You might recall a post from this past July, in which I briefly mentioned Shenandoah Valley African-Americans in the USCT. I haven’t had as much time to work with that project as I would like, but it’s one that is always on my mind. Perhaps, over winter, I’ll be able to wrap it up.
Anyway, I thought I would share a little raw data (names beginning with “A” and “B”, only) I’ve accumulated. Keep in mind, that this isn’t a complete list, even for the names beginning in A & B. This is merely a list of those who disclosed birthplaces in the Valley. Obviously, some did not (and, therefore, are absent from this list), and some gave the names of places that I cannot figure out (but, sounding much like some places that I do know to be in the Valley, I’ve included them). Also, as I said, this data is raw… and I do mean it, as I have left the original spellings of the places of birth, as given by the recruits.
What you see below is… name; place of birth; date of enlistment; unit in which enlisted; and date of birth.
Just like other Valley boys who opted for gray uniforms, these men, in their youths, played, worked, and lived on the land, under the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Difference is… the majority of those in the list below, likely did so under the bondage of slavery.
Ultimately, however, doesn’t it just boil down to one thing… making it all good? The unit designations don’t reveal it, but, these were just some good Virginia boys fighting for a cause in which they believed… right?
Enjoy…
John W Able; Rockingham Co, Virginia; 24 Aug 1864; 19th United States Colored Infantry; abt 1846
Horace Adams; Winchester, Virginia; 30 Jul 1864; 45th United States Colored Infantry; abt 1845
John Q Adams; Page County, Virginia; 24 Feb 1864; 47th United States Colored Infantry; abt 1846
Aleck Adley; Jefferson Co, Virginia; 5 Oct 1863; 3rd United States Colored Cavalry; abt 1818
Levi Alexander; Burkley, Virginia; 21 Sep 1864; 41st United States Colored Infantry; abt 1842
William Alexander; Rockbridge, Virginia; 14 Feb 1865; 3rd United States Colored Heavy Artillery; abt 1845
James Allen; Avckbridge Co, Virginia; 1 Sep 1863; 6th United States Colored Heavy Artillery; abt 1823
Elisha Allen; Rockledge Co, Virginia; 1 Sep 1863; 6th United States Colored Heavy Artillery; abt 1836
Edward Allen; Rochbridge, Virginia; 27 May 1864; 5th Massachusetts Colored Cavalry; abt 1843
John Allen; Rockbridge Co, Virginia; 30 May 1865; 13th United States Colored Heavy Artillery; abt 1847
John Allen; Augusta, Virginia; 1864; 12th United States Colored Infantry
Robert Allen; Rockbridge, Virginia; 1864; 23rd United States Colored Infantry
Robert Allen; Rockbridge, Virginia; 1864; 27th United States Colored Infantry
Thomas Allen; Rockingham, Virginia; 1864; 27th United States Colored Infantry
Lindsay Allen; Augusta, Virginia; 1865; 29th United States Colored Infantry
Harrison Ambrose; Woodstock, Virginia; 21 Dec 1863; 11th United States Colored Heavy Artillery; abt 1842
William Anderson; Berkley Co, Virginia; 15 Feb 1865; 2nd United States Colored Cavalry; abt 1831
Samuel Anderson; Berkley, Virginia; 26 Sep 1864; 41st United States Colored Infantry; abt 1844
Charles Anderson; Augusta, Virginia; 1864; 12th United States Colored Infantry
Henry Anderson; Burkley Co, Virginia; 1864; 5th United States Colored Infantry
Isaace Anderson; Augusta, Virginia; 1864; 12th United States Colored Infantry
William Anderson; Martinsburg, Virginia; 1864; 7th United States Colored Infantry
William H Anderson; Martinsburg, Virginia; 1864; 29th United States Colored Infantry
Albert Appleberry; Page, Virginia; 1863; 8th United States Colored Infantry
Daniel Applebury; Page, Virginia; 1863; 22nd United States Colored Infantry
Alexander Arnett; Jefferson, Virginia; 1863; 2nd United States Colored Infantry
Absolam Arter; Charlestown, Virginia; 1863; 22nd United States Colored Infantry
James Ashby; Augusta, Virginia; 9 Jul 1864; 39th United States Colored Infantry; abt 1841
Henry Askins; Winchester, Virginia; 1864; 22nd United States Colored Infantry
Chas Henry Augustus; Martinsburg, Virginia; 1864; 29th United States Colored Infantry
John Ayers; Rockingham Co, Virginia; 20 Jan 1865; 3rd United States Colored Heavy Artillery; abt 1821
John Bailey; Luray Co, Virginia; 7 Jan 1865; 2nd United States Colored Cavalry; abt 1846
Simon Banks; Warren Co, Virginia; 24 Feb 1865; 2nd United States Colored Cavalry; abt 1830
Henry Banks; Woodstock, Virginia; 16 Mar 1865; 2nd United States Colored Cavalry; abt 1839
William Banks; Staunton, Virginia; 16 Sep 1864; 1st United States Colored Infantry; abt 1844
Watson Barker; Clark, Virginia; 1863; 13th United States Colored Infantry
George Barrett; Berkley Co, Virginia; 21 May 1863; 55th Massachusetts Colored Infantry; abt 1837
David Barrett; Berkley Co, Virginia; 21 May 1863; 55th Massachusetts Colored Infantry; abt 1842
John Barritt; Berkley Co, Virginia; 1864; 27th United States Colored Infantry
George Bartly; New Market, Virginia; 1865; 24th United States Colored Infantry
William Beasley; Rockingham Co, Virginia; 25 Jan 1865; 2nd United States Colored Cavalry; abt 1847
Robert Beasley; Rockingham, Virginia; 1865; 24th United States Colored Infantry
David Beauman; Brikley Co, Virginia; 1864; 25th United States Colored Infantry
Calvin Becke; Rockingham, Virginia; 17 Dec 1863; 5th United States Colored Heavy Artillery; abt 1837
John Belfolk; Clark County, Virginia; 20 Jun 1863; 49th United States Colored Infantry; abt 1836
Robert Bell; Winchester, Virginia; 20 Sep 1864; 41st United States Colored Infantry; abt 1829
Charles Bentley; Harpers Ferry, Virginia; 1863; 29th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry (Colored)
Fredrick Berry; Winchester, Virginia; 49th United States Colored Infantry
Andrew Berry; Augusta Co, Virginia; 22 Jun 1863; 55th Massachusetts Colored Infantry; abt 1840
Samuel Beverly; Winchester, Virginia; 1863; 3rd United States Colored Infantry
Nelson Bird; Clark Co, Virginia; 4 Feb 1865; 2nd United States Colored Cavalry; abt 1846
Nathaniel Bird; Rockingham, Virginia; 1864; 25th United States Colored Infantry
William F Bird; Rockingham, Virginia; 1864; 25th United States Colored Infantry
Joseph Black; Augusta, Virginia; 1864; 27th United States Colored Infantry
Presley Blad; Clark, Virginia; 5 May 1864; 45th United States Colored Infantry; abt 1841
Jack Blanham; Page Co, Virginia; 13 Feb 1865; 2nd United States Colored Cavalry; abt 1844
Joseph Blanham; Page Co, Virginia; 30 Jun 1863; 1st United States Colored Infantry; abt 1838
Jonas Blanham; Cage Co, Virginia; 14 Jun 1863; 1st United States Colored Infantry; abt 1840
Cyrus A Boll; Winchester, Virginia; 1863; 6th United States Colored Infantry
Napoleon Bonaparte; Shenandoah, Virginia; 42nd United States Colored Infantry
John Bosley; Harpers Ferry; Virginia; 1865; 7th United States Colored Infantry
Jacob Bowman; Berkly, Virginia; 1863; 22nd United States Colored Infantry
Harris Bradford; Winchester, Virginia; 43rd United States Colored Infantry
Albert Bradford; Page, Virginia; 1865; 24th United States Colored Infantry
William Bradley; Winchester, Virginia; 9 Dec 1863; 3rd United States Colored Heavy Artillery; abt 1838
Joseph Brannan; Shenandoah, Virginia; 1864; 32nd United States Colored Infantry
David Brent; Clark, Virginia; 9 Sep 1864; 5th United States Colored Cavalry; abt 1831
Phillip Lewis Brent; Clark, Virginia; 1863; 4th United States Colored Infantry
Arthur Brent; Warren, Virginia; 1864; 23rd United States Colored Infantry
James Briggs; Rockingham, Virginia; 19 Sep 1864; 16th United States Colored Infantry; abt 1824
Gilbert Brockser; Berkley Co, Virginia; 1863; 29th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry (Colored)
John W Bromfield; Martinsburg, Virginia; 45th United States Colored Infantry
Jacob Bronsman; Burkley Co, Virginia; 1864; 25th United States Colored Infantry
Jacob Bronsman; Burkley Co, Virginia; 1864; 25th United States Colored Infantry
Edward Brown; Jefferson, Virginia; 20 Apr 1863; 53rd United States Colored Infantry; abt 1821
Benjamin Brown; Clark, Virginia; 4 Jun 1864; 45th United States Colored Infantry; abt 1837
William Brown; Warren Co, Virginia; 22 Aug 1864; 18th United States Colored Infantry; abt 1838
Jordan Brown; Jefferson County, Virginia; 15 Sep 1863; 54th United States Colored Infantry; abt 1839
Lewis Brown; Warren, Virginia; 1 Mar 1864; 52nd United States Colored Infantry; abt 1842
Charles Brown; Front Royal, Virginia; 17 May 1863; 1st United States Colored Infantry; abt 1843
William H N Brown; Winchester, Virginia; 8 Jun 1863; 1st United States Colored Infantry; abt 1845
George Brown; Jefferson, Virginia; 1863; 2nd United States Colored Infantry
Nathaniel Brown; Winchester, Virginia; 1863; 3rd United States Colored Infantry
William H Brown; Fairay, Virginia; 1863; 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment (Colored)
Thomas T Brown; Martinsburgh, Virginia; 1864; 34th United States Colored Infantry
William H Brown; Shenandoh, Virginia; 1864; 5th United States Colored Infantry
John W Brumery; Frederick, Virginia; 1863; 4th United States Colored Infantry
Allen Bryan; Rockingham, Virginia; 1864; 25th United States Colored Infantry
Austin L Bryant; Rockingham, Virginia; 1864; 32nd United States Colored Infantry
George W Burket; Buckley Co, Virginia; 1864; 32nd United States Colored Infantry
Charles Burns; Winchester, Virginia; 29th United States Colored Infantry
Charles C Burns; Augusta, Virginia; 10 Aug 1864; 45th United States Colored Infantry; abt 1826
William Burns; Augusta Co, Virginia; 29 May 1863; 55th Massachusetts Colored Infantry; abt 1833
Francis Burrell; Frederick, Virginia; 20 Jun 1864; 45th United States Colored Infantry; abt 1837
Abram Burris; Jefferson Co, Virginia; 28 May 1864; 8th United States Colored Heavy Artillery; abt 1831
Jacob Burrous; Jefferson, Virginia; 1865; 28th United States Colored Infantry
Luke Burrows; Jefferson, Virginia; 1865; 28th United States Colored Infantry
Thompson Burrs; Jefferson, Virginia; 1865; 28th United States Colored Infantry
Luther Burton; Rockbridge, Virginia; 21 Jul 1864; 40th United States Colored Infantry; abt 1833
Elias Busley; Rockingham, Virginia; 1864; 32nd United States Colored Infantry
David Butcher; Berkley, Virginia; 5 Oct 1864; 41st United States Colored Infantry; abt 1842
James Butler; Clerk Co, Virginia; 17 Feb 1865; 2nd United States Colored Cavalry; abt 1835
Joseph Butler; Berkely, Virginia; 1863; 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment (Colored)
Cenantua's Blog 
Robin Lyttle
April 18, 2013
This is such a great list – I am compiling the names of those who fought in the USCT from Rockingham. This is great – wonder if you could give me tips on how to continue to locate more of the troops from Rockingham? Thanks your blog is a wonder!
Robin