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6/20/11 Amherst Planning Dept.

~ JT

AMHERSTS BLACK CIVIL WAR VETERANS


The following list of African-American Civil War veterans associated with Amherst, Massachusetts is drawn from a variety of sources, and is subject to change as further information becomes available. This list includes black soldiers who enlisted in or from Amherst, as well as men who enlisted from other towns or even other states, but who were credited to Amhersts enlistment. [An exception is Josiah C. Hasbrook, a veteran who enlisted elsewhere and moved to Amherst after the war.] Some of these men may well have travelled to Amherst and established residence here in order to enlist. A number of the soldiers from other communities settled in Amherst after the war. The enlistment origin of some of the men listed is unknown. Some might be assumed from their surnames to be from Amherst, but this is not certain. Notable are the strong family associations between Amherst veterans and veterans from other communities across the western Massachusetts regionfamilies like Jackson, Jennings, and Thompson. Key: ~ died in service WC ~ buried in West Cemetery (if possible but not known, then ? added)

54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment


The 54th was the first all-black combat infantry unit for the Union. Led by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, its formation and its participation in the bloody assault on Fort Wagner in South Carolina (only one of many engagements in which the 54th was involved) were featured in the movie Glory. Company A Sanford Jackson (Amherst) ~ Died in hospital at Beaufort, S.C., Sept. 13, 1863, of gunshot wounds received during the assault on Fort Wagner. Buried nearby. An 1840 rescuer (and later, husband) of Angeline Palmer. Sanford was the second oldest son of Amherst residents Richard and Polly Jackson. Sanfords two brothers, Jarvis and Windsor, also served. Of the three, only Windsor survived. Company B William A. Story (Hadley) ~ William came to Amherst from Holyoke in 1850. He was working as a barber in Hadley when he enlisted in 1863, serving as a private. After the war, he was a barber in Amherst. Company C Charles A. Finnemore (Amherst), WC ~ When he enlisted in 1863, Charles was living in the household of Christopher Thompson (see 5th Cavalry). Charles took part in battles of James Island, Morris Island and Olustee. Wounded Feb. 24, 1864, in battle of Olustee, Fla, during a retreat (sometimes referred to as a brisk rearguard action) from oncoming Confederate forces--it was common practice for the Union Army to place the colored regiments as buffers between the main body of Union troops and oncoming Confederate

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forces. Charles was discharged as a private. He was photographed at Amherst in 1895 at a gathering for the Grand Army of the Republic (a Civil War veterans group). William Jennings (Amherst) ~ Born in Ludlow, William lived in Amherst by 1840, when he was one of the rescuers of Angeline Palmer. He was a farm laborer when he enlisted on March 12, 1863. He was discharged less than a month later (April 10, 1863) at Camp Meigs, in Readville, Massachusetts, owing to an unspecified disability, but re-enlisted Jan. 39, 1864 in the 5th Massachusetts Cavalry where he served for the rest of the war.
54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment (cont.)

Company C (cont.) William Henry Harrison Jennings (Amherst) ~ William was the son of William Jennings (previous) and Matilda Thompson (possibly a Hatfield cousin of Henry, Christopher and James Thompsonsee below). William Jr. was born in 1841, the same year President Henry Harrison died. William enlisted in March 14, 1863, two days after his father, and was mustered into the same company. He took part in the battle of James Island and others, and likewise served throughout the war. Alexander Taylor (Amherst) ~ Alexander enlisted July 18, 1863 and was discharged Aug. 20, 1865 as a private. He later lived on Railroad Street, working as a laborer. Alexander married Irish native Catherine Kalcore (Kilgore?), who worked as a housekeeper. James Thompson (Amherst) ~ Born in Whately as the younger brother of Henry and Christopher Thompson (see 5th Mass. Cavalry), James was a farm laborer in Amherst when he enlisted on March 14, 1863. He served as a private throughout the war, taking part in battles of James Island, Fort Wagner and all the engagements of the regiment. Company D John N. Langley (Amherst), WC? ~ A new resident in Amherst (from Rutland, VT) at the time of his enlistment in early 1863, John served as a private and was invalided out at Beaufort, S.C., of a self-inflicted wound. Company H Francis N. Jennings (Amherst) ~ The second son of William Jennings and younger brother of William H.H. Jennings, Francis enlisted on Oct. 23, 1863, having been too young to enlist in March with his father and older brother. He took part in battles of Honey Hills, S.C. and Olustee, Fla. Company K Jason Champlin (Shutesbury), WC? ~ An Amherst native and Shutesbury farmer, Jason was the oldest son of James and Catherine (Venor/Vennaul) Champlin, and the older brother of Dennis Champlin (see 55th Mass. Regt., below). Jason enlisted at Amherst in Aug. 1863 as a substitute for Hiram Smith, who paid Jason a $300 bounty. Jason served as a private and was killed in the rearguard battle of Olustee, Fla.

55th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment


Company B Dennis Champlin (Pelham) ~ Dennis was an Amherst native and resident of Pelham and Charleston, Mass. He enlisted and was mustered into the company on the same day--Dec. 28, 1864. Dennis was the younger brother of Jason Champlin (see 54th Mass. Regt, above).

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Because of his service in an Amherst unit, he was considered a legal resident and voter of Amherst while a soldier. He was a laborer in Amherst in 1870.

5th Massachusetts Cavalry Regiment The 5th Cavalry Regiment was organized at Camp Meigs, Readville, Massachusetts, in May 1864. The regiment saw active duty between 1864 and 1865, and was sent to Texas after the war for a time, to preclude a potential late Confederate invasion from Mexico. The Regiment was disbanded on October 31, 1865.
5th Massachusetts Cavalry Regiment (cont.)

Company A Samuel Freeman (Amherst) ~ Born in Connecticut, Samuel was living in Amherst as a farmers boy when he enlisted on Dec, 22, 1863. He joined as a bugler and was discharged a private on June 21, 1865 from a military hospital at Fort Monroe, Virginia. Samuel Freeman did not return to Amherst after the war. Howard E. Paxen/Paxton (Amherst) Born in Hertford County, Maryland, Howard was a fugitive slave living in Amherst and working as a laborer when he enlisted on Dec. 9, 1863. He served throughout the war and was discharged at Boston. Charles Waters (unknown) ~ His Aug./Sept. 1864 enlistment was credited to Amherst. He was discharged as a private. No evidence indicates he ever lived in Amherst. Company B Charles Turner (unknown) ~ Mustered into the company on Sept. 12, 1864 and credited to Amhersts quota. He was discharged as a corporal. Theres no evidence he lived in Amherst. Jarvis Jackson (Amherst), WC? ~ A teamster before the war, Jarvis died in hospital at Brazos, Texas, of malaria. Jarvis was brother to Sanford (54th Regt.) and Windsor (see next). Windsor Jackson (Amherst) ~ The only Jackson brother to survive the war. Windsor enlisted Dec. 28, 1863, receiving a $125 bounty. He was discharged at Clarksville, Texas. John D. Thompson (Amherst), WC ~ Born in Hatfield, John was the son of Henry and Wealthy (Washington) Thompson (see Companies D and E for Henry and other relatives). John was working as a farm laborer in Amherst when he enlisted on Dec. 12, 1863. He died three months later March 12, 1864) at Camp Meigs in Readville, Mass., of an injury sustained in a fall. William Williamson (unknown) ~ Born in North Carolina, William was mustered into the company on Sept. 12, 1864. There is no record of him in Amherst. He may have been a transient living in Amherst when he enlisted.

Company C

William Jennings (Amherst) ~ (See 54th Mass. Regt.) One of the rescuers of Angeline Palmer. Originally enlisting in the 54th Mass. Infantry Regt., William re-enlisted in Co. B or C (the records disagree) of the 5th Mass. Cavalry. Company D Arthur Jackson (Shutesbury) WC ~ A Shutesbury farmer at the time of his enlistment, Arthur survived the entire war, including the regiments posting in Texas. In 1869 he died

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in Amherst of typhoid fever. The Amherst Selectmen tried to charge the Town of Shutesbury for the cost of Arthurs burial in West Cemetery. Joseph J. Solomon (Westhampton) ~ Joseph was working as a laborer in Amherst when he enlisted on Jan. 5, 1864. In the summer of 1865, Joseph lived in the household of B. Nelson Fish, an army surgeon. Joseph took part in the assault on Petersburg in June 1864. Later a farmer in Mill Valley. Lorenzo Sugland (Amherst) ~ Born in Westhampton, Lorenzo was working as a farm laborer in Amherst when he enlisted on Jan. 4, 1864. Like Joseph Solomon, Lorenzo lived in the household of army surgeon B. Nelson Fish for a time in 1865. He was discharged on June 15, 1865 with a disability. Christopher Thompson (Amherst) ~ Born in Hatfield or Whately as the younger brother of Henry Thompson (see below), Christopher was a farm laborer in Amherst when he enlisted on Jan. 7, 1864, receiving a bounty of $125. He was discharged at Clarksville, Texas. Henry Thompson (Amherst) , WC? ~ Born at Pittsfield as the oldest son of Stephen and Margaret (Gray) Thompson, Henry was a laborer for the L. M. Hills Company at Amherst when he enlisted on Jan. 4, 1864 with
5th Massachusetts Cavalry Regiment (cont.)

his brother Christopher and received a $125 bounty. He served as the company cook, but died in hospital at Brazos, Texas, on Oct. 9, 1865 of apoplexy, twenty-two days before the company was disbanded. Company E Charles H. Thompson (Amherst), WC ~ Oldest son of Christopher Thompson and nephew of Henry Thompson (see Company D, above), Charles was working as a farm laborer in Amherst when he enlisted with his father and uncle on Jan. 4, 1964 and received his $125 bounty. He was discharged with his father at Clarksville, Texas.

Other
Josiah C. Charles (New York State) Josiah was born in Fishkill, NY, and enlisted and served with the 26th U.S. Colored (Infantry) Regiment, organized at Rikers Island, NY in 1864. The 26th fought in some of the same battles (James Island, Honey Hill) in South Carolina as the 54th Mass. Infantry Regt., and Josiah may have met Amherst soldiers during that time. Josiah moved to Amherst after 1870. He was photographed at Amherst in 1895 at a gathering for the Grand Army of the Republic (a Civil War veterans group). Genalvin C. Marse (Connecticut), WC Genalvin has for many years been assumed to have been black because of the location of his grave in the African-American section of West Cemetery. The 1895 Amherst Directory lists him as being employed as a janitor at the Amherst College Chi Psi society house (fraternity), and it was the Boys of Chi Psi who erected his monument as, A loving tribute to a faithful servant. There is a GAR marker on his grave, indicating that he was a Civil War veteran. Federal records indicate numerous black soldiers from Massachusetts and elsewhere with similar but not identical names. Recent information indicates that he was a Connecticut resident who enlisted for Amherst during the Civil War and then moved here after the wars end. Further research on his status is ongoing.

Selected Family Groups - Black Civil War Veterans of Amherst


Jackson Jarvis Jackson, oldest brother (5th Mass. Cavalry, Co. B) Sanford Jackson, second brother (54th Mass. Infantry, Co. A) Windsor Jackson, youngest brother (5th Mass. Cavalry, Co. B) Arthur Jackson, relation probable (cousin?) but unknown (5th Mass. Cavalry, Co. D) Jennings William Jennings (54th Mass. Infantry, Co. C) William Henry Harrison Jennings, oldest son (54th Mass. Infantry, Co. C) Francis Jennings, younger son (54th Mass. Infantry, Co. H) Thompson Henry Thompson , father (5th Mass. Cavalry, Co. D) John D. Thompson , second son (5th Mass. Cavalry, Co. B) Christopher Thompson, Henrys second brother (5th Mass. Cavalry, Co. D) Charles H. Thompson, Christophers oldest son (5th Mass. Cavalry, Co. E) James Thompson, Henrys youngest brother (54th Mass. Infantry, Co. C) Champlin Jason Champlin, oldest brother (54th Mass. Infantry, Co. K) Dennis Champlin, younger brother, (55th Mass. Infantry, Co. B)

Sources: ~ Civil War memorial tablets donated to the town of Amherst, Massachusetts by the E.M. Stanton Post 147 of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.). ~ The History of the Town of Amherst, Massachusetts, Carpenter & Morehouse, Amherst, 1896. ~ Black People in Early Amherst, James Avery Smith, Nov. 1995 (dated draft). ~ Record of Graves in West Cemetery, Situate in Amherst, Massachusetts, James Avery Smith, March 1976 (ff) ~ Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System (CWSSS) online database, National Park Service (http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/soldiers.htm).

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