Near Indianola in Calhoun County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Sgt. William Henry Barnes
38th Regiment, USCT
Photographed By James Hulse, August 30, 2021
1. Sgt. William Henry Barnes Marker
Inscription.
Sgt. William Henry Barnes. 38th Regiment, USCT. On March 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed an Act calling for all able-bodied men to join the National Forces. William Barnes joined the Union Army the following February. He was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia and six months later was wounded in the Battle of New Market Heights on September 29-30, 1864. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his efforts. In July of 1865, Barnes was stationed along the Texas border and was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Barnes, assigned to the U.S. Colored Troops, was vital to the protection of the Texas government and its coastal and southern border. Barnes died of consumption in December 1866. He was buried at Indianola and then reinterred in San Antonio National Cemetery.
On March 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed an Act calling for all able-bodied men to join the National Forces. William Barnes joined the Union Army the following February. He was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia and six months later was wounded in the Battle of New Market Heights on September 29-30, 1864. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his efforts. In July of 1865, Barnes was stationed along the Texas border and was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Barnes, assigned to the U.S. Colored Troops, was vital to the protection of the Texas government and its coastal and southern border. Barnes died of consumption in December 1866. He was buried at Indianola and then reinterred in San Antonio National Cemetery.
Erected 2012 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 17139.)
Location. 28° 31.155′ N, 96° 30.543′ W. Marker is near Indianola, Texas, in Calhoun County. Marker is on Orleans Avenue, 0.2 miles north of Comal Street. The marker is located at the front entrance to the Indianola Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 154 Orleans Avenue, Port Lavaca TX 77979, United States of America. Touch for directions.
At the Battle of Chaffin's Farm, on September 29, 1864, Barnes' regiment was among a division of black troops assigned to attack the center of the Confederate defenses at New Market Heights. The defenses consisted of two lines of abatis and one line of palisades manned by Brigadier General John Gregg's Texas Brigade. The attack was met with intense Confederate fire; over fifty percent of the black troops were killed, captured, or wounded. Barnes was awarded the Medal of Honor for being "among the first to enter the enemy's works; although wounded." His medal was issued six months after the battle, on April 6, 1865, and he was promoted to Sergeant another three months later, on July 1, 1865. Source: Wikipedia
Photographed By James Hulse, August 30, 2021
2. The Sgt. William Henry Barnes Marker at the entrance to the cemetery.
(Submitted on September 27, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
Photographed By James Hulse, August 30, 2021
3. The Sgt. William Henry Barnes Marker is on the right at the front of the cemetery
Credits. This page was last revised on September 27, 2021. It was originally submitted on September 27, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 276 times since then and 50 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on September 27, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
