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Battle Unit Details
Battle Unit Details
OVERVIEW:
Organized March 11, 1864, from 4th Mississippi Infantry (African Descent). Attached to Post of Goodrich Landing, District of Vicksburg, Miss., Depts. of the Tennessee and Mississippi, to February, 1865. Little Rock, Ark., Unattached, 2nd Division, 7th Corps, Dept. of Arkansas, to February, 1865. Unattached, District of Vicksburg, Miss., and Dept. of Mississippi, to March, 1866.
SERVICE: Post and garrison duty at Goodrich Landing and at Lake Providence, La., till February, 1865. Actions at Issaqueena County March 22, 1864. Goodrich Landing March 24. Bayou Mason July 2. Issaqueena County July 10. Goodrich Landing July 16. Bayou Tensas July 30. Issaqueena County August 17. Bayou Tensas August 26. Post and garrison duty at Little Rock, Ark., till March, 1865, and at Vicksburg, Miss., and in the Dept. of Mississippi till March, 1866. Mustered out March 20, 1866.
Predecessor unit: MISSISSIPPI VOLUNTEERS. 4th REGIMENT INFANTRY (AFRICAN DESCENT). Organized at Vicksburg, Miss., December 11, 1863. Attached to post and District of Vicksburg, Miss., to March, 1864. Post Goodrich Landing, District of Vicksburg March, 1864.
SERVICE: Post duty at Vicksburg and at Goodrich Landing, till March, 1864. Skirmish at Columbia February 4, 1864. Designation of Regiment changed to 66th U.S. Colored Troops March 11, 1864.
One man from Williamson County enlisted in the 66th US Colored Infantry. Pvt. Stephen Perkins was born in Williamson County around 1843. He enlisted in the 66th USCI, Co D on December 24, 1863, at Vicksburg, Mississippi. He deserted in August 1865.
It is possible, if not probable, that Perkins was enslaved by the large Perkins family in Williamson County and later sold south to Mississippi. Other people experienced that traumatic event - including Nancy Perkins Gardner - you can read her full story here.
The records for this regiment have not yet been indexed - meaning it is not yet possible to search by location or name. Identifying men in this regiment requires painstaking, page-by-page research of thousdands of documents. It is likely there are many more men with ties to Williamson County, TN who served in this regiment. This is true for all the men who served in the 56th through the 138th US Colored Infantry regiments.
Photographic Image from the Pension File of Hosea R. Simmons (alias Hosea Simpson). Simmons served as an undercook with the 45th Regiment of Illinois Volunteers until he enlisted in the 66th US Colored Infantry. He was born in Pulaski, Tennessee. He mustered out as a Sergeant. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/195934209
Resources:
National Park Service, Battle Unit Details
Black Virginians in Blue, Marley White (66th USCT)
National Archives, Regimental and Company Books of the 66th U.S. Colored Troops Infantry Regiment
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