U.S. Colored Troops (USCT)

U.S. Colored Troops (USCT). Doing Justice To Their Share. After the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, the U.S. War Department created the Bureau of Colored Troops on May 22, 1863. Approximately 200,000 African American men enlisted in segregated U.S. Army regiments under white officers and served in all Army branches, infantry, artillery, cavalry, and engineers. More than 2,700 died in combat. USCTs fought at Fort Pillow and Johnsonville in Tennessee, the Battle of the Crater in Virginia, and Brice's Crossroads in Mississippi, among other battles., At least 300 Williamson County men enlisted, as did many from the neighboring Maury County. Perhaps half of Williamson County's USCTs participated in the Battle of Nashville on December 15-16, 1864, when eight USCT regiments were engaged. On December 16, 1864, the 12th, 13th, and 100th USCT together lost 80 killed and 388 wounded. Pvt. Asbury DeGraffenried, Co. K, 12th USCT, was mortally wounded and died on December 20, 1864. Pvt. Horace Winston, Co. F 13th USCT was also mortally wounded and died on January 6, 1865. Pvt. William Redman, Co. I, 13th USCT, was killed in action. Pvt. Freeman Carothers, Co. K, 12th USCT, was among those who survived the fight. After his discharge, he took a new last name and lived as Freeman Thomas until his death in 1936. He is buried nearby at Toussaint L'Ouverture Cemetery., Col. Thomas Jefferson Morgan, who commanded a USCT brigade at Nashville, later wrote of his conviction that "history has not yet done justice to the share borne by colored soldiers in the war for the Union.", (sidebar) , Pvt. James Moore, 111th USCT, was a Williamson County resident after the war. Gen. Nathan B. Forrest's cavalry captured him and others in his regiment at Sulphur Trestle, Alabama, Sept. 25, 1864. Returned to slavery, they worked on Mobile Bay fortifications. Moore was rescued by U.S. troops in May 1865 , Courtesy Williamson Co. Heritage Foundation, (captions) , Battle of Nashville - Courtesy Library of Congress , Unidentified USCT soldier with wife and daughters Courtesy Library of Congress