Dabney Butler

From Black Virginians in Blue.

Dabney (Daybury) O. Butler was born around 1823 in Louisa County, Virginia.  He moved toAlbemarle County and is recorded in special census of free blacks of 1833.  He next moved with his family to Chillicothe, Ohio,  where he married  Susan Ann Evans on December  24, 1846.    The couple had at least six children together:  Elbridge born around 1849, Charles 1851,  Walter 1853, John 1855, Samuel 1860 and Ellen  1868.

On February  24, 1864,  Butler enlisted  in Company E of the 27th USCT regiment in Chillicothe.  He was mustered in at Camp Delaware, on March 8.  According to his service records,  he was a 43-yearold laborer, with black hair, eyes and complexion, who stood five feet, eight inches tall.

The 27th saw service during the siege of Petersburg, Virginia, begore being transferred in December to North Carolina.  In January it took part in the capture of Fort Fisher.  He mustered out with the rest of the 27th at Smithville, North Carolina on September21, 1865.

After the war, he returned to Chillicothe where he loved the rest of his days working as a brick mason.  Both he and his wife received pensions from the federal government.

Butler died around 1892 in Chillicothe, two years prior to his wife.  Both are buried in the city's  Grandview Cemetery.

--Old B-Runner

27th USCT Infantry-- Part 2: Many Operations in Virginia

The regiments war record.

From the Rapidan River to James River, Virginia  May-June 1864.

Guarding wagon trains during the Wilderness Campaign.

Petersburg Campain (including the Battle of the Crater, July 30, 1864)  June-December 1864.

Fought at Weldon Railroad (August 1864)

Popular Grove Church (September and October 1864)

Boydtown Plank Road and Hatcher's Run (October 1864)

Bermuda Hundred (Virginia) front until december 1864.

Then it was moved to the attacks on Fort Fisher.

Quite a busy unit.

--Old B-Runner

Private William Morgan at Fort Fisher with 27th USCT-- Part 2

Born in 1844, he was likely one of the hundreds of John Randolph slaves in Virginia who were freed after his death and provided means to settle in Ohio.  They made their way and settled  in the Miami Valley in 1846.  In the 1900 census, Morgan said his mother was born in Virginia which supports the idea that he was one of them.

William Morgan enlisted as a private in Company G, 27th USCT at Camp Delaware, Ohio, in April 5, 1864.

His regiment had a proud history of service.   Assigned to the Army of the Potomac, the 27th guarded supply trains during the Overland Campaign and took part in the Siege of Petersburg.  The 27th charged into Confederate lines at the Battle of the Crater on July 30, 1864,.

They were also part of  amphibious operations against Fort Fisher, North Carolina.  It was then involved in the events that followed (Sugar Loaf Hill, Federal Point, Fort Anderson, capture of Wilmington and Northeast Ferry.

After that it participated in the  Carolinas Campaign at Kinston,, Goldsboro, Cox's  Bridge, the capture of Raleigh and surrender of Johnston's Army at Bennett's House.

Hey!   Fort Fisher!!  --Old Secesh

Fort Clifton and Army Gunboat Brewster-- Part 2: A 32-Pound Solid Shot

The fort's garrison, commanded by  Captain S. Taylor Martin,  of the Virginia Artillery, receive special commendation from Major General  George E. Pickett, the commander of the Petersburg  defenses.

Fort Clifton was evacuated on April 2, 1865, one week before Lee's surrender at Appomattox.

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The Perry Adams Antiques offered a  Confederate 32 lb. solid shot excavated at Fort Clifton, Va., on the Appomattox River north of Petersburg for $175.

According to the site,  this was excavated by a long-time  relic hunter near Fort Clifton, now a city park in Colonial Heights, Virginia.

The fort was designed by the famed  Confederate engineer Captain Charles H. Dimmock and completed in early 1864.  Its purpose was to stop Union incursions along the Appomattox River.

--Old B-Runner

Fort Clifton and Army Gunboat Brewster-- Part 1: The Brewster Scuttled

I have been writing about Acting Ensign Arnold Harris a lot of late.  Here is some more information as this was the ship Brewster that Gen. Benjamin Butler wanted to use to sneak into the Cape Fear River by Wilmington, North Carolina, and do damage back in January 1864.  Later that year, the Brewster carried orders to the USS Commodore Perry to open fire on this Fort Clifton.

From HMdb Fort Clifton

FORT CLIFTON

From the marker:

"A short distance east on the Appomattox River stands Confederate Fort Clifton, an important fortification that guarded Petersburg against Union naval attack  during the Civil War.  

On 9 May 1864, Federal  gunboats commanded by Maj. Gen. Charles K. Graham attacked the fort.

During the engagement, Fort Clifton's artillery disabled the Army gunboat Samuel L. Brewster, which its crew then scuttled.

--Old B-Runner

Lincoln's Trip to City Point, 1864-- Part 6: Meeting With Butler and Lee

At the time of Lincoln's visit to City Point, it was becoming apparent that the general's effort to take Petersburg quickly was going to end up as a siege and so the general was quite busy overseeing this so he couldn't devote full time to entertaining the President.  As such, his staff stepped in and plans were made for other visits with high ranking officers and the troops.

General Benjamin Butler, commander of the Army of the James,  and Acting Vice Admiral Samuel P. Lee, commander of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, were informed that Lincoln would be visiting them as well.

A picture of S.P. Lee accompanied the article and a quick glance of it made me think I was looking at Confederate General Robert E. Lee.  And, of course, there was the name.  Could Robert and Samuel be related?

Turns out, S.P. Lee was a third cousin to Robert E. Lee.

Another indicator of how divisive the war was.  here are cousins fighting on opposite sides.  And, S.P. Lee was born in Virginia, but chose to fight for the Union.

Small World.

--Old B-Runner

Bruce Anderson, 142nd New York, Black Medal of Honor Recipient at Fort Fisher-- Part 1

Yesterday in my Saw the Elephant: Civil War blog, I was listing Blacks who were recipients of the Medal of Honor in the Civil War.  This grew out of the Richmond (Virginia) City Council looking into putting up a statue honoring 14 black Medal of Honor winners at the Battle of New Market Heights during the Petersburg Campaign.  I started this story in my Civil War II blog.

Richmond plans to put this monument up on that city's Monument Avenue which has statues of Confederates that they are trying to remove.

There is a monument in Wilmington, Delaware, honoring black Medal of Honor recipients and I was listing their names for the Army.  All of them, except Bruce Anderson,  were in United States Colored Troops (USCT) regiments.

It is not often that you find a black soldier serving with a white regiment such as the 142nd New  York Infantry.

And, of course, my main interest in the Civil War is anything dealing with Fort Fisher.

I will find out more information about him.

--Old B-Runner

The United States Colored Troops at Fort Fisher-- Part 2: Siege of Petersburg

The regiment took part in the campaigning in Virginia from the Rapidan River to the James River in 1864.  then, they were at the Siege of Petersburg and the engagements at Weldon Railroad, Poplar Grove Church, Boynton Plank Road and Hatcher's Run.

In December, they were with General Butler at Bermuda 100.

At the Second Battle of Fort Fisher they had one killed and four wounded.

--Old B-Runner