Local USCT
Anyone who takes a stroll in a historic cemetery will find a slew of fascinating individuals from across the eras. Some might have been early politicians and lawyers. Still others may have been doctors or even soldiers.
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If you venture into a 19th century cemetery in Kentucky, it's almost certain that you will discover a Civil War soldier. While the military markers for Union combatants may all appear the same, there are many that stand in stark contrast for the lettering placed behind their regiment—USCT, USCI, or USCC.
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In 2017, MCHE was made aware of five USCT soldiers buried at Old Greenville Cemetery in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, who were in need of new grave markers. Of course, MCHE understood that the project was worthwhile and necessary. So the historical task began.
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"Perry Weir with a New Grave Marker." Credit: MCHE
The five soldiers MCHE originally knew needed grave markers—Henry Chatham, Perry Weir, Morris Jernigan, Samuel Martin, and Henry Short—were easy to locate. Weir, Jernigan, and Martin were buried near each other on a little hill overlooking a small road, while Short and Chatham were buried in another part of the cemetery.
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After applying for these soldiers to obtain new Veterans Affairs grave markers, MCHE realized that two more USCT were buried in the woods, overtaken by underbrush for numerous years and covered in thick layers of dirt.
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Luckily, we were able to work with local officials to clear out the area so that the two "new" USCT—Thornton Rumsey (see document right) and James Harrison—were finally able to be visited. Their grave markers were also in deplorable condition, leading us to apply for them to have a legible headstone as well. As such, MCHE successfully applied for, and placed, seven upright marble grave markers at Old Greenville Cemetery, in which all seven were memorializing USCT.
"Thornton Rumsey's Enlistment Paper." Credit: Rumsey's Military Documents on Fold3
"Reenactors and Crowd at USCT Ceremony." Credit: MCHE
After the grave markers were placed, we began researching the USCT veterans buried at Old Greenville Cemetery so that we could share their stories at the USCT Stone Reveal Ceremony we hosted.
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Using primary documents via genealogical websites such as Ancestry and Fold3, MCHE was able to uncover interesting information about these soldiers' lives. For example, we determined that Henry Chatham (118th USCI) was ill with measles and smallpox during his time in service, while another one of his documents said, "Owner Address Clark Chatham Greenville Ky."
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Two of these USCT were either musically inclined prior to entering the service or, as necessity so often forces one to adapt to new skills, became so after enlisting—Henry Short (123rd USCI) and Perry Weir (115th USCI) were army musicians.
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Morris Jernigan, who we were able to locate descendants for, was the only USCT buried at Old Greenville Cemetery to have served in the cavalry. Per documents, Morris served with the 6th United States Colored Cavalry (USCC).
Throughout researching around 1,000 Civil War veterans, MCHE discovered that Muhlenberg County provided nearly 100 USCT during the conflict, a rather high number given the small population of my county in the 19th century.
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What is more, research allowed us to discover that many Muhlenberg County soldiers were present at Camp Nelson, even for a brief time. While some of the soldiers present at Camp Nelson were White, many were African American. One of the USCT whom we procured a new grave marker for, James Harrison, was at Camp Nelson in 1865.
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Still other Muhlenberg Countians were at Camp Nelson. Silas Bennett of the 6th USCC, before becoming ill in November of 1865 (right), was stationed at Camp Nelson from July 10-30, 1865. Daniel Nichols, of the identical cavalry regiment, was at Camp Nelson during the same period, as were numerous other Muhlenberg County USCT.
Local United States Colored Troops are fascinating to study. USCT soldiers are buried all throughout Muhlenberg County and came from diverse backgrounds. Some USCT service members were teenagers. Others were in their fifties. These USCT served in various regiments during the war and had different beliefs, ideologies, and even social statuses. Even so, Muhlenberg County's USCT feature a large commonality—they were fighting so African Americans could be free.
"Silas Bennett's Military Record." Credit: Fold3