United States Colored Troops in the Army of the James

United States Colored Troops in the Army of the James (HM22DY)

Location: Chester, VA 23836 Chesterfield County
Buy Virginia State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 37° 19.083', W 77° 20.227'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 296 views
Inscription

The Bermuda Hundred Campaign

Thousands of African-American troops served in the Army of the James under the official designation of United States Colored Troops (USCT).

Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler was a strong proponent of the use of African-American troops and had more USCT regiments under his command than any other general. These USCT regiments were served by one of the hospital wards at Point of Rocks.

The USCT units in the Army of the James played a key role in the opening days of the Bermuda Hundred Campaign by seizing and holding strategic points on the James River at Wilson's Wharf, Fort Powhatan, and City Point. On May 24, 1864, the troops at Wilson's Wharf repulsed several attacks by Confederate cavalry.

The African-American troops under Butler's command were among the first to assault the defenses of Petersburg on June 9 and June 15, and played a supporting role in the Battle of the Crater on July 30. In August of 1864, they were detailed to work on the Dutch Gap Canal while under fire from Confederate artillery.

The bloodiest day for the USCT regiments in the Army of the James occurred on September 29, 1864 at the Battle of New Market Heights. Fourteen black soldiers and two white officers were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions at New Market Heights.

The citation for corporal James Miles
of the 36th USCT stated:
"Having had his arm mutilated, making immediate amputation necessary, he loaded his piece with one hand and urged his men forward; this within 30 yards of the enemy's works."

At a time when the abilities of African-American troops were widely questioned in the military establishment, these men proved beyond any doubt that they were as brave and hard fighting as any other combat unit.

This sign was sponsored by James W. Davis, Fredericksburg, VA
Details
HM NumberHM22DY
Tags
Year Placed2016
Placed ByChesterfield County and the Blue & Gray Education Society
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Monday, October 30th, 2017 at 1:01pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 292906 N 4132717
Decimal Degrees37.31805000, -77.33711667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 37° 19.083', W 77° 20.227'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds37° 19' 4.9799999999999" N, 77° 20' 13.62" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)804
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling East
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 1005 Point of Rocks Rd, Chester VA 23836, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. This marker needs at least one picture.
  9. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  10. Is the marker in the median?