118th US Colored Infantry

OVERVIEW: Organized at Baltimore, Md., October 19, 1864. Moved to City Point, Va., October 26, 1864. Attached to Provisional Brigade, 3rd Division, 18th Corps, Army of the James, to December, 1864. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 25th Corps and Dept. of Texas, to February, 1866.


SERVICE: Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond November, 1864. to April, 1865. Occupation of Richmond April 3, 1865. Duty in the Dept. of Virginia till June. Moved to Brazos Santiago, Texas, June and July. Duty at Brownsville and at various points on the Rio Grande till February, 1866. Mustered out February 6, 1866.


One Williamson County man is known to have served in the 118th US Colored Infantry Regiment. Rufus Hightower was born in Williamson County and enlisted in Bowling Green, Kentucky on September 22, 1864. He served as a substitute for a drafted white man. Following the war he married Sallie Gamble in Nashville. He worked as a watchman for the federal government. 

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