5th United States Colored Cavalry
Encyclopedia
The 5th United States Colored Cavalry was a regiment
of the United States Army
organized as one of many "Colored" units
during the American Civil War
. The 5th USCC was one of the more notable "black" fighting units and it was officially organized, after its first two battles, in Kentucky
in October 1864. It was commanded by Colonel
James Brisbin until February 1865, when he took over the 6th US Colored Cavalry. His executive officer, Louis Henry Carpenter then commanded the regiment until March 20, 1866. The regiment was composed of ex-slaves, freedmen, and slaves. Many "white" officers from the unit were later assigned to the famed "Buffalo Soldiers" cavalry units. Many former USCC soldiers (later called troopers) volunteered for further service after their Civil War units were retired.
When word of Burbridge’s raid reached the 5th USCC, the regiment had yet to be officially organized until after they returned from the raid. At the time of the battle, over 600 "colored" soldiers joined General Burbridge in the, as yet unorganized, 5th USCC. Although the regiment consisted of black cavalry
men, the officers of the regiment were required to be white. The white officers would then organize noncommissioned field officers among the ranks of the black soldiers to fill the positions of sergeants. However, Lieutenant Colonel L. Henry Carpenter soon realized that his newly formed black troops were illiterate. Therefore, Carpenter petitioned command to place white noncommissioned officers in charge of the black units. His request was granted, and hastily the 5th USCC was formed. Some soldiers had not even officially enlisted; few officers had been appointed, and even fewer noncommissioned officers were assigned. Yet Colonel James F. Wade
was temporarily placed in charge of the group with orders to join Burbridge in Kentucky. In his haste to create the unit, Wade mounted his 600 men on untrained horses with Enfield infantry rifles, which were useless to mounted men as they could not be loaded from horseback. In comparison, the troops of the 11th Michigan and 12th Ohio Cavalries were armed with Spencer repeating carbine
s, which were wholly effective from horseback.
General Burbridge had been ordered by General Grant
to proceed into southwest Virginia and destroy the salt works at Saltville. The 5th USCC, therefore, was attached to Colonel Brisbin’s forces and joined Burbridge in Prestonburg, Kentucky. Burbridge left Prestonburg on September 27 to march towards Saltville. The black troops were an object of much ridicule. The soldiers were also directing their malice at the black soldiers in the form of petty theft, such as having their hat pulled off, or having their horses stolen. Yet the black soldiers never complained or retaliated against the white racism.
on October 1–3, 1864, as part of the Union forces under the command of General Stephen Gano Burbridge. Despite valiant attempts to break through Confederate lines, the cavalry was repeatedly repulsed. The battle became a defeat for the Union forces and in the ensuing hours after its finish, a scene of criminal violence, as Union injured, notably members of the 5th USCC, were murdered in their hospital beds by Confederate partisans.
ordered the 5th USCC to participate in a raid from East Tennessee into southwestern Virginia. This resulted in engagements that involved the 5th USCC at Hopkinsville, Kentucky
on December 12, Kingsport, Tennessee
on December 13, the Battle of Marion
near Marion, Virginia on December 17 & 18, and the second Battle of Saltville
on December 20 & 21 near Saltville, Virginia. All were considered Union victories.
During the Battle of Marion
, Division Commander Stephen G. Burbridge
ordered the 5th USCC between two white units on the left flank of the Union line. Lieutenant Colonel James S. Brisbin
and his second in command, Carpenter, led their dismounted soldiers forward toward the Confederate defensive works. The Confederates opened heavy fire upon the advancing Union troops that included four ten pound Parrott rifled cannons
. The first Union charge wavered and fell back. Carpenter was seen giving clear orders to reform and rallied his men. With a mighty yell the 5th USCC rushed forward toward the breastworks but could not break the defensive line. Carpenter ordered the men to dig in and night fell. Volunteers went out between lines to rescue the wounded.
On December 18, the morning was cold and rainy with a light fog. The second day began as a copy of the first with multiple Union charges. The Union center was able to breach the center of the Confederate breatworks but were pushed out by a Rebel counterattack. Carpenter led a mounted rescue force of colored soldiers to save white soldiers trapped near a cover bridge on the left flank. Carpenter made several attempts but could not rescue the soldiers. Most of those trapped soldiers would be captured later that afternoon, but released before giving their parole.
Later that day the Confederate reinforcements delivered a wild rebel yelling charge on the Union left flank. The white unit adjacent to the 5th USCC was completely routed and the 5th USCC flank was threatened. Ordered to fall back, Carpenter and Brisbin tried to maintain an orderly retreat. Many "colored soldiers" remembering the murder of their comrades during the first battle of Saltville broke ranks to rescue their wounded comrades. The retreat threatened to become a rout. About 4 PM, Union reinforcements arrived and bolstered the Union line. During the night, Confederate forces were forced to retire due to the lack of ammunition. The next day Union forces buried the dead and helped the wounded. The costly victory marked the highpoint of Stoneman's raid.
On the afternoon of December 20, Union forces attacked Saltville, Virginia. Confederate forces were overwhelmed when the 5th & 6th USCC entered the fray with a cold vengeance. Outnumbered Confederate forces retreated and awaited promised reinforcements.
Union forces hastily attempted to destroy the vital salt works. They destroyed about one third of the boiling kettles and most evaporating sheds. They also damaged portions of the Virginia & Tennessee railroad. But they failed to destroy or damage the actual salt wells. General Stoneman claimed a victory and retreated out of Virginia before Confederate forces could completely surround him. Carpenter's role is strangely missing from letters and other documents that simply note that he was there. Within three months, the saltworks were back in full production. Carpenter later wrote a long letter home about this battle and how his men responded.
On January 23, 1865, 80 "colored" troops of Company E, 5th US Colored Cavalry, under command of 2nd Lieutenant Augustus Flint, were assigned to move almost a thousand head of cattle from Camp Nelson to the stock yard at Louisville, Kentucky. The men were mostly assigned to the front and rear of the spread-out herd of cattle. About 41 men were bringing up the rear on January 25 near Simpsonville
, when they were ambushed by Confederate guerrillas. Very few of the Union troops were able to fire their muzzle-loaded Enfield infantry rifles
, due to fouled powder. The guerrillas were armed with 6-shot revolvers, and most carried two or more. As Confederates quickly closed the distance, almost all of the "colored soldiers" bringing up the rear were wounded or dismounted. Only two escaped harm, one by playing dead, and the other hiding under an overturned wagon box. The forward group panicked and fled.
About an hour after the ambush, local citizens found 15 dead and 20 wounded soldiers stretched out on and near the road. Four more soldiers were later found dead of wounds or of exposure nearby. The men of Simpsonville took 20 wounded men back to town, 8 of the men so severely wounded they were not expected to live. A total of six soldiers died enroute or in Louisville.
Later it was determined that 19 Union soldiers had been murdered trying to surrender or after being disarmed. The remainder of the Union wounded were left to die in the freezing cold. Three soldiers remained missing in the final accounting.
Flint, who was in town during the ambush, fled to Louisville. Authorities telegraphed Camp Nelson, and Carpenter immediately ordered ambulances, and a heavy escort mounted and arrived on scene on October 28. They took the surviving wounded to a hospital in Louisville.
Locals reported what had happened and the boasts of the Confederate guerrillas, led by Captain Dick Taylor, who had murdered or shot many of the Union soldiers after they had been captured. The mass grave was located, and an effort was made to find the missing men. Carpenter wrote a report and documented the names of the known guerrillas and encouraged a hunt and their prosecution. This never happened.
at Appomattox Court House
. On March 16, 1866, the 5th USCC held its final formation in Helena, Arkansas
where the fifty missing soldiers from the first battle of Saltville were recognized. Although the likely location for the murdered black soldiers at Wiley Hall would be what is now the Holston Cemetery on Campus, this cannot be proven. Repetitious names from similar units, such as a John Willis of both the Federal and Confederate 5th Kentucky Regiment, bring some doubt as to the accuracy of the marking of the Confederate graves on the campus. This happens on several occasions, and may be due to duplication of a name, or the mislabeling of a grave. Many soldiers of the 5th USCC, who were scraped together from former slaves, freedmen, and liberated slaves, paid the ultimate price for their long-fought freedom.
October 2 - Saltville, Virginia - Battle of Saltville I
October 21 - Harrodsburg, Kentucky - an engagement
December 12 - Hopkinsville, Kentucky - an engagement
December 13 - Kingsport, Tennessee (flanking movement
& skirmishing
)
December 17–18, 1864, Marion, Virginia - Battle of Marion
December 20–21 - Saltville, Virginia - Battle of Saltville II
January 25 - Simpsonville, KY - an ambush
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
organized as one of many "Colored" units
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...
during the 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...
. The 5th USCC was one of the more notable "black" fighting units and it was officially organized, after its first two battles, in Kentucky
Kentucky
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...
in October 1864. It was commanded by Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
James Brisbin until February 1865, when he took over the 6th US Colored Cavalry. His executive officer, Louis Henry Carpenter then commanded the regiment until March 20, 1866. The regiment was composed of ex-slaves, freedmen, and slaves. Many "white" officers from the unit were later assigned to the famed "Buffalo Soldiers" cavalry units. Many former USCC soldiers (later called troopers) volunteered for further service after their Civil War units were retired.
Organization
In the early months of 1864, General Stephen Gano Burbridge, commander of the Military District of Kentucky, issued General Order No. 24 which authorized the formation of "colored" units composed of ex-slaves, freedmen, and slaves in his command. Although the unit was not officially formed until October 24, 1864, it saw combat on two different occasions. Its first major encounter was on October 2, 1864, in and around the salt works of Saltville, Virginia.Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
men, the officers of the regiment were required to be white. The white officers would then organize noncommissioned field officers among the ranks of the black soldiers to fill the positions of sergeants. However, Lieutenant Colonel L. Henry Carpenter soon realized that his newly formed black troops were illiterate. Therefore, Carpenter petitioned command to place white noncommissioned officers in charge of the black units. His request was granted, and hastily the 5th USCC was formed. Some soldiers had not even officially enlisted; few officers had been appointed, and even fewer noncommissioned officers were assigned. Yet Colonel James F. Wade
James F. Wade
James Franklin Wade served as a Major General of Volunteers in the United States Army during the Spanish-American War....
was temporarily placed in charge of the group with orders to join Burbridge in Kentucky. In his haste to create the unit, Wade mounted his 600 men on untrained horses with Enfield infantry rifles, which were useless to mounted men as they could not be loaded from horseback. In comparison, the troops of the 11th Michigan and 12th Ohio Cavalries were armed with Spencer repeating carbine
Spencer repeating rifle
The Spencer repeating rifle was a manually operated lever-action, repeating rifle fed from a tube magazine with cartridges. It was adopted by the Union Army, especially by the cavalry, during the American Civil War, but did not replace the standard issue muzzle-loading rifled muskets in use at the...
s, which were wholly effective from horseback.
General Burbridge had been ordered by General Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
to proceed into southwest Virginia and destroy the salt works at Saltville. The 5th USCC, therefore, was attached to Colonel Brisbin’s forces and joined Burbridge in Prestonburg, Kentucky. Burbridge left Prestonburg on September 27 to march towards Saltville. The black troops were an object of much ridicule. The soldiers were also directing their malice at the black soldiers in the form of petty theft, such as having their hat pulled off, or having their horses stolen. Yet the black soldiers never complained or retaliated against the white racism.
The Battle of Saltville and the 5th USCC
The 5th USCC participated in the Battle of Saltville IBattle of Saltville I
The Battle of Saltville , was fought near the town of Saltville, Virginia, during the American Civil War. The battle was fought by both regular and homeguard Confederate units against regular Union troops, including one of the few black cavalry units, over an important saltworks in the town. The...
on October 1–3, 1864, as part of the Union forces under the command of General Stephen Gano Burbridge. Despite valiant attempts to break through Confederate lines, the cavalry was repeatedly repulsed. The battle became a defeat for the Union forces and in the ensuing hours after its finish, a scene of criminal violence, as Union injured, notably members of the 5th USCC, were murdered in their hospital beds by Confederate partisans.
Stoneman’s 1864 Winter Raid
In December 1864, General George StonemanGeorge Stoneman
George Stoneman, Jr. was a career United States Army officer, a Union cavalry general in the American Civil War, and the 15th Governor of California between 1883 and 1887.-Early life:...
ordered the 5th USCC to participate in a raid from East Tennessee into southwestern Virginia. This resulted in engagements that involved the 5th USCC at Hopkinsville, Kentucky
Hopkinsville, Kentucky
Hopkinsville is a city in Christian County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 31,577 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Christian County.- History :...
on December 12, Kingsport, Tennessee
Kingsport, Tennessee
Kingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...
on December 13, the Battle of Marion
Battle of Marion
The Battle of Marion was a military engagement fought between units of the Union Army and the Confederate Army during the American Civil War near the town of Marion, Virginia. The battle was part of Union Maj. Gen. George Stoneman's attack upon southwest Virginia, aimed at destroying Confederate...
near Marion, Virginia on December 17 & 18, and the second Battle of Saltville
Battle of Saltville II
The Battle of Saltville , was fought near the town of Saltville, Virginia, during the American Civil War....
on December 20 & 21 near Saltville, Virginia. All were considered Union victories.
During the Battle of Marion
Battle of Marion
The Battle of Marion was a military engagement fought between units of the Union Army and the Confederate Army during the American Civil War near the town of Marion, Virginia. The battle was part of Union Maj. Gen. George Stoneman's attack upon southwest Virginia, aimed at destroying Confederate...
, Division Commander Stephen G. Burbridge
Stephen G. Burbridge
-External links:* — Article by Civil War historian/author Bryan S. Bush...
ordered the 5th USCC between two white units on the left flank of the Union line. Lieutenant Colonel James S. Brisbin
James Sanks Brisbin
James Sanks Brisbin was an American educator, lawyer, and soldier. He served as a Union Army general during the American Civil War...
and his second in command, Carpenter, led their dismounted soldiers forward toward the Confederate defensive works. The Confederates opened heavy fire upon the advancing Union troops that included four ten pound Parrott rifled cannons
Parrott rifle
The Parrott rifle was a type of muzzle loading rifled artillery weapon used extensively in the American Civil War.-Parrott Rifle:The gun was invented by Robert Parker Parrott, a West Point graduate. He resigned from the service in 1836 and became the superintendent of the West Point Foundry in Cold...
. The first Union charge wavered and fell back. Carpenter was seen giving clear orders to reform and rallied his men. With a mighty yell the 5th USCC rushed forward toward the breastworks but could not break the defensive line. Carpenter ordered the men to dig in and night fell. Volunteers went out between lines to rescue the wounded.
Later that day the Confederate reinforcements delivered a wild rebel yelling charge on the Union left flank. The white unit adjacent to the 5th USCC was completely routed and the 5th USCC flank was threatened. Ordered to fall back, Carpenter and Brisbin tried to maintain an orderly retreat. Many "colored soldiers" remembering the murder of their comrades during the first battle of Saltville broke ranks to rescue their wounded comrades. The retreat threatened to become a rout. About 4 PM, Union reinforcements arrived and bolstered the Union line. During the night, Confederate forces were forced to retire due to the lack of ammunition. The next day Union forces buried the dead and helped the wounded. The costly victory marked the highpoint of Stoneman's raid.
On the afternoon of December 20, Union forces attacked Saltville, Virginia. Confederate forces were overwhelmed when the 5th & 6th USCC entered the fray with a cold vengeance. Outnumbered Confederate forces retreated and awaited promised reinforcements.
Union forces hastily attempted to destroy the vital salt works. They destroyed about one third of the boiling kettles and most evaporating sheds. They also damaged portions of the Virginia & Tennessee railroad. But they failed to destroy or damage the actual salt wells. General Stoneman claimed a victory and retreated out of Virginia before Confederate forces could completely surround him. Carpenter's role is strangely missing from letters and other documents that simply note that he was there. Within three months, the saltworks were back in full production. Carpenter later wrote a long letter home about this battle and how his men responded.
Ambush at Simpsonville
Simpsonville, Kentucky
Simpsonville is a city in Shelby County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,281 at the 2000 census and estimated at 1,482 in 2009.-Geography:Simpsonville is located at ....
, when they were ambushed by Confederate guerrillas. Very few of the Union troops were able to fire their muzzle-loaded Enfield infantry rifles
Pattern 1853 Enfield
The Enfield Pattern 1853 Rifle-Musket was a .577 calibre Minié-type muzzle-loading rifle-musket, used by the British Empire from 1853 to 1867, after which many Enfield 1853 Rifle-Muskets were converted to the cartridge-loaded Snider-Enfield rifle.-History &...
, due to fouled powder. The guerrillas were armed with 6-shot revolvers, and most carried two or more. As Confederates quickly closed the distance, almost all of the "colored soldiers" bringing up the rear were wounded or dismounted. Only two escaped harm, one by playing dead, and the other hiding under an overturned wagon box. The forward group panicked and fled.
Later it was determined that 19 Union soldiers had been murdered trying to surrender or after being disarmed. The remainder of the Union wounded were left to die in the freezing cold. Three soldiers remained missing in the final accounting.
Flint, who was in town during the ambush, fled to Louisville. Authorities telegraphed Camp Nelson, and Carpenter immediately ordered ambulances, and a heavy escort mounted and arrived on scene on October 28. They took the surviving wounded to a hospital in Louisville.
Locals reported what had happened and the boasts of the Confederate guerrillas, led by Captain Dick Taylor, who had murdered or shot many of the Union soldiers after they had been captured. The mass grave was located, and an effort was made to find the missing men. Carpenter wrote a report and documented the names of the known guerrillas and encouraged a hunt and their prosecution. This never happened.
End of the 5th USCC
The 5th USCC remained on duty for almost a year after the surrender of the Army of Northern VirginiaArmy of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...
at Appomattox Court House
Appomattox Court House
The Appomattox Courthouse is the current courthouse in Appomattox, Virginia built in 1892. It is located in the middle of the state about three miles northwest of the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, once known as Clover Hill - home of the original Old Appomattox Court House...
. On March 16, 1866, the 5th USCC held its final formation in Helena, Arkansas
Helena, Arkansas
Helena is the eastern portion of Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, a city in Phillips County, Arkansas. As of the 2000 census, this portion of the city population was 6,323. Helena was the county seat of Phillips County until January 1, 2006, when it merged its government and city limits with...
where the fifty missing soldiers from the first battle of Saltville were recognized. Although the likely location for the murdered black soldiers at Wiley Hall would be what is now the Holston Cemetery on Campus, this cannot be proven. Repetitious names from similar units, such as a John Willis of both the Federal and Confederate 5th Kentucky Regiment, bring some doubt as to the accuracy of the marking of the Confederate graves on the campus. This happens on several occasions, and may be due to duplication of a name, or the mislabeling of a grave. Many soldiers of the 5th USCC, who were scraped together from former slaves, freedmen, and liberated slaves, paid the ultimate price for their long-fought freedom.
Battles of the 5th USCC
Summary of battles of the 5th USCC.-
-
-
- 1864
-
-
October 2 - Saltville, Virginia - Battle of Saltville I
Battle of Saltville I
The Battle of Saltville , was fought near the town of Saltville, Virginia, during the American Civil War. The battle was fought by both regular and homeguard Confederate units against regular Union troops, including one of the few black cavalry units, over an important saltworks in the town. The...
October 21 - Harrodsburg, Kentucky - an engagement
Engagement (military)
A military engagement is a combat between two forces, neither larger than a division and not smaller than a company, in which each has an assigned or perceived mission...
December 12 - Hopkinsville, Kentucky - an engagement
December 13 - Kingsport, Tennessee (flanking movement
Flanking maneuver
In military tactics, a flanking maneuver, also called a flank attack, is an attack on the sides of an opposing force. If a flanking maneuver succeeds, the opposing force would be surrounded from two or more directions, which significantly reduces the maneuverability of the outflanked force and its...
& skirmishing
Skirmisher
Skirmishers are infantry or cavalry soldiers stationed ahead or alongside a larger body of friendly troops. They are usually placed in a skirmish line to harass the enemy.-Pre-modern:...
)
December 17–18, 1864, Marion, Virginia - Battle of Marion
Battle of Marion
The Battle of Marion was a military engagement fought between units of the Union Army and the Confederate Army during the American Civil War near the town of Marion, Virginia. The battle was part of Union Maj. Gen. George Stoneman's attack upon southwest Virginia, aimed at destroying Confederate...
December 20–21 - Saltville, Virginia - Battle of Saltville II
Battle of Saltville II
The Battle of Saltville , was fought near the town of Saltville, Virginia, during the American Civil War....
-
-
-
- 1865
-
-
January 25 - Simpsonville, KY - an ambush
Ambush
An ambush is a long-established military tactic, in which the aggressors take advantage of concealment and the element of surprise to attack an unsuspecting enemy from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind hilltops...
See also
- List of United States Colored Troops Civil War Units
- David E. Brown, "History of the 5th Regiment Cavalry, United States Colored Troops"
- Champ FergusonChamp FergusonSamuel "Champ" Ferguson was a notorious Confederate guerrilla during the American Civil War. He claimed to have killed over 100 Union soldiers and pro-Union civilians.-Early life and origins of Confederate stance:...