Newspaper Article Listing Black Union Soldiers Found in Freedmen's Bureau Papers

In July 1867, the Bureau of Refugees, Freedman and Abandoned Lands also known as the Freedmen's Bureau, served communities in several fields offices in the state of Tennessee. In records from McMinnville Freedmen's Bureau office, it was a surprise to stumble upon a fascinating article from a daily newspaper from Nashville Tennessee, that had been clipped and put among bureau papers.

The Nashville Union and Dispatch was a daily publication, and the names of several dozen soldiers who served in the United States Colored Troops who were owed pay for their service was noted. If the soldier who enlisted did not survive the war, their widow, or heirs were called to step forward and make their claim.

Most documents from the Freedmen's Bureau itself are usually original hand written articles reflecting day to day business of the various offices. They often contain contracts, letters, complaints, marriage records and so much more. The notations are made by the staff that worked in the Bureau itself. What a surprise to find a clipping from the Nashville newspaper included among the papers from the McMinnville Tennessee field office.

The edition came from the July 6th issue of the Nashville Union and Dispatch. I was able to locate the exact edition from which the article was clipped. The notice appeared on page 2 of that edition, and the entire edition of the publication is contained on the Chronicling America site hosted by the Library of Congress.

Zooming in on the article for a much closer view, the names of the soldiers and qualifying widows are more visible and more easily read. I was impressed to see a list of names of black Union Army soldiers in the Nashville publication and found it surprising to have stumbled upon it among Freedmen's Bureau papers.

An Unexpected Surprise
A second surprise came when glancing through the list of names and finding the name of an ancestor, a great great uncle--my great grandfather's brother, Braxton Bass! Braxton Bass was also a brother of my Uncle Sephus Bass, who both served in the 111th US Colored Infantry, and to see Uncle Braxton's name among the soldiers listed was unexpected, and quite pleasing.

I have known for over 20 years about Braxton's service with the 111th US Colored Infantry, and I have had for many years both his Civil War Service Record, and his Civil War Pension File. I know about his life in the 1870s till his early death in 1879, and I also know details of the life of his widow Fannie.

But his years right after the the war are not known, and it was truly a surprise to see something from 1867 mentioning his name. Although not much more than a name appears, it still tells me that he was called to get his bounty payment 2 years after the war had ended, and that tiny piece of information reflects a small sliver of detail about him and his life near Nashville.

One of the many benefits of the Freedmen's Bureau records, is the fact that unique records are contained in the amazing collection. A newspaper article is one of the most unexpected holdings to find among the many gems of the bureau, but thankfully, the Bureau staff in McMinnville Tennessee included the names of the soldiers from the Nashville publication. It was noted by the staff that some of the men were actually from that community, therefore, the article was clipped and placed among bureau holdings.

Close Up of News Clipping Found in Article

Source for entire image:

Link HERE

I checked several additional names from the list, on the Civil War database hosted by the National Park Service. Some of the men were from the same unit that my Bass ancestors were part of, (the 111th US Colored Infantry) and I noticed others were from the 13th US Colored Infantry. I have not checked the entire roster, but those with Tennessee based ancestors may find their own ancestors listed among those in the above clipping.

The post Civil War years were challenging for people of color, and often those who had served in the Union Army were met with hostility by a former confederate sympathizing community. However seeing the article two years after the war, does speak to a small degree of tolerance that may have been for these former freedom fighters to at least come forth and claim the bounty that they had earned with their service and with their courage.

Other Civil War historians are encouraged to utilize as many resources as possible to find data on former soldiers. In this case, a small clipping from a Freedmen's Bureau field office directed me to a newspaper, where a small piece of community history reflected US Colored troops in the Nashville Community.

As researchers we have learned to leave no stones unturned.

On the trail of Yarmouth Cartwright

A recent article by Drusilla Pair, reflected the names of several black soldiers who were captured after the battle at Petersburg.  An article in the Richmond Dispatch listed the names of the soldiers simply as "captured Negroes" and although they were soldiers, the men were listed in the Richmond Dispatch only by first name. Since there was an actual reference to the fact that these men were "enlisted troops" the disrespectful posting of only their first names intentionally treated them as still enslaved men.

Like Ms. Pair, the article that she shared on her blog, Let Freedom Ring made me wonder about these men, and about their fate.

How were they treated? The policy of the confederate army was that they would "give no Negro any quarter" meant that they did not see these men of color as human enough to imprison, but simply as property to return or evil beings to kill. So the question rang again in my head, "how were they treated?"

Did any of these men survive being captured? It is widely known how many of the soldiers at Ft. Pillow were viciously killed and given no quarter, only three months earlier. So were the men on this list given food, and shelter?

The only way to find out was to see if any such men could be researched. So I examined the list that she shared.

There were many who had common names, so I knew that Johns, Henry's George's would not be easily traceable. But perhaps a man with a unique name could be found.  I saw a name of a man called Yarmouth, said to have been enslaved by a man called Alexander Kilga of Montgomery County MD.

The name of Yarmouth appears as the slave of Alexander Kilga

Since the name "Yarmouth" is unique, I decided to see if I could find such a soldier among the thousands of US Colored Troops.

I decided to use the Civil War Soldier and Sailors Database hosted by the National Park Service.

National Park Service Database

Two possibilities emerged: Yarmouth Carr of the 107th US Colored Infantry, and Yarmouth Cartwright of the 23rd US Colored Infantry.

I clicked on the first soldier to see if he was in a regiment that served in Virginia, which would be essential, since the men on the list were captured near Petersburg, Virginia. So I had to explore a brief history of both regiments and then to look at each soldier. I learned that the 107th USColored Infantry, was organized in Kentucky and in 1864 was ordered to Baltimore, and was in Petersburg from October 1864 till early December.

Source of Image: National Park Service Database

So this regiment would not have had soldiers in Petersburg around the time that "Yarmouth slave of Alexander Kilga", because that article was written in August of 1864, several weeks before the 107th was there.

The other regiment with a soldier called Yarmouth was the 23rd US Colored Infantry. This regiment was also in Petersburg and at the time of the big mine explosion.

Source of Image: National Park Service Database

So it was possible that the Yarmouth in this regiment was the Yarmouth on the list of "captured Negroes" listed in the Richmond Dispatch.

I decided to look at the Military Service records of the US Colored Troops and opened the images on Fold 3.

I had no idea which surname Yarmouth of the 23rd US Colored Infantry may have had, so I then made a very broad search for a soldier with only the name of Yarmouth.

Only one soldier appeared and his name was Yarmouth Cartwright.

So Yarmouth Cartwright served in Company A of the 23rd US Colored Infantry, By clicking on the image to go the service record I saw the following:

Source of Image

From this image I learned that this soldier Yarmouth was taken prisoner in early July of 1864.

From this image I learned that this was the man!! 

Yarmouth Cartwright was taken prisoner after being captured at Petersburg! So the man called Yarmouth, "slave of Alexander Kilga", was most likely Yarmouth Cartwright, a man who was a soldier, fighting for his own freedom!

I then wondered more about this man, did he survive being imprisoned? This was only a few weeks after the terrible massacre at Ft. Pillow, the battle in which Confederate soldiers vowed to give no Negro quarter. So, did this man survive the treatment as a prisoner, which was most likely not to have been kind for his very humanity was not even recognized by the enemy.

The answer was in the service record itself. The image above indicates that the soldier did return to duty! And the following image shows that he followed the regiment when they were sent to Texas and he was mustered out in Brazos Santiago, Texas in November.

Source of Image

After looking at the record on Fold3 and locating the service record of Yarmouth Cartwright, I was pleased to see that he lived through imprisonment and was not killed by those who were holding him prisoner. I had hoped that he would have lived to have enjoyed his hard earned freedom, and would have been able to marry and have a family.

A search on Ancestry provided the information that I sought. In 1870, he went had returned to Montgomery County Maryland, and was found living with a wife Mary, and three young children, Jesse, Joseph, and Samuel. He was free and was with his family.

Source Citation: Year: 1870; Census Place: District 4, Montgomery, Maryland; Roll: M593_591; Page: 475A; Image: 511; Family History Library Film: 552090.

Finding this man living free with wife and family was relieving. He was working as a farm laborer. I looked at others who lived nearby, and the closest neighbor did catch my attention. A woman of means lived close to the Cartwright family. The surname caught my attention. Margaret Kilgour. 

I then remembered that the article in the Richmond Dispatch referred to the soldier as Yarmouth slave of Alexander Kilga. The neighbor in 1870 was Margaret Kilgour. Could "Kilga", have possibly been "Kilgour", and was Margaret most likely the widow of Alexander, the said slave holder?

I wondered what the relationship might have been for this man, now a free man to have remained in the same area living close to the family that had once enslaved him. However, I have seen this occur in other states and in other families that I have researched. Many families returned to the community they knew as home, for they have lived in the area for decades and regardless of who the neighbors were, it was home.

I looked at 1880, and found the family still in Montgomery County, but without Yarmouth. An older Cartwright man was living with Mary and her children, and some additional children were now in the household. And interestingly, they still lived next door to Margaret Kilgour.

In 1890, Mary was found on the 1890 Surviving Widow's Census, in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Source Citation: Year: 1890; Census Place: Potomac, Montgomery, Maryland; 

Roll: 10; Page: 1; Enumeration District: 139.

My goal was to find the "captured negro" and to find him as a man.

I found Yarmouth the soldier, Yarmouth the man and Yarmouth the free man who survived the war and who lived to taste freedom. His story is a short one with few details, but we was so much more than a slave. He freed himself, enlisted to fight, served honorably and won his freedom. He returned home to live in the small farming community in Montgomery County Maryland. He married, had a family, and the Cartwright family continued to thrive, into the 20th century. I am happy and humbled that I can say his name. Yarmouth Cartwright, survived! May he not be forgotten.

Life After Civil War Seen Through Civil War Pension Payments

"United States Veterans Administration Pension Payment Cards, 1907-1933," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-17526-124760-96?cc=1832324&wc=M9WT-11Q:n1440969177 : accessed 22 Feb 2014), Bass, Adaline C. - Bassuener, Henry > image 178 of 702.

Pension Payment Card for Sephus Bass of 111th US Colored Infantry

"United States Veterans Administration Pension Payment Cards, 1907-1933," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-17526-124760-96?cc=1832324&wc=M9WT-11Q:n1440969177 : accessed 22 Feb 2014), Bass, Adaline C. - Bassuener, Henry > image 178 of 702.

For those who research ancestors from the Civil War, it is quite common to note that an ancestor filed for and received a pension. However, it has never been clear even from a pension file how much a soldier received for his service. And how often was the soldier paid? Can this even be determined? Well with an interesting set of records recently digitized, this can now be determined.

Thankfully the folks at Family Search have a collection that I had not noticed before, which is the Collection of US Veterans Administration Payment Cards. This covers the years from 1907 to 1933. If there is interest in a former soldier who may have been paid during those years, then you can learn how much they received and how any times they were actually paid. Note that the collection is not yet complete, as 80% of the cards have been digitized so far.

Thankfully payments made to US Colored Troops are included in this record set. I was quite pleased to find the records of an ancestor whose payment card I found illustrated in the images above. This information is so useful since the details of when the soldier was paid and how much he was paid, is clearly outlined on the card, and in addition, you can see when a raise was made to the ongoing payments.

I looked at a card of another soldier, Adam Westfield of Crawford County Arkansas. 

Payment Card of Sgt Adam Westfield Col B 1 US Col. Heavy Artillery

"United States Veterans Administration Pension Payment Cards, 1907-1933," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-17428-26665-37?cc=1832324&wc=M9WY-SFZ:961268127 : accessed 21 Feb 2014), Westeiude, Hubregt Vant - Westlake, William H. > image 484 of 632.

2nd card reflecting payment schedule for Sgt. Adam Westfield 

"United States Veterans Administration Pension Payment Cards, 1907-1933," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-17428-26665-37?cc=1832324&wc=M9WY-SFZ:961268127 : accessed 21 Feb 2014), Westeiude, Hubregt Vant - Westlake, William H. > image 485 of 632.

When examining the card data such as the date and place of death can also be noted on the card.

Close up of image from Westfield Card.

Although this data is limited, it still provides a glimpse into the life of the soldier and how often some assistance may have come for the soldier. And even when the soldier died the widow's payments are also noted.

Hopefully other researchers will find this set of records valuable and will add to learning a small amount more about the soldier and how he lived after the Civil War.

In Search of Quarantine Island

Documents from two soldiers of the 56th US Colored Infantry

who died of Cholera at Quarantine Island.

Prior to this year, I had never heard of Quarantine Island. But several months ago, it came to my attention when some friends and colleagues of the St. Louis African American Genealogy & History Society told the story of soldiers from the 56th US Colored Infantry who died of cholera in 1866.

The regiment was from Arkansas, but many of the men were formerly enslaved in their home state of Missouri. Man enlisted in Arkansas, would serve there and even fight there, and towards the end of their service they left Helena Arkansas for St. Louis to be mustered out. But as fate would have it, many men became gravely ill. Some died aboard the steamer taking them to St. Louis. Others were treated at either Jefferson Barracks, or placed on Quarantine island, and within a few days, 175 men would succumb to this disease.

Most were buried on Quarantine Island. They would remain there till 1939 when industry demands required that their bodies be moved to Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. They were moved but sadly, they buried in a mass grave at the cemetery.

The story unfolded this year when the genealogy group began to research this story and decided to see if
they could honor these men who never made it home. The group worked hard and finally on August 16, 2013, they were successful in having the men honored with a moving ceremony for them.

While research continues on these men and their history, by the St. Louis genealogists, I was a bit curious to learn more about where they were initially buried, Quarantine Island. I learned that as the course of the river changed, and as there were more interests by industry, the course of the Mississippi River was altered and within time Quarantine Island disappeared.

But on a search to see what part of the river the island may have been, I came across a fascinating video by the Missouri History Museum. The Video was about an island unfamliar to me, called Smallpox Island. This was a place where early in the Civil War, men who had contracted smallpox were taken to be treated and in most cases, to die. But what caught my attention in this 18 minute video that mentioned Quarantine Island.

Video on Smallpox Island by HEC-TV

In that video Alex Fees, was the producer and host, and he asked some questions about the history of the island. He began pointing out the names of other islands that he had previously heard before, including Quarantine Island.  He spoke with Dr. David Meyers, a professor and historical re-enactor, and he also spoke with  Barnes Bradshaw of the museum with good questions about Smallpox Island.

In that video, Dr. Terry Norris, District Archaeologist with the US Army Corps of Engineers also spoke about Smallpox Island. He also mentioned a confederate prisoner of war camp near Alton Illinois. When an epidemic of smallpox arose, the residents of Alton were concerned about the patients with smallpox infecting the larger population. A small island called Sunflower Island, was closer to the Missouri side of the river and it was selected to become the site where these men infected with smallpox would go. I did wonder if Quarantine could have been Smallpox Island, because of the fact that smallpox was one of those diseases that the population would have wanted to distance itself from, thus the concept of putting patients in "quarantine" made me wonder.

But the illness that affected the Black soldiers of the 56th US Colored Infantry was not smallpox, but cholera, were known to have caught cholera on the Steamer Continental and when they arrived in St. Louis, many were placed on an island referred to as Quarantine Island. Again, I asked ---is this the same island? 

The records indicate that the soldiers were buried right there on Quarantine Island. In the video Dr. Norris mentioned that the prisoners from 1862 were buried on Sunflower Island--Smallpox Island as well. And in the 1930s interest arose in that area, when construction for Lock and Dam #26 began.

My curiosity continued while watching the video, as Dr. Norris pointed out that interest in Civil War soldiers buried along the Mississippi arose when construction brought up skulls and other remains of these prisoners. Apparently the construction site for the Lock and Dam was in the exact place where Smallpox Island was. 

So, did Smallpox Island "become" Quarantine Island? It was explained that as the river course was changed during construction of the Lock and Dam, Smallpox Island simply disappeared from the surface. It was filled in by the river, never to be seen again.

Meanwhile 1939 another reburial decision was made to remove Union Soldiers to Jefferson Barracks. But these were the 175 Black Union Soldiers of the 56th US Colored Infantry who died of cholera in 1866. Their story was a bit different, as it was said that though they were removed, there were somehow place no longer in single graves, but this time upon arrival at Jefferson Barracks, their remains were placed in one mass grave. Two memorial stones saying "Unknown Soldier" were placed above this now mass grave and Quarantine Island where they were once buried was now free to erode with the changes in the river. And as  the construction needs of the community, and this island too, was simply forgotten.

So was Smallpox Island the same as Quarantine Island?

Smallpox Island got public attention again in the 1980s when the newer Melvin Price Locks and Dam were constructed. While much of the soil was being moved that came from the same area where Smallpox Island once was, human remains were found. It was then noted that there had already been so much disturbance of the resting place of those soldiers, a decision made to not try to obtain all of their remains, but to erect a memorial was built with the names of the men who died at Smallpox Island, at the small abutment in West Alton MO, which is according to their research, where Smallpox Island once stood.

NOTE: At 11 minutes 30 seconds on the video (11:31) the question was asked: "Smallpox Island, Quarantine Island, is this all one and the same?" Dr. Terry nodded and said "Smallpox Island, Quarantine Island, Sunflower Island, there're several more names that came and went, during the late 19th century and early 20th centuries."

So now we have three names, "Smallpox Island", "Sunflower Island", and "Quarantine Island". Yet, the video made no mention of the men of the 56th US Colored. If they died on the same island, I thought how sad that they were not mentioned.

Then I noted some additional information provided by the National Park Service. The remains of many Union soldiers were transferred from Smallpox Island, that was also known by another name--Arsenal Island. And according to the park service another name for Arsenal Island was Smallpox Island.  So now there is yet another name for Smallpox Island--Arsenal Island. 

Again the question---were Arsenal, Smallpox, and Quarantine Island the same? If this was the case, I was completely perplexed as how the history of the US Colored Soldiers were completely omitted by a video featured on the Missouri History Museum. In addition, I located a website that actually posted the names of the men whose names were placed on the West Alton MO monument, and none were US Colored Troops. Surely there could not be such a blatant omission of black soldiers!

I watched the remainder of the video, and even said aloud, "why was there no mention of the soldiers from the US Colored Infantry who had contracted cholera?" And these men are known to have originally had personal burials on Quarantine Island. But something occurred to me. One of the most significant policies during that time was also to segregate men of color from white soldiers.

So although Dr. Terry said that they were one and the same, I began to wonder if there was a strong possibility that Quarantine Island was a different island entirely and Black soldiers may have been treated and died of cholera from this different island.

I had a discussion about this with genealogist and researcher Sarah Cato, of St. Louis, who is spearheading the effort in the St-L AAHGS to honor the men who were put in the mass grave. From her research, the men were re-interred at Jefferson Barracks in 1939 from Quarantine Island. I suggested that we both look high and low for a 19th or early 20th century map that might show the Mississippi River and reflect any island called Quarantine Island.

Then Thursday a break came from Ms. Cato! She had gone to work, and she had located a map!! And this map was printed in 1909 and it had two significant islands marked, in the Mississippi River. Arsenal Island and Quarantine Island! "Arsenal and Quarantine", I asked just to be sure. She replied, "I am sending you some email with the image."

Within a minute the email arrived and there it was, an image of the Mississippi River, with St. Louis on the left side of the river, and the state of Illinois on the right side of the river. And sure enough---there were two islands clearly marked. To the north was Arsenal Island, and further south, closer to Jefferson Barracks and extending southward, was Quarantine Island.

The map appears on the website HistoricMapworks. On that site came an old map of St. Louis County, and there if one zooms in are two significant features in the Mississippi River. One was called Arsenal Island and further south was another island, Quarantine Island. They were not one and the same!

(The Map of St. Louis County is found HERE.)

Zooming in closely one can see two distinct islands clearly marked on the map.

               

Images of Map from HistoricMapworks, reflecting Arsenal Island and Quarantine Island as two different islands.

Since I realized that the map was one of St. Louis County and not of St. Louis City, I decided to see if I could find another map also reflecting the two different islands. I came across one map that I didn't expect to reflect anything, because this map was of St. Louis County, but it was printed in 1857, which was four years before the Civil War. But since this was a searchable map I decided to examine it.

To my surprise--the islands in the Mississippi River were reflected on the map, and there were two distinct islands again. This site reflected Wagner's Map of St. Louis County. And this map also revealed that there were was an Arsenal Island and a Quarantine Island.

Arsenal Island (Later known as Smallpox Island) in 1857

Quarantine Island in 1857

So-- once again here was evidence that they were not the same islands! And it is now understood why the 56th US  Colored Infantry would not have been in the video, as their history was different, they died in two different places, and they were treated on two distinct islands.

I understood how Smallpox Island---also known as Arsenal Island disappeared when work began on the Lock and Dam project, and it is now completely gone. However, I wondered if anything remained of Quarantine Island. I notice two things in common on both maps. Quarantine island was close to the Illinois banks of the Mississippi River, and there was a small canal that ran between the island and the Illinois river banks. Could the traces of the island be seen today?

I decided to use Google Maps to see what could be seen from an areal view.  I had to get my bearings first, and on both maps I could see that Quarantine Island would be adjacent to Jefferson Barracks if one were to draw a horizontal line. The island extended southward, and came to almost a pointed shape at the southern most tip. So I looked for something similar using Google.

On one of the older maps, I noticed that Quarantine Island appeared to be on the same latitude as Oakville and an area known as Cliff Cave. I noticed on the satellite image, that after locating Oakville and Cliff Cave which is now a park, to the right, in the river, I saw what appears to be the remnants of a land mass that might have been an island. The land mass comes to a point on the southern most post, and I believe that what little that remains of Quarantine Island has been located. Now, I cannot say with certainty as most likely an archaeologist and cartographer would have to confirm it. However, by the location and the placement of the island this could very well be the southernmost part of an island that was part of Civil War History, USCT history, Mississippi River history and American History.

Image from Google Earth. The red arrows are pointing to a small canal between this island and the Illinois river banks. Could this possibly be the southernmost tip of the old Quarantine Island?

The story of the men who died of cholera at the end of the War, intrigued me. 

Their being buried on a tiny island, then having had their graves disturbed and their being re-interred, in a mass grave saddened me.

And so little knowledge about these men and where their first burial site may have been on today's maps, worried me. 

So, I went in search of Quarantine Island, and I do believe that I have found it.

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(Special thanks to Ms. Sarah Cato for finding the first map that opened the doors to this part of the history of the men of the 56th US Colored Infantry.)

Civil War Soldier Finally Honored

Image from Channel 20, Springfield Illinois

After more than 120 years, the soldier whose face we all know, was finally honored at his resting place, in Springfiled, Illinois, with a headstone.

Image Courtesy of the State Journal Register, Springfield, Illinois.

Pvt. Lewis Martin was a soldier in the 29th US Colored Infantry. Born in Arkansas, this man made it to Illinois before slavery ended, and when time came willingly enlisted in the Union Army. His regiment was dispatched to the eastern theatre of the Civil War and Martin was one of many soldiers wounded at the famous Crater in Petersburg Virginia. 

Document from Service record of Pvt. Lewis Martin.

Image from Fold3.com

I originally wrote an article about Pvt. Martin in 2011.  A Springfield Illinois based historical researcher, Kathy Heyworth, contacted me about the article and pointed out that she knew where he was buried, and that he had no headstone. Ironically this soldier is buried a few hundred feet from the most visited burial at the same cemetery. The burial ground is Oak Ridge Cemetery and not too far from Pvt. Lewis, rests the 16th  president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.

Ms. Heyworth and others worked to obtain a stone for Pvt. Lewis and finally on Sunday, Pvt. Martin's resting place was given it's long overdue marker.

Not many details are known about his life. However, he did obtain a Civil War pension, although it was initially denied him, and even after receiving the pension he had to depend on others for help during the remainder of his life. Some of his funds were said to have been taken by his caretakers, and others. Being disabled he clearly could not work but he was able to live for a few years on his small funds nevertheless. Oddly, upon his death, in the newspapers he was merely reported to have been a heavy drinker, and the remains of the soldier were placed in the pauper's section of Oak Ridge, and with no marker pointing out his military service, or anything to indicated that he had ever lived.

Thankfully, his story has at long last received attention, and on Sunday November 3, he was given a marker and a ceremony was held to honor him. More than likely there are no descendants of this man, and it is not known if he had family at the time he died. At long last however, he will be remembered, and his stone will be seen by visitors to the cemetery.

Thank you Private Martin. We are grateful for your service, for your sacrifice and for your life.

Click Here for Video of the dedication.

Bounty Records of US Colored Troops, in Arkansas Freedman's Bureau Records T - Y

Ledger from Little Rock, Arkansas Field Office

Bounty Register
Roll of Claimants 1868 - 1871

This is the fifth of five articles in which Bounty Records of US Colored Troops are being shared. As stated earlier, these records represent previously unseen bounty payments of US Colored Troops, that were made in Arkansas, including notation of the payments remitted to the soldiers. In some cases one will see the names of women. There women were often the surviving widows of the soldier who was now deceased. In a few cases where there was no spouse, one might be another family member such as a sibling or child. This information was extracted from the Little Rock, Arkansas Field Office.

These represent the surnames beginning with the letters T though Y. (Note there were no surnames beginning with the letter Z.)

The source of all images is from the Internet Archive.

Taylor, Edmund - Thomas, Austin

Thomas, Robert  -  Trottey, Wm.

Upshur, James

Van Buren, Green -  Vaughn, Alex

Willis, Gabriel - Williams, Joe

Waters, Burrell  -  Waters, Moses

Waters, Arthur  -  Williamson, Andrew (Brother of Roger Bernard)

Williamson, Andrew  -  Washington, George

Williams, Mary, Mother of W. Nevils

Yeizer, Sam'l  -  Young, James.

This is the end of the names found on the ledger reflecting Bounty payments made to US Colored Troops in Arkansas. The payments were made to soldiers or their surviving families as late as 1870, and it is hoped that this will shed more light of data pertaining to the history of soldiers who were either from Arkansas, or who relocated to Arkansas after the Civil War.

* * * * *