101st US Colored Infantry

The 101st US Colored Infantry was part of the Veteran Reserve corp or Invalid Corps.  Men served in the 101st who were not healthy enough to serve in regular regiments, but no so unwell that they needed to be discharged. Typical reasons for such a transfer were old age, rheumatism, hernias, heart disease and hemorrhoids. The Invalid Corps of the Civil War period was created to make suitable use in a military or semi-military capacity of soldiers who had been rendered unfit for active field service on account of wounds or disease contracted in line of duty, but who were still fit for garrison or other light duty, and were, in the opinion of their commanding officers, meritorious and deserving.[3]

OVERVIEW:

The 101st U.S. Colored Infantry was organized under orders dated February 4, 1864 specifically from men “incapacitated for active service in the field, but who were otherwise fitted for ordinary garrison duty." Organized in Tennessee at large September 16, 1864. Attached to Defences of Louisville & Nashville Railroad, Dept. of the Cumberland, to March, 1865. Dept. of the Tennessee to January, 1866.

SERVICE:

Duty at Nashville, Tenn., till October, 1864; then guard Louisville & Nashville Railroad, and duty in Tennessee and Alabama till muster out. Affairs at Scottsboro and Larkinsville, Ala., January 8, 1865. Mustered out January 21, 1866.

The records for this regiment have not yet been indexed, so it is not yet possible to search across them by location. Identifying men in this regiment requires painstaking, page-by-page research of thousands of documents. It is likely that many more men with ties to Williamson County, TN, served in this regiment. This is true for all the men who served in the 56th through the 138th US Colored Infantry regiments.

Company A.

• Pvt. Isaac Cruther (Carothers) enlisted in Company A of the 101st US Colored Infantry on October 11, 1864, in Nashville. He was born in Williamson County around 1835 and was described as a 29-year-old laborer on his enlistment papers. He was reported absent without leave on October 16, 1864, and declared a deserter on December 1, 1864. 

• Pvt. Aaron Hightower transferred into the regiment from 12th USCI Company K on April 14, 1864, due to "defective eyesight." He was born in Williamson County and mustered out on January 21, 1866 in Nashville.

• Pvt. Joseph Matthews II, enlisted in Company A of the 101st US Colored Infantry on September 12, 1863, in Nashville. 

• Pvt. Preston Moss, initially enlisted in the 15th USCI Co D,  on December 31, 1863 in Columbia. He was born in Williamson County in 1832 and was a 31-year-old farmer. He transferred to 101st USCT on Aug. 11, 1864, on account of disability. In the regiment he was on detached duty providing service in Nashville at the Refugee Home and the Cumberland General Hospital. In May of 1865, he became sick and was sent to the Wilson General Hospital. 

• Pvt. Warren Swansey[ Swanson]  was born in Franklin, TN, around 1841. He enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry Regiment on August 12, 1863, along with many other local men. On April 14, 1864, he was transferred to the 101st US Colored Infantry. During much of his time in the 101st, he was on detached service at the Refugee Home in Nashville. He mustered out in Nashville in January 1866. After the War, he married and settled in Williamson County. Late in life, he lived on Cleburne Street in the Natchez Street neighborhood of Franklin. He received a pension for his service and died in 1918 in Williamson County. His gravesite has not been located. Pvt. Swanson’s paver was sponsored anonymously in 2026.

Company C

• Pvt. Charles Gouch (Gooch?) was born in Williamson County in 1825. He initially enlisted in the 16th USCI Co G on December 30, 1863 in Clarkesville.  At the time, he was described as a 38 year old farmer. On Feb. 16, 1864 he was listed as sick in Pest Hospital in Clarkesville. He was transferred to the invalid corp 101st USCI Co C on May 26, 1864. On May 30, 1864 this notation was made in his records:  “During the last two months the soldier has been unfit for duty 60 days. He has been in Hospital under care of this surgeon most of this time since enlistment and physically disabled for service in the field.”- Chattanooga, Tenn.. In Nov/Dec. 1864 he was returned to Duty and detailed as a guard. He mustered out January 21, 1866 in Nashville. 

Company E

• Pvt. Polk Watson was born in Williamson County, TN to Stephen and Eliza Watson. His story is similar to a handful of Black men from the area who have been identified as serving in white US regiments prior to enlisting in the US Colored Troops. The 78th Illinois established Franklin, TN as a post on February 18, 1863. A few months later, on May 5, 1863, Watson was placed on the rolls as a "colored undertook." [See his service records here.] Watson was with the regiment at Franklin during the infamous hanging of two Confederate spies. He left Franklin with them and was at the Battle of Chickamauga where other Black men from Williamson County were laborers for the Confederate forces.  Watson remained with the 78th through the Atlanta campaign. When the regiment turned back to Alabama, Watson enlisted in the 101st US Colored Infantry in Huntsville, AL on Oct 2, 1864. He was only 19 years old. He mustered out with the regiment on June 2, 1866 and returned to Franklin, TN. He married, raised a family, worked as a barber and was active in local politics. Around 1885, he moved to Owensboro, Kentucky where he continued working as a barber and was a respected member of the community. He received a pension for his service and died on December 6, 1899 in Owensboro, KY. No headstone has been located. His paver in Veterans Park has been sponsored by his 2x great-grandson Griff Watson.

Resources:

• Regimental and Company Books of the 101st U.S. Colored Troops Infantry Regiment

• Battle Unit Details, NPS

• Digital Records for Polk Watson

  • Pension Application

  • Service Records

• Approved Pension Files For Men In this Regiment:

  • Approved Pension File for Macie Means, Widow of Private Martin Means, Company H, 101st United States Colored Troops Infantry Regiment (WC-369483)

  • Approved Pension File for Jennie Gupton, Widow of Private John Gupton (alias John Batson), Company D, 101st U.S. Colored Troops Infantry Regiment (WC-610512)

  • Approved Pension File for Private Andrew Potete, Company F, 101st U.S. Colored Troops Infantry Regiment; Company I, 38th U.S. Infantry Regiment; Company I, 24th U.S. Infantry Regiment (C-2570681)

  • Approved Pension Application File for Lucy Anne Everett, Widow of Daniel Everett, Company A, 101st USCT Infantry Regiment (Application No. WC83057)

  • Approved Pension Application File for Louisa Folly Harper, Widow of Green Harper, Company D, 101st USCT Infantry Regiment (Application No. WC71463)

  • Approved Pension Application File for Celia Kimball, Widow of James Kimball, Company K, 101st USCT Infantry Regiment (Application No. WC69704)

  • Approved Pension Application File for Dependents of William Ogden, Company D, 101st USCT Infantry Regiment (Application No. WC78366)

  • Approved Pension Application File for the Dependent of Charles Branman, Company K, 101st USCT Infantry Regiment (Application No. WC73115)

  • Approved Pension Application File for the Dependent of Anthony Kendricks, Company D, 101st USCT Infantry Regiment (Application No. WC84083)

  • Approved Pension Application File for Rachel Majors, Widow of Wiley Majors, Company H, 101st USCT Infantry Regiment (Application No. WC77649)

  • Approved Pension Application File for Elsie Adams, Widow of Cook Adams, Company K, 101st USCT Infantry Regiment (Application No. WC78640)

  • Approved Pension Application File for Adaline Tucker, Widow of Levin Tucker, Company H, 101st USCT Infantry Regiment (Application No. WC68389)

  • Approved Pension Application File for Mary Tolliver, Widow of Nicholas Tolliver, Company H, 101st USCT Infantry Regiment (Application No. WC62677)

  • Approved Pension Application File for Patsey West, Widow of Henry West, Company D, 101st USCT Infantry Regiment (Application No. WC83545)

  • Approved Pension Application File for Mariah Nichols, Mother of George Nichols, Company F, 101st USCT Infantry Regiment (Application No. WC118109)

  • Approved Pension Application File for Peggy Grigsby, Widow of Jesse Grigsby, Company G, 101st USCT Infantry Regiment (Application No. WC111592)

  • Approved Pension Application File for Mary Hunter, Widow of Moses Hunter, Company H, 101st USCT Infantry Regiment (Application No. WC78542)

  • Approved Pension Application File for Sela Knight, Mother of Primus Knight, Company F, 101st USCT Infantry Regiment (Application No. WC119420)