The U.S. Colored Troops Monument at Ferncliff Cemetery
The United States Colored Troops played a crucial role in the Civil War, and a monument erected in their honor resides at Ferncliff Cemetery in Springfield, Ohio.
The idea for a monument dedicated to the United States Colored Troops (USCT) in Springfield, Ohio was initiated by Dale Henry, president of Gammon House. Henry’s inspiration was personal: his great-grandfather, Samuel L. Bryant.
Samuel is one of the USCT soldiers listed on the monument, and was laid to rest in the first row of the GAR Civil War Mound in 1925. After Henry brought the idea for the monument to the Ferncliff Cemetery association, the group offered unanimous support, and the project began in 2019.
About the USCT
On May 22, 1863 the United States War Department established the Bureau of Colored Troops, Led by Major Charles Warren Foster, officially forming African American regiments under the name United States Colored Troops. Soldiers of Native American, Pacific Islander and Asian American descent also served in the USCT.
During the Civil War, approximately 179,000 soldiers served as the United States Colored Troops (USCT). These soldiers made up 10 percent of the Union manpower, with 175 regiments throughout the north. An estimated 19,000 more Black soldiers served in the Navy. In total, 40,000 Black soldiers died during the Civil War.
During the Civil War, USCT soldiers served in all aspects from the front line artillery and infantry positions to surgeons, carpenters, steamboat pilots and more. While Black women were not permitted to join the Union Army, they served as nurses, spies and scouts. Most famously, Harriet Tubman served as a scout for the 2nd South Carolina Volunteers.
Racial discrimination was prevalent in the northern states, and Black soldiers were originally paid almost half of their white counterparts, before Congress granted equal, retroactive pay to the USCT in June of 1864. Black troops were also at greater risk when captured by the Confederate Army than white troops. In response, President Lincoln Issues General Order 233 on July 19, 1854 “threatening reprisal on Confederate prisoners of war (POWs) for any mistreatment of black troops.”
The final regiment of the USCT, was mustered out in December 1867, two years after the conclusion of the Civil War.
President Lincoln is credited with, “Without the military help of the Black freedmen, the war against the South could not have been won.”
5th USCT Company G Re-Enactors at the dedication of the USCT Monument at Ferncliff Cemetery
The USCT Monument at Ferncliff
Completed and installed in April 2020, the USCT Monument is 5.5 feet tall and made of nearly 8,000 pounds of Blue Ridge Granite.
The monument includes the names, regiments and company of the 139 USCT veterans interred at Ferncliff.
MONUMENT INSCRIPTIONS
The following quotes and names are inscribed on The USCT monument at Ferncliff:
Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letter, U.S., let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder and bullets in his pocket, there is no power on earth that can deny that he has earned the right to full citizenship. - Frederick Douglass
“President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation signed January 1, 1863 paved the way for recruiting Black soldiers for voluntary union service. By the war’s end, roughly 179,000 soldiers served as United States Colored Troops, while 19,000 served in the navy. Approximately 40,000 Black soldiers died in the Civil War.
The USCT comprised one-tenth of Union manpower with 175 regiments serving in the union army. Facing difficult circumstances, they fought with distinction that eventually provided means to bring the end to slavery, to receive full citizenship and to gain the right to vote.”
“Of the USCT interred here, 44 of them, identified by an asterisk *, were present at either Confederate Gen. Robert E Lee’s surrender to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox on April 9, 1865 or at Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston’s Surrender to Union General William T. Sherman at Bennett Place April 26, 1865.”
The USCT Monument at Ferncliff Cemetery
United States Colored Troops Interred Ferncliff Cemetery - Springfield, Ohio
Morgan, Perry Regiment 1, Company B, USCHA
Amos, John Regiment 5, Company K, USCT
Banion, John W. Regiment 5, Company, E, USCI
Bluford, Gabriel Regiment 5, Company A, USCT
Brannam, Joseph Regiment 5, Company I, USCI
Brown, E.M. Regiment 5, Company B, USCI
Cissell, Charles Regiment 5, Company D, USCC
Cunningham, Alexander Regiment 5, Company C, USCT
Dent, Franklin Regiment 5, Company, E, USCT
Harper, William Regiment 5, Company B, USCHA
Hawkins, James Regiment 5, Company K, USCT
Isley, James Regiment 5, Company A, USCT
Jarris, Samuel Regiment 5, Company G, USCI
Jones, James A. Regiment 5, Company A, USCT
Kelley, William H. Regiment 5, Company K, USCT
Letts, Nelson Regiment 5, Company D, USCT
Melvin, George W. Regiment 5, Company M, USCHA
Mudd, Peter Regiment 5, Company L, USCI
Reed, Isaiah Regiment 5, Company A, USCT
Shafer, William H. Regiment 5, Company F, USCT
Smith, Martin Regiment 5, Company D, USCT
Spears, Samuel Regiment 5, Company K, USCY
Warrick, John Regiment 5, Company K, USCT
White, William H. Regiment 5, Company K, USCT
Smith, Ervin L. Regiment 8, Company I, USCI
Taylor, Milton Regiment 8, Company I, USCI
Jones, Oliver Regiment 9, Company C, USCI
Perry, Peter Regiment 9, Company B, USCHA
Wilson, Albert Regiment 10, Company G, USCC
Ellis, C.W. Regiment 11, Company H, USCHA
Carney, John Regiment 12, Company D, USCI
Mitchell, John Regiment 12, Company M, USCT
Nelson, James Regiment 12, Company B, USCT
Saunders, Pleasant Regiment 12, Company A, USCT
Garison, William Regiment 13, Company K, USCHA
Love, George W. Regiment 13, Company I, USCHA
Wall, Robin Regiment 13, Company B, USCHA
Ware, Dennis Regiment 13, Company M, USCHA
Mason, David Regiment 15, Company A, USCI
Williams, Carey Regiment 15,USCT
Maxey, John N. Regiment 16, Company A, USCI
Marshall, Henry Regiment 16, Company F, USCT
Webb, Thomas Regiment 17, Company B, USCT
Morgan, Henry B. Regiment 20, Company F, USCT
Waldron, Robert Regiment 21, Company F, USCT
Butler, Emanuel T. Regiment 22, Company G, USCI
Williams, Rob Regiment 22, Company F, USCT
Carter, Randolph Regiment 23, Company H, USCI
Evans, William J. Regiment 23, Company E, USCI
Brown, Michael B. Regiment 26, USCI
Williams, Daniel Regiment 26, Company A, USCT
Bazzell, Clayborne* Regiment 27, Company B, USCT
Carter, Henry* Regiment 27, Company A, USCT
Clay, Thomas H.* Regiment 27, USCT
Crockett, James* Regiment 27, Company B, USCT
Gaskins, Ferdinand* Regiment27, Company, H, USCT
Harris, John* Regiment 27, Company G, USCT
Hoffman, William* Regiment 27, Company E, USCT
Miles, John B.* Regiment 27, Company A, USCT
Miles, William* Regiment 27, Company A, USCT
Nutter, Abraham Regiment 27, Company E, USCT
Palmer, Washington Regiment 27, Company K, USCT
Porter, George W. Regiment 27, Company A, USCI
Scott, Robert Regiment 27, Company I, USCT
Smith, Elias C. Regiment 27, Company C, USCI
Underwood, Williams S. Regiment 27, Company G, USCI
William, Berhan A. Regiment 27 Company D, USCT
Walker, Haston Regiment 27, Company A, USCI
Warwick, Reuben Regiment 27, Company K, USCT
Whetzell, C.W. Regiment 27, Company D, USCT
Wilson, Lewis Regiment 27, Company H, USCT
Brooks, Lorenzo Regiment 28, Company, H, USCI
Hantz, Benjamin F. Regiment 32, Company B, USCI
Munroe, Alfred Regiment 32, Company G, USCI
Walker, J.H. Regiment 32, Company B, USCI
Dickson, William H. Regiment 42, Company K, USCT
Washington, Alexander Regiment 44, Company H USCI
Linden, Henry Regiment 45, Company B, USCI
Graham, Elmer C. Regiment 48, Company I, USCT
Mayo, Varnell Regiment 54, Company I, INF.
Washington, Edward Regiment 54, Company A, INF.
Dean, Charles Regiment 55, Company E, INF.
Grain, James Regiment 55, Company G, INF.
Jones, John W. Regiment 55, Company G, INF.
Sampson, David Wilson Regiment 55, Company E, INF.
Orr, Charles Regiment 57, Company D, USCI
Walker, George W. Regiment 60, Company K, USCT
Davis, Jesse Regiment 72, Company D, USCT
White, W.I. Regiment 78, Company B, USCHA
Boggs, Biddle Regiment 80, Company, K, USCT
Clark, Mathias Regiment 100, Company F, USCT
Clemmons, Daniel Regiment 100, Company C, USCI
Cox, Daniel Regiment 100, Company C, USGT
Day, Jackson Regiment 100, Company G, USCI
Frazer, Charles Regiment 100, Company K, USCT
Gerrard, Thomas Regiment 100, Company C, USCT
Green, Daniel Regiment 100, Company K, USCT
Mickens, George R Regiment 100, Company K, USCT
Self, Thomas Regiment 100, Company H, USCT
Simpson, Edward Regiment 100, Company K, USCT
Armstrong, William Regiment 102, Company E, USCI
Chance, Jesse C Regiment 104, USCT
Roberts, Richard Regiment 107, Company K, USCT
Payne, Alex Regiment 109, Company K, USCI
Watson, Geo William Regiment 109, Company I, USCI
Ballard, James Regiment 114, Company A, USCI
Beasley, Daniel Regiment 114, Company I, USCT
Richard, Alfred Regiment 114, Company A, USCI
Tillman, Louis Regiment 115, Company K, USCT
Henderson, Silas Regiment 116, USCT
Jackson, George Regiment 116, Company H, USCT
Miller, Silas Regiment 116, Company G, USCT
Steggers, William Regiment 116, Company C, USCI
Turner, Cyrus B Regiment 116, Company F, USCI
Armstrong, John Regiment 117, Company B, USCI
Armstrong, Thomas G. Regiment 117, Company B, USCI
Banian, Horace Regiment 117, Company H, USCT
Belt, Harry Regiment 117, Company D, USCI
Brown, Essex Regiment 117, Company H, USCHA
Bryant, Samuel Regiment 117, Company A, USCI
Coleman, Alex Regiment 117, Company D, USCI
Coleman, George Regiment 117, Company D, USCI
Custer, Jessie Regiment 117, Company K, USCI
Johnson, Merritt Regiment 117, Company I, USCT
Miller, Anderson Regiment 117, Company B, USCT
Taylor, Joel James Regiment 117, Company D, USCI
Wiggins, Jefferson Regiment 117, Company D, USCT
Williams, Spencer Regiment 117, Company D, USCT
Wilson, Spencer Regiment 117, Company B, USCT
Black, Israel Regiment 119, Company D, USCT
Hayden, William Regiment 119, Company B, USCT
Todd, Reuben Joseph Regiment 119, Company D, USCI
Turner, Oscar Regiment 119, Company E, USCI
Barrett, Washington Regiment 124, Company F, USCI
Chinn, Solomon Regiment 124, Company K, USCI
Huffman, William Regiment 124, Company A, USCI
Gordon, William Regiment 127, Company H, USCT
Sever, James H. Regiment 150, Company C, CLRD INF
Stewart, Robert E UNAS
DEDICATION
The USCT monument at Ferncliff was installed in April 2020, though dedication was delayed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The monument was officially dedicated on Sept. 3, 2021. The ceremony included:
- Placement of Flags by Re-Enactors
- 5th USCT Regimental Flag
- 34th Star Flag
- Juneteenth Flag
- USA Flag
- Master of Ceremonies: William H. Miller, Gammon House Board
- Prayer: Bishop Ronald Logan, Greater Grace Apostolic Church
- Star-Spangled Banner: Springfield High School Choir
- Name Recital of Interred Veterans: Kevin Rose, Turner Foundation Historian, Hartman Rock Garden
- Introduction of Speakers: Pastor Eli Williams, President Urban Light Ministries
- Abraham Lincoln Re-Enactor: John King
- Cemetery Executive Director: Darrell Kitchen
- Letter of Commendation: State Rep. Kyle Koehler
- Gammon House President: Dale Henry
- Poem: Frederick E. Smith, Civil War Historical Interpreter and Presenter, 5th USCT Civil War Reenacting Unit
- “The Colored Soldiers” by Paul Laurence Dunbar (1895)
- Comments: Representatives of the 5th USCT Company G
- Wreath Placement: Dale Henry, Gammon House President, Dr. Paul “Ski” Schanher, Ferncliff Board of Trustees
- Benediction: Pastor Raymond Lloyd, Pastor El Bethel Temple
The USCT Monument at Ferncliff Cemetery is open to the public daily during normal gate hours.
Frederick E. Smith, Civil War Historical Interpreter and Presenter
