The 56th United States Colored Infantry was an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

that served in the Union Army during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. The regiment was composed of

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

enlisted men commanded by white officers and was authorized by the

Bureau of Colored Troops The Bureau of Colored Troops was created by the United States War Department on May 22, 1863, under General Order No. 143, during the Civil War, to handle "all matters relating to the organization of colored troops." Major Charles Warren Foster ...

which was created by the

United States War Department The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, als ...

on May 22, 1863. The regiment was originally organized as the 3rd Arkansas Volunteer Infantry (African Descent) on May 22, 1863.

Organization

The regiment was organized at

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

in August 1863 as the 3rd Regiment Arkansas Volunteer Infantry (African Descent) and assigned to the VII Corps (Union Army). The regiment was dispatched to

Helena, Arkansas Helena is the eastern portion of Helena–West Helena, Arkansas, a city in Phillips County, Arkansas, located on the west bank of the Mississippi River. It was founded in 1833 by Nicholas Rightor and is named after the daughter of Sylvanus Phil ...

, where it was initially utilized for garrison and guard duty.Encyclopedia of Arkansas History
/ref> The regiment was re-organized at

, on March 11, 1864, and re-designated the 56th United States Colored Infantry.''The Civil War Archive''
/ref> The 56th was commanded by Col. Carl Bentzoni, a Prussian born officer who trained the troops for combat.

Service

The 3rd Regiment Arkansas Volunteer Infantry (African Descent) participated in the Expedition from Helena up White River February 4–8, 1864. and up St. Francis River February 13–14. On July 26, 1864, near Wallace's Ferry in Arkansas, the unit (now re-designated as the 56th United States Colored Infantry Regiment), along with the 60th Colored Infantry regiments and Battery E of the 2nd U.S. Colored Artillery were attacked by a superior force of

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

cavalry commanded by Col. Archibald S. Dobbins. Supported by about 150 men from the 15th Illinois Cavalry, the infantry regiments organized a fighting retreat and at a crucial moment in the battle made a counter charge into the enemy line. The unit was praised by the commander of Battery E in his after action report:.Christ, Mark, "Re: Battles of Helena and Jenkins Ferry", Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board, Posted 7/25/2006, Accessed 11 Sept 2013, http://www.history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs62x/arcwmb/arch_config.pl?md=read;id=13202 Colonel Brooks of the 56th was mortally wounded early in the action and Lieutenant Colonel Moses Reed assumed command. The 56th and the other Union forces made their way back to Helena. Union casualties in the battle were 19 killed, 40 wounded, and four missing. Confederate losses are unknown. General Order No. 14, Department of Arkansas (dated February 1, 1865), from Little Rock, reported the 56th United States Colored Infantry as belonging to the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Division of the 7th Army Corps. The 56th Colored Regiment losses during service consisted of: four officers and 21 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded; and two officers and 647 enlisted men by disease; for a total of 674 fatalities. The vast majority of the deaths due to disease occurred during a cholera epidemic that struck in August 1866 while the regiment was waiting to muster out at

Jefferson Barracks Military Post The Jefferson Barracks Military Post is located on the Mississippi River at Lemay, Missouri, south of St. Louis. It was an important and active U.S. Army installation from 1826 through 1946. It is the oldest operating U.S. military installat ...

near

. One hundred seventy-five African American enlisted men of the 56th U.S. Colored Infantry are buried together in a mass grave at

Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery is an American military cemetery located in St. Louis County, Missouri, just on the banks of the Mississippi River. The cemetery was established after the American Civil War in an attempt to put together a fo ...

Mustered out of service

Mustered out September 15, 1866.Tabular Analysis of the Records of the U.S. Colored Troops and Their Predecessor Units in the National Archives of the United States. Special List No. 33. National Archives and records Service General Services Administration Washington: 1973. Compiled by Joseph B. Ross. FHL 973 M2rt Film:1036062 Item 21 The U.S. government credits 5,526 men of African descent as having served in the Union Army from the state of

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

during the conflict.

Notes

References

*{{Cite book , last = Fletcher, first = Randol B., title = Hidden History of Civil War Oregon, publisher = The History Press, year = 2011, location = Charleston, South Carolina, isbn = 978-1609494247 * Robertson, Brian K. ''"Will They Fight? Ask the Enemy:" United States Colored Troops at Big Creek, Arkansas, July 26, 1864''; Arkansas Historical Quarterly; Vol. 66; Autumn 2007; Pp 320–332. * https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2010647218/

External links