116th Regiment Infantry U.S. Colored Troops
Encyclopedia
The 116th Regiment, United States Colored Troops
was an American Civil War
era Union Army
organization made up of African-American troops and white officers.
from June 6 to July 12, 1864.
From July until September, 1864 the regiment was attached to the Military District of Kentucky, Department of the Ohio
.
The 116th was attached to the X Corps, Army of the James
until November, 1864. From November to December of that year the regiment was part of 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, X Corps.
From December, 1864 to April, 1865 the regiment was assigned to 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, XXV Corps.
The regiment was part of 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, XXV Corps and the Department of Texas until September, 1866, when it became part of the Department of the Gulf, a relationship that was maintained until the regiment was mustered out in January, 1867.
From September to October, 1864 the regiment joined the Army of the James at City Point
, Virginia
.
Beginning in October, 1864 the 116th Regiment took part in the Sieges of Petersburg
and Richmond, where it remained until April, 1865. During this period the regiment took part in several engagements, including:
After Lee's surrender, the 116th Regiment remained on duty at Petersburg until May 25, when it embarked at City Point, Virginia for transport to Texas. Upon arriving in June the regiment assumed duty in the southern part of the state as part of General Philip H. Sheridan's army of occupation, serving in posts including Ringgold Barracks at Rio Grande City.
In September, 1866 the 116th U.S.C.T. moved to New Orleans, Louisiana
, where it remained on duty until January, 1867
The 116th United States Colored Infantry Regiment was mustered out in Louisville, Kentucky
on January 17, 1867.
and Ira Hobart Evans
, white officers assigned to the 116th U.S.C.T., each received the Medal of Honor.
United States Colored Troops
The United States Colored Troops were regiments of the United States Army during the American Civil War that were composed of African American soldiers. First recruited in 1863, by the end of the Civil War, the men of the 175 regiments of the USCT constituted approximately one-tenth of the Union...
was an American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
era Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
organization made up of African-American troops and white officers.
Organization and Assignment History
The 116th Regiment, U.S.C.T. was organized at Camp Nelson, KentuckyKentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
from June 6 to July 12, 1864.
From July until September, 1864 the regiment was attached to the Military District of Kentucky, Department of the Ohio
Department of the Ohio
The Department of the Ohio was an administrative military district created by the United States War Department early in the American Civil War to administer the troops in the Northern states near the Ohio River.General Orders No...
.
The 116th was attached to the X Corps, Army of the James
Army of the James
The Army of the James was a Union Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia.-History:...
until November, 1864. From November to December of that year the regiment was part of 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, X Corps.
From December, 1864 to April, 1865 the regiment was assigned to 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, XXV Corps.
The regiment was part of 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, XXV Corps and the Department of Texas until September, 1866, when it became part of the Department of the Gulf, a relationship that was maintained until the regiment was mustered out in January, 1867.
Service and Duty
The 116th Colored Troops remained on duty at Camp Nelson until September, 1864, and took part in the defense of Camp Nelson and Hickman's Bridge during an attack by troops under the command of Nathan Bedford Forrest.From September to October, 1864 the regiment joined the Army of the James at City Point
City Point, Virginia
City Point was a town in Prince George County, Virginia that was annexed by the independent city of Hopewell in 1923. It served as headquarters of the Union Army during the Siege of Petersburg during the American Civil War.- History :...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
Beginning in October, 1864 the 116th Regiment took part in the Sieges of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
and Richmond, where it remained until April, 1865. During this period the regiment took part in several engagements, including:
- The north side of the James RiverJames RiverThe James River may refer to:Rivers in the United States and their namesakes* James River * James River , North Dakota, South Dakota* James River * James River * James River...
, October 27 to 28, 1864
- Fatigue duty at Deep Bottom, Dutch GapDutch GapDutch Gap is located on the James River in Chesterfield County, Virginia near the site of the lost 17th-century city of Henricus.In 1611, Sir Thomas Dale, according to a method he had learned while campaigning in Holland, cut a ditch across a portion of land behind town...
and Richmond, November to March, 1865
- Hatcher's Run, March 27 to 28
- Appomattox CampaignAppomattox CampaignThe Appomattox Campaign was a series of battles fought March 29 – April 9, 1865, in Virginia that culminated in the surrender of Confederate General Robert E...
, March 28 to April 9
- Boydton Road and Hatcher's RunBattle of Hatcher's RunThe Battle of Hatcher's Run, also known as Dabney's Mill, Armstrong's Mill, Rowanty Creek, and Vaughn Road, fought February 5–7, 1865, was one in a series of Union offensives during the Siege of Petersburg, aimed at cutting off Confederate supply traffic on Boydton Plank Road and the Weldon...
, March 29 to 31
- The fall of Petersburg, April 2
- Pursuit of Lee, April 3 to 9
- Appomattox Court HouseAppomattox Court House National Historical ParkThe Appomattox Court House National Historical Park is a National Historical Park of original and reconstructed nineteenth century buildings. It was signed into law August 3, 1935. The village was made a national monument in 1940 and a national historical park in 1954...
, April 9
- Surrender of Lee and his army
After Lee's surrender, the 116th Regiment remained on duty at Petersburg until May 25, when it embarked at City Point, Virginia for transport to Texas. Upon arriving in June the regiment assumed duty in the southern part of the state as part of General Philip H. Sheridan's army of occupation, serving in posts including Ringgold Barracks at Rio Grande City.
In September, 1866 the 116th U.S.C.T. moved to New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, where it remained on duty until January, 1867
The 116th United States Colored Infantry Regiment was mustered out in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
on January 17, 1867.
Prominent Members
Walter ThornWalter Thorn
Walter Thorn was a Union Army officer in the American Civil War. On December 8, 1898 he received the Medal of Honor for his action while serving as a Second Lieutenant in the 116th United States Colored Troops, a unit made up of white officers and African-American soldiers.-Military service:After...
and Ira Hobart Evans
Ira Hobart Evans
Ira Hobart Evans was an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War and received the Medal of Honor. He was also a prominent Texas businessman and philanthropist.-Early life:...
, white officers assigned to the 116th U.S.C.T., each received the Medal of Honor.
Sources
- History Engine web site, article, The 116th Colored Troops at the Battle of Petersburgh
- History of the 116th Regiment, U.S.C. Infantry, by Charles Kireker, 1866
- The Black Phalanx: a history of the Negro Soldiers of the United States, by Joseph Thomas Wilson, 1890
- African Americans at War: an Encyclopedia, by Jonathan Sutherland, 2004, Volume 2
- Camp Nelson, Kentucky: a Civil War History, by Richard D. Sears, 2002
- The United States Army and Reconstruction, 1865–1877, by James E. Sefton, 1967
- The Petersburg Campaign: June 1864-April 1865, John Horn, 1999
- Black Confederates and Afro-Yankees in Civil War Virginia, by Ervin L. Jordan, 1995
- A History of Blacks in Kentucky: from Slavery to Segregation, 1760–1891, Marion Brunson Lucas, 2003
- American Civil War web site, Colored Troops in the American Civil War page
- Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park web site
- Texas Historical Commission pamphlet, Rio Grande City