68th US Colored Infantry

To date, two men from Williamson County have been identified as serving in the 68th US Colored Infantry: Sgt. Abram Boyd and Pvt. King McClurg.

REGIMENTAL HISTORY:

Organized March 11, 1864, from 4th Missouri Colored Infantry. Attached to District of Memphis, Tenn., 16th Corps, Dept. of the Tennessee, to June, 1864. 1st Colored Brigade, Memphis, Tenn., District of West Tennessee, to December, 1864. Fort Pickering, Defences of Memphis, Tenn., District of West Tennessee, to February, 1865. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, United States Colored Troops, Military Division West Mississippi, to May, 1865. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, United States Colored Troops, District of West Florida, to June, 1865. Dept. of Texas to February, 1866.

SERVICE:

At St. Louis, Mo., till April 27, 1864. Ordered to Memphis, Tenn., and duty in the Defences of that city till February, 1865. Smith's Expedition to Tupelo, Miss., July 5-21, 1864. Camargo's Cross Roads, near Harrisburg, July 13. Tupelo July 14-15. Old Town Creek July 15. At Fort Pickering, Defences of Memphis, Tenn., till February, 1865. Ordered to New Orleans, La., thence to Barrancas, Fla. March from Pensacola, Fla., to Blakely, Ala., March 20-April 1. Siege of Fort Blakely April 1-9. Assault and capture of Fort Blakely April 9. Occupation of Mobile April 12. March to Montgomery April 13-25. Duty there and at Mobile till June. Moved to New Orleans, La., thence to Texas. Duty on the Rio Grande and at various points in Texas till February, 1866. Mustered out February 5, 1866.

Predecessor unit: MISSOURI VOLUNTEERS. 4th REGIMENT COLORED INFANTRY.

Organized at Benton Barracks, Mo. Designation changed to 68th United States Colored Troops March 11, 1864.

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.

Sgt. Abram Boyd

1838-1918

Sgt. Abram Boyd was born in Williamson County around 1840. According to his enlistment papers the 24year- old mulatto man was enslaved by Marcus Boyd Sr. On February 7, 1864, Marcus Boyd presented Abram to be enlisted in Company B of the 68th USCI in Springfield, MO. Sgt. Boyd mustered in at the Benton Barracks. From Sept 1864-Sept 1865 he was on duty as a regimental teamster. Then from Oct to Dec 1865he was on duty in the Regimental Quartermaster department. He mustered out Feb 6, 1866 at Camp Parapet, Louisiana. Following the war, he was a successful teamster, husband and father. Boyd was part of a mass migration of African Americans to Kansas as part of the Exoduster movement, and worked with Native Americans during a difficult chapter in America’s history. He has left a family that has continued his legacy of service - a son followed in his footsteps and served in the US Army during the Spanish American War, two grandsons served in World War II, a great-grandson served in the US Army, and a 2x-great grandson served as his town's chief of police. In Baxter Springs, Kansas Sgt. Boyd was involved in the local Grand Army of the Republic post. Sgt. Boyd died in 1918 and is buried in the Soldiers' Lot in the Baxter Springs cemetery with a USCT headstone. For a longer version of Pvt. Boyd's history and legacy please click here.

Resources:

• Battle Unit Details, NPS

• Regimental and Company Books of the 68th U.S. Colored Troops Infantry Regiment

• Approved Pension Applications

  • Approved Pension File for the Children of Christopher Columbus, Company A, 68th U.S. Colored Troops Infantry Regiment (WC-183073)

  • Approved Pension File for Mary Nash, Widow of Private Randall Nash (alias Randall Talbott), Company F, 68th U.S. Colored Troops Infantry Regiment (WC-476266)

  • Approved Pension Application File for Judith Reads Uptegrove, Widow of Abraham Uptegrove, Company G, 68th USCT Regiment (Application No. WC122194)

  • Approved Pension Application File for Helen Ewing, Widow of Thomas Ewing, Company G, 68th USCT Infantry Regiment (Application No. WC123036)

  • Approved Pension Application File for Dependents of Albert Lunkins, Company G, 68th USCT Infantry Regiment (Application No. WC113395)

  • Approved Pension Application File for Beneficiary of Stephen Marr, Company I, 68th USCT Infantry Regiment (Application No. WC122296)

  • Approved Pension Application File for Dependents of Gabriel Wright, Company B, 68th USCT Infantry Regiment (Application No. WC115660)

  • Approved Pension Application File for Dependents of Peter Roberts, Company F, 68th USCT Infantry Regiment (Application No. WC121185)

  • Approved Pension Application File for Dependents of John Robinson, Company G, 68th USCT Infantry Regiment (Application No. WC119717)

  • Approved Pension Application File for Dependents of James Wright, Company D, 68th USCT Infantry Regiment (Application No. WC111882)