12th Regiment Heavy Artillery U.S. Colored Troops

12th Regiment Heavy Artillery U.S. Colored Troops
Active July 15, 1864 - April 24, 1866
Country United States
Branch Army
Type Artillery

The 12th Regiment Heavy Artillery U.S. Colored Troops was formed at Camp Nelson, Kentucky.[1] It was one of 175 regiments of African American men during the Civil War.

Overview

Civil War battle map of Kentucky, published in Harper's Weekly October 19, 1861

During the Civil War, Kentucky, was the last state to accept African American men into their army. In February 1864 there were 400 men who wanted to enlist and Col. Andrew H. Clark began enlisted the men. By June of that year there were 1,500 enlisted colored soldiers. June 13, 1864, restrictions were lifted requiring men to be free or have their owner's written permission to engage in the war; From that point forward anyone that enlisted was emancipated.[2][3]

The 12th Regiment Heavy Artillery U.S. Colored Troops was organized on July 15, 1864, at Camp Nelson. Until January 1865 it was attached to the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, District of Kentucky, Dept. of the Ohio. It was then attached to the Military District of Kentucky and Dept. of Kentucky, to April, 1866. The regiment was responsible for garrison duty at Bowling Green, Camp Nelson and other points until April, 1866. It mustered out April 24, 1866.[4]

It was the largest regiment that was organized at Camp Nelson. From June 1864 through April 1865 there were a total of 1,418 men enlisted. In one day there were 322 men who enlisted.[5]

Information about the regiment has been published in Peter Bruner's A Slave's Adventures Toward Freedom and the memoir of Elijah P. Marrs, a sergeant in company L.[2] Camp Nelson became the third largest recruiting and training center for African American men: More than 10,000 African American men were recruited at Camp Nelson.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Regiments, Detachments, and Companies Stationed at Camp Nelson" (PDF). Camp Nelson Civil War site. Retrieved 2013-04-21.
  2. 1 2 Richard D. Sears (2002). Camp Nelson, Kentucky: a Civil War history. University Press of Kentucky (accessed from Google Books). pp. x, 13–14, 104, 114. ISBN 081312879X. Retrieved 2013-04-21.
  3. ↑ "Emancipation Center for Kentucky Camp Nelson". civilwar.com. Retrieved 2013-04-21.
  4. ↑ "12th Regiment, United States Colored Heavy Artillery". National Park Service: The Civil War. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
  5. ↑ Richard D. Sears (2002). Camp Nelson, Kentucky: a Civil War history. University Press of Kentucky. p. xxxix. ISBN 978-0-8131-2879-5. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  6. ↑ "Camp Nelson: 12th United States Colored Heavy Artillery". 12thuscha.com. Retrieved 2013-04-21.

External links

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