The 59th United States Colored Infantry was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

that served in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. The regiment was composed of

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

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 American Civil War, Civil War, to handle "all matters relating to the organization of colored troops." Major Char ...

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, a ...

on May 22, 1863.

Service

The 59th U.S. Colored Infantry was organized from the 1st Tennessee Infantry (African Descent) on March 11, 1864, for three-year service under the command of

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Edward Bouton. The regiment was attached to 1st Colored Brigade, District of Memphis, Tennessee,

Department of the Tennessee Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

, to June 1864. 3rd Brigade, Infantry Division, Sturgis' Expedition, to June 1864. 1st Colored Brigade, District of Memphis, District of West Tennessee, to February 1865. Fort Pickering, Defenses of Memphis, Tennessee, District of West Tennessee, to July 1865. 2nd Brigade, District of West Tennessee, to September 1865. Department of Tennessee to January 1866. The 59th U.S. Colored Infantry mustered out of service January 31, 1866.

Detailed service

Post and garrison duty at Memphis, Tennessee, until June 1864. Sturgis' Expedition from Memphis into Mississippi June 1–13. Battle of Brice's Cross Roads, Guntown, June 10. Ripley June 11. Davis Mill June 12. Smith's Expedition to Tupelo, Mississippi, July 5–21. Near Ripley July 7. Pontotoc July 11–12. Camargo's Cross Roads, Harrisburg, July 13.

Tupelo Tupelo , genus ''Nyssa'' , is a small genus of deciduous trees with alternate, simple leaves. It is sometimes included in the subfamily Nyssoideae of the dogwood family, Cornaceae, but is placed by other authorities in the family Nyssaceae. In ...

July 14–15. Old Town Creek July 15. Repulse of Forrest's attack on Memphis August 21, 1864. Post and garrison duty at Memphis, Tennessee, and in the District of West Tennessee until January 1866.

Commanders

* Colonel Edward Bouton

References

* Cowden, Robert. ''A Brief Sketch of the Organization and Services of the Fifty-Ninth Regiment of United States Colored Infantry, and Biographical Sketches'' (Dayton, OH: United Brethren Pub. House), 1883. eprinted in 1971 and 1992* Dyer, Frederick H. ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908. * Engs, Robert Francis and Corey M. Brooks. ''Their Patriotic Duty: The Civil War Letters of the Evans Family of Brown County, Ohio'' (New York: Fordham University Press), 2007. ;Attribution *{{CWR United States Colored Troops Civil War units and formations Military units and formations established in 1864 Military units and formations disestablished in 1866

Service

Detailed service

Commanders

See also

References