Richard Baxter Foster (October 25, 1826 – March 30, 1901) was an American

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was Kingdom of France, France in 1315, but it was later used ...

, Union Army officer, and initial head of a college for African Americans in

Jefferson City, Missouri Jefferson City, informally Jeff City, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Missouri. It had a population of 43,228 at the 2020 United States census, ranking as the List of cities in Missouri, 16th most popu ...

. 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 ...

, Foster volunteered to be an officer for the

1st Missouri Regiment of Colored Infantry The 1st Missouri Colored Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Union Army's United States Colored Troops which served during the American Civil War. It was redesignated as the 62nd Regiment of United States Colored Troops on March 11, ...

regiment of the U.S. Army, largely recruited in Missouri, and helped set up educational program for its soldiers. In 1866 Foster headed the new college in Jefferson City, the Lincoln Institute, with financial support from his former regiment. The college is now named Lincoln University.

Early life and education

Foster was born in

Hanover, New Hampshire Hanover is a New England town, town located along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 11,870. The town is home to the Ivy League university ...

, on October 25, 1826, to Richard and Irene Bourroughs Foster. He was educated in Congregationalist schools, including Henniker Academy, and graduated from

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College ( ) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, Dartmouth is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the America ...

in 1851.

Activism

After college, Foster moved to

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

and then to

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

and taught in schools for African Americans. In 1856, he joined abolitionist

John Brown John Brown most often refers to: *John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in 1859 John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to: Academia * John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...

in a series of attacks on proslavery settlements in Kansas known as

Bleeding Kansas Bleeding Kansas, Bloody Kansas, or the Border War, was a series of violent civil confrontations in Kansas Territory, and to a lesser extent in western Missouri, between 1854 and 1859. It emerged from a political and ideological debate over the ...

. Foster later moved to

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

and in 1862 enlisted in the

1st Regiment Nebraska Volunteer Infantry The 1st Nebraska Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was initially organized to protect the Nebraska Territory from Indian attacks, but primarily served in the Western Theate ...

to fight in the

(1861–1865). After African-American soldiers were authorized to join the Union Army in 1863, Foster volunteered to serve as an officer for a black regiment. He was commissioned a first lieutenant and joined the

(later redesignated as the 62nd Regiment of U.S. Colored Troops). While an officer, Foster led in the education of the soldiers, many of whom were former slaves. The regiment was stationed in Louisiana and Texas and took part in the

Battle of Palmito Ranch The Battle of Palmito Ranch, also known as the Battle of Palmito Hill, is considered by some criteria the final battle of the American Civil War. It was fought May 12 and 13, 1865, on the banks of the Rio Grande east of Brownsville, Texas, and ...

. It also saw numerous casualties due to disease. Foster was mustered out in January 1866.

Lincoln Institute

After the war, Foster and other officers and soldiers of his regiment, together with the

2nd Missouri Regiment of Colored Infantry The 2nd Missouri Colored Infantry Regiment was an African-American infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Redesignated as the 65th U.S. Colored Troops Regiment on March 11, 1864. Service It was attached to ...

, organized and raised money to create a school for former slaves in Missouri. Foster advocated that the reopening of

Central Methodist University Central Methodist University (formerly known as Central Methodist College and also known as Central College or CMU) is a private university in Fayette, Missouri. CMU is accredited to offer master's, bachelors, and associate degrees. The school ...

include allowing black students to join, but he was rebuffed. He moved to

, and after some difficulty opened the Lincoln Institute with two students on September 17, 1866. The school struggled financially, and Foster employed Charles A. Beal,

Henry Ward Beecher Henry Ward Beecher (June 24, 1813 – March 8, 1887) was an American Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, and speaker, known for his support of the Abolitionism, abolition of slavery, his emphasis on God's love, and his 1875 adultery ...

, and

Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, February 14, 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American social reformer, Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. He was the most impor ...

to serve as fundraisers with some success. Foster served as the school's president and sole teacher until 1868, when he hired W. H. Payne, an African American, to teach. Foster advocated that the school share in federal money set aside for higher education by the 1862

Morrill Land-Grant Acts The Morrill Land-Grant Acts are United States statutes that allowed for the creation of land-grant colleges in U.S. states using the proceeds from sales of federally owned land, often obtained from Native American tribes through treaty, cessi ...

establishing

land-grant universities A land-grant university (also called land-grant college or land-grant institution) is an institution of higher education in the United States designated by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Land-Grant Acts, Morrill Acts of 1862 and ...

. This plan was rejected, but with the help of politicians

James Milton Turner James Milton Turner (c. 1840 – November 1, 1915) was an American political leader, activist, educator, and diplomat during the Reconstruction era. Appointed consul general to Liberia in 1871, he was the first African-American to serve in the U ...

and

Moses Dickson Moses Dickson (1824–1901) was an abolitionist, soldier, minister, and founder of the Knights of Liberty, an anti-slavery organization that planned a Slave rebellion, slave uprising in the United States and helped Slavery in the United States, ...

, it gained increased state funding, with the condition that Foster raise $15,000 first. With the help of the

Western Sanitary Commission The Western Sanitary Commission was a private agency based in St. Louis that was a rival of the larger U.S. Sanitary Commission. It operated in the west during the American Civil War to help the U.S. Army deal with sick and wounded soldiers. It wa ...

and the

Freedmen's Bureau The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, usually referred to as simply the Freedmen's Bureau, was a U.S. government agency of early post American Civil War Reconstruction, assisting freedmen (i.e., former enslaved people) in the ...

, Foster raised the money, and the school's finances were greatly improved. Under the

Morrill Act of 1890 The Morrill Land-Grant Acts are United States statutes that allowed for the creation of land-grant colleges in U.S. states using the proceeds from sales of federally owned land, often obtained from Native American tribes through treaty, cession ...

, Missouri designated the school as a land-grant university, emphasizing agriculture, mechanics, and teaching.Ural, Susannah, J
Richard Baxter Foster
, ''Civil War Times Magazine'', October 2017. Foster left the position as principal of the school in 1870 and 1871 in favor of Payne, but returned to become principal for part of 1871.

Ministry

He left the school in 1871 and in May 1872 was ordained a minister in

Osborne, Kansas Osborne is a city in and the county seat of Osborne County, Kansas, Osborne County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,335. History Settlers from southeastern Pennsylvania ...

, although he had been licensed to preach already in 1868. He led the First Congregational Church there for ten years. While at Osborne, he was also acting pastor at churches in Bethany (1873 and 1876–1881),

Corinth Corinth ( ; , ) is a municipality in Corinthia in Greece. The successor to the ancient Corinth, ancient city of Corinth, it is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Sin ...

(1875–1874), Bloomington (1875 and 1879–1881), Rose Valley (1876–1879), and Dial (1880–1882). From 1882 to 1884, he led a Congregational church in

Red Cliff, Colorado Red Cliff (sometimes spelled Redcliff) is a statutory town in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population was 257 at the 2020 census. The town is a former mining camp situated in the canyon of the upper Eagle River just off U.S. Hig ...

. From 1884 to 1886, he led a church in

Milford Milford may refer to: Place names Canada * Milford (Annapolis), Nova Scotia * Milford (Halifax), Nova Scotia * Milford, Ontario England * Milford, Derbyshire * Milford, Devon, a place in Devon * Milford on Sea, Hampshire * Milford, Shro ...

, Kansas, and from 1886 to 1890 in Cheney, Kansas. In 1890, he went to Stillwater,

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

, where he organized a church, which he led until 1894. He then led a church in

Perkins, Oklahoma Perkins () is a city in southern Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,831 at the 2010 census, an increase of 24.6 percent from the figure of 2,272 in 2000. The name is derived from Walden Perkins, a congressman who helpe ...

, until 1896, before going on to a church in Okarche, Oklahoma, until 1898. He also continued to teach, lecturing later in his life at Kingfisher College. Foster died in Okarche, Oklahoma, on March 30, 1901.

Personal life

In 1891, Foster was awarded an honorary doctor of divinity degree by

Howard University Howard University is a private, historically black, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and accredited by the Mid ...

.Christensen, Lawrence O., William E. Foley, and Gary Kremer, eds
''Dictionary of Missouri Biography''
. University of Missouri Press, 1999, pp. 311–313. On October 23, 1851, in

Brooklyn, Illinois Brooklyn (popularly known as Lovejoy), is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. Located two miles north of East St. Louis, Illinois and three miles northeast of downtown St. Louis, Missouri, it is one of the oldest known bla ...

, Foster married Jemine Ewing, daughter of John Logan Ewing and Elizabeth Cleland, with whom he had one son. Jemine died on October 3, 1853, in Jacksonvville. Foster's second marriage was at

Clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...

, Iowa, on March 8, 1855, to Lucy Reed, daughter of Festus Reed and Sarah Ann Woodruff. With Lucy, Foster had eight sons and two daughters.

Bibliography

*''What is Congregationalism?'' (1892)Carter, Nathan Franklin
''The Native Ministry of New Hampshire''
. Rumford Printing Company, 1906, pp. 322–323. *''What do Congregationalists Believe?'' (1896)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Richard 1826 births 1901 deaths Abolitionists from Missouri 19th-century American Congregationalist ministers Congregationalist abolitionists Dartmouth College alumni People from Hanover, New Hampshire People from Jefferson City, Missouri People from Okarche, Oklahoma People of Missouri in the American Civil War People of Nebraska in the American Civil War Presidents of Lincoln University (Missouri) Union army officers