51st United States Colored Infantry Regiment

51st United States Colored Infantry Regiment
51st United States Colored Infantry Regiment
	Monument to Mississippi's African-American troops, Vicksburg National Military Park
Active	1863–1866
Country	United States
Allegiance	United States Union
Branch	Infantry ; United States Colored Troops
Size	Regiment
Battles	American Civil War ; Battle of Milliken's Bend ; Battle of Fort Blakely ;
Commanders
Notable; commanders	Isaac F. Shepard

Last updated June 23, 2024

The 51st United States Colored Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment composed of African-American troops recruited from Mississippi that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Initially formed in the spring of 1863 as the 1st Regiment Mississippi Volunteer Infantry (African Descent), the Regiment took part in fierce fighting at the Battle of Milliken's Bend, served on garrison duty in Louisiana, and then took part in the Battle of Fort Blakely, the last major battle of the war.

Formation and Milliken's Bend

The Regiment was initially organized as the 1st Regiment Mississippi Volunteer Infantry (African Descent) on May 16, 1863 at Milliken's Bend, Louisiana.^[1] Most of the soldiers were former slaves from Mississippi who had fled to Union lines. The first Colonel of the Regiment was Isaac F. Shepard, who was in overall command of several regiments of newly-recruited Black troops stationed on the Louisiana side of the Mississippi River.^[2] On June 6, Confederate troops attacked the Union camp at Milliken's Bend in an attempt to cut off supply lines for Union General Ulysses S. Grant's troops who were besieging Vicksburg. In the subsequent Battle of Milliken's Bend, Black soldiers, many of them raw recruits, fought in viscious hand-to-hand combat with the attacking Confederates, suffering many casulaties but obtaining a Union victory. The 1st Mississippi Regiment was still recruiting and not at full strength at the time of the battle, but about 150 men from the Regiment took part in the fighting on June 6.^[2] Colonel Shepard reported enthusiastically on the performance of the Black troops after the battle: "No one had ever held a musket three weeks before - some not 24 hours - untaught, [knowing] no command by which they could be moved in masses - and yet standing against disciplined troops till they left 103 dead [Confederate] bodies to be buried."^[2] The fighting at Milliken's Bend was one of the first major actions by Black troops in the Civil War, and the performance of the troops there helped gain acceptance for the large-scale enlistment of African-Americans into the Union Army.

Colonel Shepard was temporarily promoted to brigadier general in late 1863, Colonel A. Watson Webber then took command of the 1st Mississippi Regiment, (later renamed the 51st USCT Infantry Regiment) for the remainder of the war.^[3] All officers of the US Colored Troops during the Civil War were white; Black soldiers would not be commissioned as officers in the US Army until after the war.

Massacre at Ross's Landing

In February 1864, the 1st Mississippi Regiment was dispatched to Ross's Landing in Chicot County, Arkansas on a foraging mission. A group of Confederate guerillas, the 9th Missouri Cavalry, unexpectedly ambushed the Union troops at a local plantation on February 14. The 1st Mississippi fired a volley at the Confederates, but they were unable to reload their weapons before the guerillas were upon them.^[4] 13 soldiers of the 1st Mississippi were killed, and 3 later died of their wounds.^[4] The Confederates desecrated the bodies of the Black soldiers by pinning them to the ground with the dead soldiers' own bayonets, and two white officers of the Regiment were summarily executed by the Confederates after surrendering.^[4] It was the official policy of the Confederates to execute captured white officers of the US Colored Troops,^[5] and many Black soldiers were killed after surrendering in other incidents such as the Battle of Olustee the same month as the killings at Ross's Landing, and the Fort Pillow massacre in April 1864. The incident at Ross's Landing is relatively unknown: there is no historical marker at the site,^[6] and the incident was not mentioned in the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, but it was reported in Northern newspapers at the time.^[4]

Louisiana 1864

On March 11, 1864, the Regiment was renamed the 51st Infantry, US Colored Troops.^[1] Shortly afterwards, Col. Webber of the 51st was dispatched to establish army posts and scout the surrounding countryside at Goodrich's Landing and Lake Providence in East Carroll Parish, Louisiana.^[7] Webber was in command of several USCT regiments, including the 51st, assigned to guard the surrounding plantations against attacks by Confederate guerillas. For the remainder of 1864, the 51st Regiment was based at Goodrich's Landing and fought several skirmishes against Confederate raiding parties in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi.^[8] An inspection report of the 51st Regiment in August, 1864, reported the following: "Aggregate effective force, 429. This regiment was in good order as to arms, equipments, clothing, and discipline. Instruction fair. Officers pretty good. Camp and police guard. Sanitary condition not bad." ^[9]

Battle of Fort Blakely

In December 1864, the 51st left Louisiana and was assigned to garrison duty at Vicksburg, Mississippi.^[1] In February 1865, the Regiment was sent to Algiers, Louisiana and then to Pensacola, Florida.^[1] In late March, the 51st marched out of Pensacola towards Mobile, Alabama, one of the last large Southern cities still held by Confederate forces in the spring of 1865. Starting on April 2, Union forces laid siege to the Confederate-held Fort Blakely on the north side of Mobile bay. On April 9, the 51st Regiment was among Union troops that assaulted the fort, leading to a Confederate surrender.^[1] The capture of Fort Blakely effectively eliminated any remaining Confederate force along the Gulf Coast. Unbeknownst to the men fighting in Alabama, on the same day that they attacked the fort Confederate General Robert E. Lee's troops in Virginia had surrendered a few hours before: the fighting at Fort Blakely was the last major battle of the war.

After the battle, the colonel of the 47th Colored Infantry reported on the attack made by his men alongside the 51st Regiment: "The spirit and enthusiasm of the troops could not be excelled. Men actually wept that they were placed in reserve and could not go with their comrades into the thickest of the fight."^[10] Countering lingering racist expectations that Black troops were not suited for army service, Col. Watson reported on the performance of the soldiers of the 51st Regiment: "There can be no doubt now, in the minds of their officers at least, but that our colored soldiers are brave and will fight."^[11]

Following the battle, the 51st took part in the Union occupation of Mobile and Montgomery, Alabama, and was then sent to the Rio Grande in Texas.^[1] The Regiment was mustered out of service on June 16, 1866.^[1]

Combat casualties of the 51st Regiment: 3 killed, 21 wounded at Milliken's Bend, 13 killed, 7 wounded at Ross Landing, Arkansas, 1 killed, 19 wounded at Fort Blakely, Alabama.^[3]

Related Research Articles

United States Colored Troops (USCT) were Union Army regiments during the American Civil War that primarily comprised African Americans, with soldiers from other ethnic groups also serving in USCT units. Established in response to a demand for more units from Union Army commanders, USCT regiments, which numbered 175 in total by the end of the war in 1865, constituted about one-tenth of the manpower of the army, according to historian Kelly Mezurek, author of For Their Own Cause: The 27th United States Colored Troops. "They served in infantry, artillery, and cavalry." Approximately 20 percent of USCT soldiers were killed in action or died of disease and other causes, a rate about 35 percent higher than that of white Union troops. Numerous USCT soldiers fought with distinction, with 16 receiving the Medal of Honor. The USCT regiments were precursors to the Buffalo Soldier units which fought in the American Indian Wars.

The Battle of Milliken's Bend was fought on June 7, 1863, as part of the Vicksburg Campaign during the American Civil War. Major General Ulysses S. Grant of the Union Army had placed the strategic Mississippi River city of Vicksburg, Mississippi, under siege in mid-1863. Confederate leadership erroneously believed that Grant's supply line still ran through Milliken's Bend in Louisiana, and Major General Richard Taylor was tasked with disrupting it to aid the defense of Vicksburg. Taylor sent Brigadier General Henry E. McCulloch with a brigade of Texans to attack Milliken's Bend, which was held by a brigade of newly-recruited African American soldiers. McCulloch's attack struck early on the morning of June 7, and was initially successful in close-quarters fighting. Fire from the Union gunboat USS Choctaw halted the Confederate attack, and McCulloch later withdrew after the arrival of a second gunboat. The attempt to relieve Vicksburg was unsuccessful. One of the first actions in which African American soldiers fought, Milliken's Bend demonstrated the value of African American soldiers as part of the Union Army.

African Americans, including former enslaved individuals, served in the American Civil War. The 186,097 black men who joined the Union Army included 7,122 officers and 178,975 enlisted soldiers. Approximately 20,000 black sailors served in the Union Navy and formed a large percentage of many ships' crews. Later in the war, many regiments were recruited and organized as the United States Colored Troops, which reinforced the Northern forces substantially during the conflict's last two years. Both Northern Free Negro and Southern runaway slaves joined the fight. Throughout the course of the war, black soldiers served in forty major battles and hundreds of more minor skirmishes; sixteen African Americans received the Medal of Honor.

The 9th Louisiana Infantry (African Descent), later reorganized as 1st Mississippi Colored Heavy Artillery and then renamed 5th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery, was an African-American regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It famously fought in the Battle of Milliken's Bend; one of the earliest Civil War battles with African-American troops involved.

The 49th United States Colored Infantry, first established as the 11th Louisiana Infantry (African descent) was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The Battle of Lake Providence was fought on June 9, 1863, during the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. Confederate troops from the Trans-Mississippi Department were trying to relieve Union pressure during the Siege of Vicksburg. Major General Richard Taylor, primarily utilizing Walker's Greyhounds, prepared a three-pronged attack against Union positions at Milliken's Bend, Young's Point, and Lake Providence. The strike against Lake Providence was conducted by 900 men led by Colonel Frank Bartlett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">11th Illinois Infantry Regiment</span> Union infantry regiment during the American Civil War

The 11th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment from Illinois that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. In April 1861, it was formed as a three-month volunteer unit, and in July 1861 it was reorganized as a three-year unit, in which role it served until the end of the war. Two of its commanding officers were promoted to brigadier general and led major units during the war. In its first major action at Fort Donelson the regiment suffered terrible losses. The 11th Illinois also fought at Shiloh, Riggins Hill, Vicksburg, First Yazoo City, Second Yazoo City, and Fort Blakely. In April 1863, the 109th Illinois Infantry Regiment was disbanded and its enlisted men transferred into the 11th Illinois. The regiment was mustered out of service in July 1865.

The 46th United States Colored Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The unit was originally designated as the 1st Arkansas Infantry Regiment. The regiment was composed of African American enlisted men commanded by white officers and was authorized by the Bureau of Colored Troops which was created by the United States War Department on May 22, 1863.

The 54th United States Colored Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was composed of African American enlisted men commanded by white officers and was authorized by the Bureau of Colored Troops which was created by the United States War Department on May 22, 1863.

The 52nd United States Colored Infantry was an infantry regiment composed of African-American troops recruited from Mississippi that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. On July 4, 1864, the 52nd Colored Infantry fought a battle at Coleman's Plantation in Jefferson County, Mississippi. This engagement is notable as it is most likely the first time that Black soldiers from Mississippi fought against white Confederates from the same state.

The 53rd United States Colored Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Originally formed as the 3rd Regiment Mississippi Volunteers (African Descent), the regiment was composed of African American enlisted men commanded by white officers. The 53rd served on garrison duty in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas before being mustered out of service in 1866.

The 58th United States Colored Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Originally organized as the 6th Mississippi Infantry (African Descent) on August 27, 1863, the regiment was redesignated as the 58th USCT Infantry on March 11, 1864. The regiment was composed of African American enlisted men from Mississippi commanded by white officers.

The 16th Texas Cavalry Regiment was a unit of mounted volunteers from Texas that fought in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was recruited in early 1862 and mustered into Confederate service in April 1862. The unit fought as cavalry at the Battle of Cotton Plant but it was dismounted in the summer of 1862. The 16th Cavalry served as infantry in Walker's Texas Division for the remainder of the war. The regiment fought at Milliken's Bend, Mansfield, Pleasant Hill, and Jenkins' Ferry. The unit marched to Texas in early 1865 and disbanded in May 1865.

The 3rd United States Colored Cavalry was a regiment in the United States Army organized as one of the units of the United States Colored Troops during the American Civil War. The regiment was originally formed in October 1863 at Vicksburg, Mississippi as the 1st Mississippi Cavalry Regiment. The unit soon began taking part in expeditions near Vicksburg. In February–March 1864, the regiment saw action at Yazoo City. After being renamed the 3rd U.S. Colored Cavalry in March 1864, the regiment continued to participate in raids, including the Yazoo City expedition in May. In December 1864, the unit took part in a successful raid led by Benjamin Grierson during which the Battle of Egypt Station and other actions were fought. The regiment operated near Memphis, Tennessee, until April 1865, after which it returned to Vicksburg for occupation duties. The soldiers were mustered out of federal service in January 1866.

The 13th Texas Cavalry Regiment was a unit of mounted volunteers recruited in Texas that fought in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was enrolled in Confederate service in February 1862 and served exclusively west of the Mississippi River. The unit was later dismounted and became part of the Texas infantry division known as Walker's Greyhounds. The regiment fought at Milliken's Bend in 1863 and Mansfield, Pleasant Hill, and Jenkins' Ferry in 1864. The regiment disbanded in May 1865, but its official surrender date was 2 June 1865.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">18th Texas Infantry Regiment</span> Military unit

The 18th Texas Infantry Regiment was a unit of volunteers recruited in Texas that fought in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was enrolled in Confederate service in May 1862 and always campaigned west of the Mississippi River in the region known as the Trans-Mississippi Department. The unit was assigned to the Texas infantry division known as Walker's Greyhounds. The regiment fought at Milliken's Bend, Richmond (La.), and Bayou Bourbeux in 1863 and Mansfield, Pleasant Hill, and Jenkins' Ferry in 1864. The regiment disbanded in mid-May 1865, but its formal surrender date was 26 May 1865.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">11th Texas Infantry Regiment</span> Military unit

The 11th Texas Infantry Regiment was a unit of volunteers recruited in Texas that fought in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. The regiment organized in the winter of 1861–1862 and always served west of the Mississippi River in the Trans-Mississippi Department. The unit was assigned to the 2nd Brigade of the Texas infantry division known as Walker's Greyhounds. The regiment fought at Milliken's Bend and Bayou Bourbeux in 1863 and Mansfield, Pleasant Hill, and Jenkins' Ferry in 1864. The regiment disbanded in mid-May 1865, but its formal surrender date was 26 May 1865.

1st Texas Field Battery or Edgar's Company was an artillery battery from Texas that served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. The artillery company formed in November 1860, but was not formally taken into Confederate service until April 1861. The unit participated in the disarming and surrender of United States soldiers and property in Texas in early 1861. The battery marched to Arkansas where in 1862 it joined the infantry division known as Walker's Greyhounds. The battery fought at Milliken's Bend and Richmond (La.), shelled a Federal river transport, and campaigned in south Louisiana in late 1863. The 1st Texas Battery was captured at Henderson's Hill in March 1864. The soldiers were later exchanged, and the unit disbanded in 1865 at the end of the conflict.

The 1st Mississippi Light Artillery Regiment was a unit of the Confederate States Army from Mississippi. Formed in 1862, the regiment was sent to defend the strategic points of Vicksburg and Port Hudson along the Mississippi River. After the surrender of Confederate forces at Vicksburg on July 4, 1863, the various companies of the 1st Light Artillery were dispersed and saw action across the Western theater of the American Civil War, although they never operated as a combined regiment. The final remnants of these artillery batteries surrendered in April 1865 after the Battle of Fort Blakeley.

The 66th United States Colored Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment composed of African-American troops recruited from Mississippi that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The 66th Regiment was posted on garrison duty in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas, and fought several skirmishes with Confederate troops around the Mississippi River before being mustered out of service in 1866.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "51st Regiment, United States Colored Infantry". National Park Service. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
1 2 3 Barnickel, Linda (2013). Milliken's Bend: A Civil War Battle in History and Memory. Louisiana State University Press. p. 208-209.
1 2 Official Army Register of the Volunteer Force of the United States Army for the Years 1861, '62, '63, '64, '65: Part VIII Territories of Washington, New Mexico, Nebraska, Colorado, Dakota, Veteran Reserve Corps, U.S. Veteran Volunteers (First Army Corps) U.S Volunteers, U.S. Colored Troops. US Army Adjutant General's Office. 1867. p. 224.
1 2 3 4 "Massacre at Ross's Landing". National Park Service. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
↑ Hollandsworth, Jr., James G. (Autumn 1994). "The Execution of White Officers from Black Units by Confederate Forces during the Civil War". Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association. 35 (4): 475–489. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
↑ "Skirmish at Ross' Landing". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
↑ United States War Department (1895). The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Vol. 32 Serial 59. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. p. 86.
↑ United States War Department (1895). The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Vol. 32 Serial 57. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. p. 627.
↑ United States War Department (1895). The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Vol. 41 Serial 84. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. p. 713.
↑ United States War Department (1895). The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Vol. 49 Serial 103. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. p. 291.
↑ United States War Department (1895). The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Vol. 49 Serial 103. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. p. 295.

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[NPS-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "51st Regiment, United States Colored Infantry". National Park Service. Retrieved 17 June 2024.

[Barnickel-2] 1 2 3 Barnickel, Linda (2013). Milliken's Bend: A Civil War Battle in History and Memory. Louisiana State University Press. p. 208-209.

[Army-3] 1 2 Official Army Register of the Volunteer Force of the United States Army for the Years 1861, '62, '63, '64, '65: Part VIII Territories of Washington, New Mexico, Nebraska, Colorado, Dakota, Veteran Reserve Corps, U.S. Veteran Volunteers (First Army Corps) U.S Volunteers, U.S. Colored Troops. US Army Adjutant General's Office. 1867. p. 224.

[Ross-4] 1 2 3 4 "Massacre at Ross's Landing". National Park Service. Retrieved 18 June 2024.

[5] Hollandsworth, Jr., James G. (Autumn 1994). "The Execution of White Officers from Black Units by Confederate Forces during the Civil War". Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association. 35 (4): 475–489. Retrieved 18 June 2024.

[6] "Skirmish at Ross' Landing". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved 18 June 2024.

[7] United States War Department (1895). The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Vol. 32 Serial 59. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. p. 86.

[8] United States War Department (1895). The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Vol. 32 Serial 57. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. p. 627.

[9] United States War Department (1895). The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Vol. 41 Serial 84. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. p. 713.

[10] United States War Department (1895). The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Vol. 49 Serial 103. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. p. 291.

[11] United States War Department (1895). The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Vol. 49 Serial 103. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. p. 295.

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