29th Regiment U.S. Colored Troops Detachment Collection

December 31, 1864 - August 31, 1865
Manuscript Collection #995
Creator(s)
Camp, Wilson; Pell, Abijah S.
Physical description
0.001 Cubic Feet, 1 item
Preferred Citation
29th Regiment U.S. Colored Troops Detachment Collection (#995), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
Repository
ECU Manuscript Collection
Access
This collection is open for research.

Muster roll for a detachment of the 29th Regiment U. S. Colored Troops Detachment under the command of Capt. Wilson Camp, dated June 30 – August 31, 1865. The roll documents the names, ranks, enlistment data, and service records of the 17-man detachment consisting of soldiers from Illinois, Indiana, and Maryland.


Biographical/historical information

The 29th Regiment U. S. Colored Troops was organized at Quincy, Illinois, April 24, 1864. The regiment reported to Alexandria, Virginia where they were attached to the defense of Washington D. C. till June 15, 1864. They were then moved to White House, Virginia and then to Petersburg, Virginia for siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond from June 19, 1864 until April 3, 1865. This group would continue to be used in the D.C. area until May of 1865. At that point they were moved to Texas and were on duty in the area of the Rio Grande until November. This unit was mustered out or disbanded on November 6, 1865.

During their time as a regiment, the death toll totaled 234 men: 3 officers, 43 enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded and 188 were killed by disease.

Sources: https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battle-units-detail.htm?battleUnitCode=UUS0029RI00C


Scope and arrangement

This collection consists of a single printed form, recording the service of 17 members of the 29th United States Colored Regiment who were part of a detachment serving at Ringgold Barracks, Texas. They were a part of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 25 Army Corps under the command of Captain Wilson Camp. The roll was certified by the Inspector and Mustering Officer, Maj. A. S. [Abijah S. ] Pell, 8th Regiment U. S. Colored Troops.

When the payroll was submitted on August 31, 1865, most of the men had not been paid in 8 months and 1 man had not been paid in 10 months, 6 days. As privates, the men received only $16 per month for their service. The Inspector and Mustering Officer, Maj. Abijah S. Pell, rated the detachment as follows: Discipline: Good ; Instruction: Good ; Military Appearance: Fair; Arms: Good; Accoutrements: Fair; Clothing: Poor. The names of the enlisted men are included here: Moses, Alexander, Robert Brown, Joesph Briggs, Charles Greenwell, Garret Morris, Martin Miller, Moses Quickly, Robert Smith, Andrew Titsworth, William Thompson, Alfred Willis, Lewis Weber, Harrison Williams, James Wilson, Daniel B. Underhill, William Lumpkins, and Thomas J. Shores. Additional information on the roll includes their rank, enlistment information, including the location of their residence, and their service record.


Administrative information
Custodial History

March 1, 2004, 1 item, 0.001 cubic feet; Muster Roll & Pay Roll (12/31/1864 - 8/31/1865) of a detachment of the 29th Regiment of U.S. Colored Troops, under the command of Capt. Wilson Camp, 8th U.S. Colored Troops, consisting of 17 soldiers from Illinois, Indiana, and Maryland, submitted by Maj. A. S. Pell, 8th U.S. Colored Troops, Inspector and Mustering Officer, Ringgold Barracks, TX. 2 p. Purchase (Special Manuscript Fund), Fine Antiquarian Books, LLC, Woodbridge, CT

Source of acquisition

Purchase (Special Manuscript Fund), Fine Antiquarian Books, LLC, Woodbridge, CT

Processing information

Processing, container list, finding aid by HIST 5910 student James Burnette, April 20, 2016; revised by Jonathan Dembo, May 10, 2016

Encoded by Mark Custer, March 26, 2008

Collection Guide Updated by John Dunning, April 2025

Copyright notice

Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.


Related material

37th U. S. Colored Infantry Regiment History (#MF0040), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA. See: https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/special/ead/findingaids/MF0040


Key terms
Corporate Names
United States. Army--African American troops
United States. Army--Pay, allowances, etc.
United States. Army. Colored Infantry Regiment, 29th (1864-1865)
Places
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--African Americans

Container list
Folder os1 Muster Roll, December 31, 1864 - August 31, 1865