The United States Colored Troops (USCT), formed in 1863 following the Emancipation Proclamation, eventually encompassed about 175 regiments in the Union Army during the Civil War.

On March 2, 1863, eminent abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass sent out this powerful message in his newspaper, Douglass Monthly. Titled "Men of Color, to Arms!" it urged black men to support the nation's war and the crusade to end generations of slavery.

"Who would be free themselves
must strike the blow,
Better even to die free than to live slaves."

Frederick Douglass, C. 1869

Approximately 180,000 African American soldiers took up the call to fight for the Union, comprising more than 10% of all Federal forces. Knowing that a Northern loss could mean possible re-enslavement, freemen and former slaves showed dedication to their country and a commitment to the freedom of their people forever.

The Colored Troops figured prominently in the ill-fated Battle of the Crater fought on July 30, 1964 as part of the Petersburg Campaign. Injured members of the 28th and 29th U.S.C.T., were among those transported to Alexandria, Virginia for medical treatment. 

• A Finding Aid for Research Files on U.S. Colored Troops Associated with Alexandria, VA. Appendix.
• Volunteers for Freedom: Black Civil War Soldiers in Alexandria National Cemetery, Part I. Miller, Edward A. Jr., Historic Alexandria Quarterly Fall 1998.  
• Volunteers for Freedom: Black Civil War Soldiers in Alexandria National Cemetery, Part II. Miller, Edward A. Jr., Historic Alexandria Quarterly Winter 1998. 
• Fighting for Freedom: Black Union Soldiers of the Civil War

The Civil War broke out on April 12, 1861; by May 24th, the City of Alexandria was fully occupied by federal troops and became a logistical supply center for the Union due to its location near the country’s capital. Since the state of Virginia held the dividing line between the north and south, and Alexandria served as a line of defense for the capital, forts were constructed to support the troops in D.C. The most famous of these forts is Fort Ward, which later became a neighborhood for free African Americans post-Civil War.

Alexandria During the Civil War

The History of Fort Ward

The Fort: A Post-Civil War Community

The National Cemetery System is overseen by the National Cemetery Administration (NCA), the US Army, and the National Park Service (NPS). The NPS manages cemeteries that correspond with major battlefields of the Civil War. The first National Cemeteries, of which Alexandria National Cemetery is one, were established at the beginning of the Civil War as a means of honoring the Union dead. Eventually, these cemeteries would open up to anyone who served in the military, regardless of whether or not they died in battle.

Initial gravestones during the War were provisioned by the U.S. Army Office of the Quartermaster (AOQM). In 1861, the AOQM began temporarily marking graves with a wood headboard and maintaining burial records. Wooden gravestones date back to the earliest of settlements in the United States, as colonists had no other materials to work with initially and simply had to bury their dead as quickly as possible. By the 1860s, wooden grave markers were known to be a temporary solution for an elaborate cemetery, as they were used here. By the 1870s, these grave markers were replaced with stones. Marble became the stone of choice for national cemeteries, as it was very fashionable at the time. The Picturesque movement shaped the layout and design seen in the National Cemetery System. These cemeteries were moved from downtown centers, planned carefully in exact rows in accordance with the City Beautiful Movement and “Rural Cemeteries”, and used marble as headstones due to its pure, white look.

Alexandria National Cemetery (American Battlefield Trust)

History of the National Cemeteries (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs)

Halfway through the Civil War, high mortality rates and low recruitment left the Union desperate for manpower. Determined to win the war and prevent the South from having the advantage of extra troops, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, freeing all enslaved peoples in the states that seceded from the Union. This act, on top of freeing slaves, enabled African Americans to officially begin fighting for the Union, as many had long wished to do.

The United States Colored Troops (USCT) encompassed about 175 regiments in the Union Army during the Civil War. The USCT consisted of 135 regiments of infantry soldiers, six regiments of cavalry, one regiment of light artillery, and 13 regiments of heavy artillery. On top of this, 19,000 African Americans served in the United States Navy, and women served in roles such as cooks and nurses. The troops were predominately African American, but Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders also served under the USCT.

Though African Americans could now serve in the army, discrimination and inequality persisted. The troops were almost universally commanded by white officers, and troops faced wage discrimination and unequal mistreatment as prisoners of war. These men, despite the ongoing discrimination, knew that the only way to secure their freedom was to ensure that the Union prevailed, so many fled from the south, took up arms, and became the first officially recognized African American troops of the US Army. Many of the USCT were trained in Alexandria, served in the Virginia theatre, and returned to the city upon injury or illness for the hospitals. They served in many of the bloodiest battles of the latter half of the war, such as the Battle of the Crater in Petersburg, and were vital to the eventual success of the Union. 118 members of the USCT, most of whom died in 1864 or 1865, are buried at Alexandria National.

At the conclusion of the war, the USCT were virtually disbanded. Their legacy lies in the 9th and 10th cavalries and 24th and 25th infantries, known as Buffalo Soldiers, who continued service in the West post-Civil War.

The United States Colored Troops (1863-1865). BlackPast.org, Joseph Mouser, July 22, 2017.

Black Soldiers in the U.S. Military During the Civil War. National Archives, Teaching with Documents.

Black Soldiers in the Civil War: Preserving the Legacy of the Unites States Colored Troops. National Archives, Teaching with Documents, Budge Weidman.

Buffalo Soldiers. National Park Service.

Though Alexandria had been a place where people owned slaves prior to the Civil War, federal occupation of the city in May of 1861 made the city a safe haven for those fleeing bondage. While many men fleeing slavery who ended up in Alexandria entered the military in 1863, the vast majority of African Americans fleeing to Alexandria for freedom were considered “contrabands.” “Contraband” was a term the military used to describe the freed slaves in order for the Union army to be able to use their labor for its cause. Many of these people arrived in Alexandria in poor health, and there were such large numbers of “contrabands” that the city created refugee camps. Unfortunately, due to poor conditions and the already poor health of many of those arriving in Alexandria, many in these camps, especially young children, died.

Since so many died, the Union Army had to create a new cemetery. The Contrabands, or Freedmen's, Cemetery became the final resting spot for many of the African Americans who passed during this time, including some members of the USCT, which sparked one of the first Civil Rights efforts by African Americans in the country.

Upon hearing that African American soldiers were going to be buried at the new Freedmen’s Cemetery and not the Soldier’s Cemetery (now Alexandria National Cemetery), 443 soldiers at L’Ouverture hospital signed a petition to be buried at Alexandria National and gained the support of a white Captain named JCG Lee. The men demanded that they be buried with the same honors as their white counterparts, as they served an equally important role in the war.

Initially, there was confusion between Captain Lee, who was in charge of burials at Alexandria National, and the Superintendent of Contrabands, a minister named Albert Gladwin, who organized Contraband burials at Freedmen’s Cemetery. This, unfortunately, led to 118 soldiers being initially buried at Freedmen’s Cemetery before being exhumed and reinterred at Alexandria National. The first soldier wrongly buried at Freedmen’s Cemetery was John Cooley (B:3451) of the 27th infantry of the USCT on May 5, 1864. All USCT who died from this date forward through the deaths of Privates Frank Wade (B: 3337) and Shadrack Murphy (B:3330) on December 27th, 1864, were initially interred at the Freedmen’s Cemetery. Because of the success of the L’Ouverture Petition, these 118 individuals were removed and reinterred at Alexandria National in section B between the dates of January 6th and 17th, 1865. The first two soldiers reinterred were Privates James Brown (B:3222) and Solomon Dorsey (B:3223).

Of the 443 signers of the petition, 23 are buried at Alexandria National, having fought for their right to be buried with the honor they so rightfully deserved. Because of their efforts, over 250 USCT are interred at Alexandria National Cemetery.

Contrabands & Freedmen Cemetery

The Buffalo Soldiers were African American troops led by white officers who served in the 9th and 10th cavalries and the 24th and 25th infantries. These soldiers fought mostly on the Western Front of the United States post-Civil War, though they also fought in wars through WWII. They served as some of the nation’s first park rangers and fought in many battles aimed to help western expansion, often against Native Americans. It was the Native Americans who supposedly gave these troops the nickname of “Buffalo Soldiers,” possibly due to their fighting style being as fierce as that of the buffalo of the Great Plains or the fact that that the soldiers’ dark, curly hair resembled buffalo manes. Buffalo Soldiers played a key role in advancing the fight for equality and equal citizenship for African Americans.

There are six Buffalo Soldiers interred at Alexandria National Cemetery: Joseph F. Whelen (B:3606) of Company L in the 24th Infantry, John T. Stevenson (B:3592) of Companies A and C in the 10th Cavalry, Conny Gray (B:3587) of Company H in the 25th Infantry, 

Corporal Lorenzo Foster (B:3581) of Company C in the 10th Cavalry, George Foster (B:3565) of Company C in the 10th Cavalry, and Lewis J. Cook (B:3560) of Company H in the 9th Cavalry.

Alexandria National Cemetery, Veterans Administration, National Cemetery Administration. For more information about each of the six Buffalo Soldiers buried at Alexandria National Cemetery, scroll down to the section titled Notable Persons.

Key:

* Soldiers who signed the L’Ouverture petition
^ Buffalo Soldiers