Hamilton County except by his relatives at Roberts Settlement, where he is buried.

Passing for White

Juneteenth Day is a unique and important day to recognize African Americans and their role in US history. Its roots lie in the celebrations that occurred in Texas when General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 on June 19th, 1865, which announced the proclamation that had ended slavery in the rebelling states. The troops of the 25th Corps were sent to guard the border in Texas after the end of the war. They were supposed to land at Brazos Santiago, but were not able to. Instead, they went to Galveston harbor on June 18th for the ships to take on coal and fresh water. A reporter for the New York Tribune sent a message to the paper dated

June 20 that said, “Galveston is now occupied by colored troops, constituting a provost guard for the enforcement of law and order.” We can’t be certain that the 28th was at Galveston. The reporter also said that some of the transport ships were at Galveston, and others were at Brazos Santiago or Mobile Bay. If some of the men of the 28th were at Galveston, they may have had the extraordinary opportunity to be among the first Union troops into Richmond and to also hear Granger’s proclamation. The idea that Hamilton County African Americans had been at both the fall of Richmond and the first Juneteenth Day is a great story to tell. While most of the Hamilton County men served in various USCT units, two men passed for white and served in white regiments. Sebastian Luther Roberts was a private in the 9th Indiana Cavalry and died of disease at Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1865. Nathaniel N. Rice was a corporal with the 77th New York Infantry.

New Memorial

Some Hamilton County whites proved to be allies of these soldiers before, during, and after the war. Mordechai White, a member of a prominent Westfield abolitionist family, was a recruiter for African American units. Thomas Gray was Captain of Company

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H of the 28th USCT from November 1864 to November 1865. Major William Wainwright was in the Quartermaster Corp and served with African American soldiers during Reconstruction. He was nearly lynched while trying to save one of his soldiers when they were attacked by a mob in Knoxville in 1865. Both Gray and Wainwright are buried at Crownland Cemetery. With the county bicentennial coming up in 2023, there is discussion about creating a new memorial for these African American soldiers. Bronze statues or stone markers recognizing USCT troops can be found in 34 sites around the United States. There are a few possible places in the county for a monument, the most traditional being the south side of the courthouse with a statue or ornamentation pointing south towards the Civil War battlefields. The cemetery with the largest number of African American Civil War veteran burials (15) is Riverside Cemetery. Most of the soldiers came from the Roberts Settlement area. Five soldiers are buried there. Six soldiers are buried at Crownland Cemetery. Others are buried at various sites around the United States. A memorial with their names on it is something worth considering. HCBM

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