"REMEMBERED" CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS

Profiles of Ten Civil War Soldiers buried in the Union American Methodist
Episcopal Church Cemetery at Coatesville, Pennsylvania

by Stanley H. Way & Lee Carter
1994

The rush to destroy this historic African-American cemetery should be
vigorously resisted.   To destroy history is to deny history to our descendants.

This research includes information on others buried in the cemetery and other area citizens identified by this research whose information has been extracted from the Pension and/or Military Files.   These people were often from Coatesville but also from surrounding towns.  Some typical reasons why they were included is their participation with the soldier or widow application as an:  Attorney, Court Clerk, Justice of the Peace, Physician, Postmaster, Prothonotary, Tax Collector, Undertaker, Minister, Notary Public or witness.   Approximately 200 names, including those of the soldier and family members is included.   Dates of birth are included when available (in more than 1/2 of all names listed).

Preservation of this cemetery to honor the buried as required under Pennsylvania Statutes
for Historic Burial Places is a primary goal of this work.

Date of last update to this page:  12/02/2005
Newest website item is from National Archives Microfilm Series M1845.

This webpage contains material extracted from the above named document.  Some related material and all references have been omitted for the purposes of this webpage.    Some material has been added to the webpage (for example, the photographs) that is not contained in the printed document.  Copies of the original document may be obtained for cost of duplication and mailing from the address at the bottom of this webpage.

Dedication

This research effort is dedicated to the black Civil War soldiers of Coatesville, Pennsylvania and their historic efforts to preserve the Union and to overcome slavery in the United States.

Preface

"Rather Die Freeman than live to be slaves." The motto on the flag of the 3rd U.S. Colored Infantry in the Civil War expressed the sentiment of many persons trying to preserve the Union and end slavery but none more so than black slaves, former slaves and descendants of slaves. The South-Eastern area of Pennsylvania, long a route of the Underground Railroad prior to the Civil War, had seen a large number of escaping slaves as well as freed slaves and descendants of slaves looking for a less oppressive way of life. Many left Southern homes and plantations, often with the aid and/or encouragement of abolitionists or friends, settling in many small towns throughout South-Eastern Pennsylvania. Coatesville, Pennsylvania, a heavily industrialized town, was not significantly involved in the Underground Railroad activity and some historians believe it may have been hostile to run-w-way slaves. However, the needs of local industries made it an attractive area for free Southern blacks to make a better way of life for themselves. These immigrants to the Coatesville area began arriving prior to the outbreak of the Civil War and continued well into the 20th Century. When the Civil War broke out it was no surprise that many of the former slaves and descendants of slaves in Coatesville were eager to volunteer for the Union Army. Much of the preserved history of these individuals is located at the National Archives in Washington, DC where Military Files, Pension Files and the Federal Census are kept for public research. The ten black Civil War soldiers buried in the Union American Methodist Episcopal Church cemetery near Coatesville are the subject of this research effort. None of these soldiers was killed in the Civil War itself, all returned from the War and settled in the Coatesville area. While history has faded some of the memories of these heroes, the records are available and are used here to profile their military service, families, friends, neighbors and Coatesville associates. The author's fervent hope is that this work will aid future generations with the preservation of the cemetery and the memory of the Coatesville citizens buried there.

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank all those who contributed information during the course of the research effort.  Special thanks go to Don Siver for his efforts in having the Church Cemetery cleaned up and in publicizing it's Civil War historical significance.  We are grateful to the Chester County Historical Society, Mrs. Peg Young of the East Fallowfield Historical Society, Bishop George Wallace Poindexter of the Union American Methodist Episcopal Church (Wilmington, Delaware), Joe Leopsky and numerous librarians and archivists in Coatesville and Washington, DC.  We are especially thankful for the help and encouragement of Angela Walton, Bennie McRae, and Sandra Ostling during the compilation of this material.   

Stanley H. Way and Lee Carter

Black soldiers buried in the Union American Methodist Episcopal Church Cemetery
(Editor's note: The cemetery is located in East Fallowfield Township, just South-East of Coatesville, Pennsylvania)
Click on the highlighted soldier name for a detailed Profile.

Other citizens with identifiable gravestones in this cemetery.

Other black Civil War soldiers from the Coatesville area identified in this research:

All Coatesville and surrounding area citizens identified by this research are listed here.   Reasons for being
identified include being a Civil War soldier, family of the soldier, friend of the soldier, Attorney, Court Clerk,
Justice of the Peace, Physician, Postmaster, Prothonotary, Tax Collector, Undertaker, Minister,
Notary Public or witness.

Introduction

An historic site of one of America's earliest African-American churches was identified in 1982 during a survey conducted by the Chester County Historical Society of Pennsylvania.  The old church site contains no visible evidence of the original church building but the attached cemetery of the Union Church of Africans, organized in 1820 still exists.  (Editor's note:   The church was first moved to Merchant Street in 1869.)  This historic church later was renamed and moved to Chestnut Street in 1909 as the Hutchinson Memorial American Methodist Episcopal Church of Coatesville.

In early 1989, the East Fallowfield Township Historical Commission told the Township supervisors that the cemetery on Caln Road, South of Goosetown Road, was in disrepair and had been looted, possibly for artifacts of the Civil War soldiers buried there.  The ultimate fate of the original church building is uncertain with some suggesting it burned down but no definitive information has been located.  The Hutchinson Memorial Union American Methodist Episcopal Church of Coatesville owned the property until 1972 when they failed to pay property taxes.   As a result of that failure, the property was sold by the government for the unpaid taxes.   The purchaser was apparently unaware that the cemetery was present at the time of the tax sale.  As a result of the Historical Commission activity the cemetery has been temporarily preserved and local efforts have been made to maintain it in a manner befitting the heroes buried there.   The Doe Run Presbyterian Church Boy Scout Troop has participated in the maintenance of the cemetery.  (Editor note: In early 2002, efforts have been renewed to restore and preserve the cemetery and the members of the U.A.M.E. church buried there.)

The cemetery, which was used for over one hundred years, contains an estimated 50 graves. (Editor's note: more recent estimates place the number of graves at 150 or more.)  Many of the grave markers are common stones with no names or other information.  However, many of the graves are those of black Civil War soldiers who fought for the Union Army, mostly in the United States Colored Troops (USCT), but at least one in the Regular Army 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry which was the first black Regiment in the Regular United States Army.

Blacks were not allowed to serve in the Union Army until after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863. Even with the Proclamation, most states were reluctant to use black soldiers, Massachusetts being the first state to form a black Regiment, the 54th Volunteer Infantry, in early 1863. Since there were insufficient numbers of blacks in Massachusetts, recruits were taken from other states, including John Henson, a resident of Coatesville, Pennsylvania and the Church Cemetery. The men of this Regiment fought bravely and effectively for the preservation of the United States, and were the focus of a book and movie (Glory) which portrayed their bravery at Fort Wagner, South Carolina where they mounted a full scale attack on July 18, 1863. Even though they were defeated in this battle and suffered enormous loses, they earned the respect and admiration of the Union commanders and destroyed the erroneous image that black soldiers would not be effective in battle.

Black soldiers also had a far greater risk from their military service than their white counterparts. The risk of capture by soldiers of the Confederacy was a particularly frightening prospect since many captured black soldiers were either executed or put back into slavery. However, the fierce desire to end slavery propelled these brave men into the Union Army. "Once under arms, black soldiers freed tens of thousands of slaves. The military service of black men had profound implications for all black Americans, helping to free the enslaved and enlarge the liberty of the free."

They also participated in a much less violent protest against unequal pay policies of the Union Army that allowed white Privates to be paid $13 and black Privates $10. This discrepancy was even greater when black soldiers were required to pay for simple supplies out of their paycheck while white soldiers were provided extra money for the same supplies. The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry even refused to accept any pay rather than accept lower pay than their white counterparts received and also refused to accept a compromised offer whereby the State of Massachusetts would pay the difference between the white and black pay scales. In Washington, D.C., the protest to this inequity was brought to a head by Pennsylvania's U.S. Congressman from Lancaster, Thaddeus Stevens, who twice submitted Congressional Bills to compensate black Civil War Soldiers equally. Congress twice voted against Steven's Bills for pay equality. Eventually, equal pay for black and white soldiers ! was approved by Congress on June 15, 1864 and was made retroactive to the time of enlistment for free blacks and to January 1, 1864 for former slaves.

Most of the black soldiers who volunteered for the Civil War effort were formed by the United States into Regiments of U.S. Colored Troops (USCT), not specifically attached to states. All of the soldiers in the Church Cemetery with exception of John Henson were in these USCT Regiments. Their service was often difficult and their Regiments were often given the least desirable assignments. It should be noted that none of these black soldiers rose above the rank of Sergeant. In fact, positions above Sergeant, even for the black USCT Regiments, were all filled by white men.

Of the 180,000 black Civil War soldiers, approximately 36,000 died in the service of their country. Of the total, only about 3,000 died of battle wounds while the remainder died of disease. The federal authorities presumed that "people of African descent were physiologically adapted to tropical climates and peculiarly suited to duty in unhealthy settings. The assignment of many black soldiers to endless rounds of arduous fatigue duty further endangered their health."

(Editors note:  The poster shown below is a recruiting poster to ask African-American men to join the battle to preserve freedom an dignity for all.   The photograph of the Auction and Negro Sales house (unidentified town) is a reminder of what freedom loving people were fighting against.   The bottom photograph is of slaves and slave quarters on the Smith Plantation, Beaufort, South Carolina.)

Pennsylvania's Attitude

Pennsylvania was clearly a Northern State in it's attitude toward abolishing slavery, but just as clearly was a reluctant participant in providing blacks equal opportunities to serve the Union directly in Civil War Regiments.   In 1862, the Pennsylvania legislature tried to make it illegal for blacks to even enter into Pennsylvania.  In Philadelphia, blacks were forbidden to ride the city passenger cars.  Even the black recruits for the Massachusetts 54th Regiment from the Philadelphia area had to be discretely transported so as not to attract attention.   On February 6, 1863, when Frederick Douglas asked Governor Andrew G. Curtin if he would accept colored troops the Governor said no.  However, in the early summer of 1863, when General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army invaded South-Eastern Pennsylvania (Gettysburg), Pennsylvania's position quickly softened and blacks were recruited into eleven separate United States Colored Troops (USCT) Regiments.  The first Pennsylvania USCT Regiment formed was the 3rd which formed August 2-10, 1863.  USCT Regiments formed near Philadelphia, at Camp William Penn were the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 22nd, 24th, 25th, 32nd, 41st, 43rd, 45th and 127th.  

Civil War Soldiers in the U.A.M.E. Cemetery

This research has identified a total of 19 black Civil War soldiers from the Coatesville area, with ten of those buried in the U.A.M.E. Church cemetery and nine others who were acquaintances.  Of the ten soldiers buried in the cemetery, six were Volunteers, one was Drafted and three were substitutes for draftees.

Substitution was a practice begun during the Revolutionary War and continued through the Civil War.  A Draftee who did not want to serve had to provide a substitute to take his place.  Often agents, eager to take advantage of the system, arranged for these substitutes at a large profit.  Some Northern men who wanted to avoid the war paid between $500-$1,000 to an agent who would then recruit a substitute who was paid only $50-$100.  Black men were typically recruited and paid in this manner.

One of the soldiers in the U.A.M.E. cemetery was only 15 years old when he became a substitute and was assigned as a Musician and issued drums.   It was not uncommon for young boys to be used as drummers or buglers, the youngest on record being only nine years old. It was their job to render the calls: reveille, breakfast call, assembly, sick call and taps.  They also performed chores in camp and during battle helped attend the wounded.  Occasionally, the drummer boys would substitute in the firing line for wounded solders.

The Pension Files also identify other friends of the soldiers who were the right age to have served but who have not been researched to verify whether or not they did.

Description of Records

Pensions were applied for by either the Civil War soldier due to disability or by the widow of a soldier. [Ed: the website linked here has description of some of the Pension laws in effect at various times.]  These applications often contained detailed information about the applicants family, friends and medical condition (for the soldier only).  Marriage certificates were sometimes provided for Widow's Pensions and depending on the age of children, they were listed on the applications.   Ages for many of the applicants and persons submitting Affidavits were provided with exact birth dates usually provided for the Civil War soldier and his wife when she applied for a Widow's Pension.

Military Files contained summary information on whether the soldier was present or absent for a given period (usually two months) and remarks about special assignments or charges due the U.S. for supplies.  Special letters or documents were sometimes placed in the Military Files.

Gravesite Markers were sometimes obtained for Civil War soldiers, whether buried in National Cemeteries or private cemeteries.  Beginning in 1879 gravesite markers were provided for burials of Civil War soldiers in private cemeteries.   Records for these gravesite markers between 1879 and 1903 is available through National Archives microfilm series M1845.   Approximately 166,000 gravesite markers are documented.  Three of the 10 Civil War soldiers of this research were found.  All three records indicate they were buried in the Hephzibah cemetery of Fallowfield, Chester County, Pennsylvania.   All other information for these three matched that already known (i.e. regiment, company, name).

[A description of all Civil War records at the National Archives, including Pension and Military Files is linked here.]

(Ed.  A document titled Preserving the Legacy of the United States Colored Troops by Ms. Budge Weidman, a National Archives volunteer, is an excellent summary of the available records and their significance.)

The photograph of Civil War Soldiers below do not include any of the soldiers identified in this document.  It is provided here to give an idea of the uniforms and equipment used by the USCT Regiments.  This photograph is not included in the printed document.

Federal Census records often provide lists of family members, year of birth, ages, places of birth and occupations.  The birth dates in these records are often at variance with dates given in the Pension Files.  Caution must be used in determination of family structures based solely on these dates.

The Pension Files are usually the most rewarding for documenting a soldier and his family.  Besides the family information, many other persons in the community are identified as part of the legal process required by the U.S. Pension Office.  Many Witnesses, Affidavits, Depositions and statements were required with each application.  Each of the documents usually had to be witnessed by an official of the local government, either a Justice of the Peace or Court Clerk.   Also, the local Postmaster was sometimes required to notify the Pension Office of a Pensioner's death.

SOLDIER PROFILES

Of the ten identifiable Civil War soldiers in the Union American Methodist Episcopal Church Cemetery, six have Pension Files.  Pension Files have been located for Richard Adams, John Henson, Lewis J. Henson, Edward Spencer, Thomas Coursey and George E. Long.  Military Files for all the soldiers have been located and together with the Pension Files are the basis for the Soldier Profiles.  In some cases, information from the U.S. Federal Census has been utilized.

Other Coatesville Townspeople

The record of black Coatesville soldiers in the Civil War is certainly well documented.  As well as black soldiers, many other citizens of Coatesville are documented in the same records because of their association with the soldiers and their families.  All of the associations are documented for Richard Adams, John Henson, Lewis J. Henson, Edward Spencer, Thomas Coursey and George E. Long.   Each soldier's associations are listed as part of the Profile for each.   Return to the listing near the beginning of this webpage for links to each Profile.  

One person, who appears in all six of the Pension Files is Henry G. Thomas, Justice of the Peace in Coatesville, who lived in Penningtonville with his wife, Jane A. Thomas.  Henry was a wealthy banker (probably retired) and Justice of the Peace when he signed the various Affidavits and Depositions required for the Pension Applications.  A daughter of Henry and Jane, Emma, was married to Thomas S. Morrison, a physician in Coatesville.  In 1880 Emma and Thomas had one child, Elizabeth, living with them.  The Morrison family also included a Minister, the Rev. A. G. Morrison, who performed the marriage ceremony for Lewis J. Henson and Amanda L. Jones.

Also of note is Abraham Gibbons, referred to in the Pension Application of Richard Adams.  Abraham was a Bank President in 1880, living with his wife Martha P. and children William H. and Marian P. Gibbons.

The attorney for Edward Spencer's estate, David A. Clarkson, is noticeable as he submitted the last Pension File papers related to the soldiers in the U.A.M.E. cemetery.  David was also found in the 1860 Federal Census (at age 9), living with his parents, William and Sarah A. Clarkson and brothers John J., Charley J., William W., Cheyney W. and sister Harriet A. Clarkson.

The above are the most notable references in the files, details are described in each soldier's Profile.

Union A.M.E. Church History

The church and cemetery of this study was one of the original congregations of the Union Church of Africans formed by founder, Peter Spencer and was organized around 1820 in East Fallowfield Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.

A denomination wide dispute in 1851 caused a division in the Union Church of Africans resulting in two newly named churches; the African Union Church and the Union American Methodist Episcopal Church (U.A.M.E.).   The original cemetery and church property in East Fallowfield Township were retained by the Union American Methodist Episcopal Church (U.A.M.E.), later renamed the Hutchinson Memorial Union American Methodist Episcopal Church of Coatesville.   The African Union Church later merged and is known today as the African Union Methodist Protestant Church (A.U.M.P.).

Note that all of the burials of Civil War Soldiers were after the change to the church name of Union American Methodist Episcopal Church which was referred to only once in the Pension Files.

In 1869, the congregation moved to Coatesville, after erecting a church building on Merchant Street near Sixth Avenue.

A new church building was constructed at 825 Chestnut Street and services were first held March 28, 1909.  The church was renamed the Hutchinson Memorial U.A.M.E. Church of Coatesville.

Pastor

In the book, Our Heritage, the Rev. William W. Hutchinson is listed as the first pastor of the Union Church of Africans in Fallowfield and served many years.

Proximity to Underground Railroad

An interesting observation is that the intersection of Goosetown and S. Caln Roads (less than 1/4 mile from the Union A.M.E. Church) was possibly a popular locale for run-a-way slaves and raises the possibility that the Union A.M.E. Church was in some way involved in activities helping these slaves.  During the pre-Civil War period, many of the ministers of this church (Ed: the U.A.M.E. Church, not necessarily the one next to the cemetery) were active in the anti-slavery movement and "Underground Railroad" and much of the actual work of receiving and transporting escaped slaves was done by them.  Another nearby and associated church, the Hosanna African Church, in Oxford Township, now located on U.S. Highway 1, was a focal point of numerous anti-slavery meetings, served as a haven for many weary fugitives, and was known by many generations of black people as an important station on the Underground Railroad.

As documented by R. C. Smedley in the History of the Underground Railroad in Chester and the Neighborhood Counties of Pennsylvania, a route of the railroad went from the Pierce's and Fulton's in Ercildoun to Gravner Marsh's in Caln.  A logical route for this trip of less than 10 miles is East on Goosetown Rod and then North on Caln Road, passing by the Union Church of Africans.   Other routes of the Underground Railroad may have come directly up Caln Road from the South and also passed by the Church.

Church and Cemetery Property

The Union Church of Africans resided on property purchased by London Derry and his wife Elizabeth in 1803.  The 1807 Septennial Census list "Black Derry, Negro 1 acre log house."  The 1821 tax lists have "Black Derry, Negro holding land."  The Deed for the church property was not recorded in the Derry's name until 1823 when London Derry and wife Elizabeth sold to Thomas Williams, John Beckett and Abraham Jackson, trustees of the Union Society of Colored People a half acre of ground for the purpose of building a meeting house and a place to bury their dead.  In 1832, additional land was sold to John D. Steele by London Derry's widow, Elizabeth, also for the purpose of a "house of worship and burial ground of a society of colored people."

Maps

Two Chester County maps, one in 1847 and the other in 1883, show the Union Church of Africans in separate but nearby locations and identified as the Derry African M.E. Church (in 1847 only).  The name discrepancy, Derry African M.E. Church rather than the Union Church of Africans is interpreted by the authors as an error by the mapmaker. (Editors Note:  it might also have been that more than one name was used by the local population.  A current map of the area - the cemetery is South-East of the intersection of S. Caln Rd. and Goosetown Rd.)   A 1853 and 1883 map both show a narrow road, perhaps a few hundred feet long, leading from S. Caln Road to the Church.   A map made under the direction of the "Department of Highways" in 1912 failed to indicate any church whatsoever.   A survey conducted in 1982 by the Chester County Historical Society physically located the cemetery but not the Church as identified in the 1856/1883 maps.

Union Church of Africans Cemetery History

The Union Church of Africans cemetery probably was put into use sometime after 1823 when the land was transferred by London and Elizabeth Derry to the Church.  The latest known burial was in 1927 (Thomas Coursey) when the cemetery was owned by the Hutchinson Memorial Union American Methodist Church of Coatesville.   After years of being abandoned (since 1972) the cemetery was re-discovered in the 1982 survey of the Chester County Historical Society at the location indicated in the 1883 map included in the original document).  The survey found "sunken graves, tombstones tilted and lying on the ground.  The cemetery was cleaned up by a local Boy Scout Troop (#48) but later in 1989 it was noted that the property owner was not maintaining the cemetery as required by local ordnance.  It was also apparent that some of the graves had been vandalized, possibly in a search for Civil War artifacts.  Again, a cleanup effort was instituted with the local Boy Scout Troop again participating.  Current maintenance of the cemetery is questionable.

The Original Document

The original document contains more details in several areas including:
1.  Complete references (a total of 43).
2.  Current map of the Coatesville area,  1847 map showing "Derry African M.E. Church", 1883 map showing church location. (Note: The 1883 map is a large file which will take awhile to load.)

Copies of the Original Document

The document is approximately 29 photocopied pages.  Photocopies are available from  Stanley Way, 5204 Drake Terr., Rockville, Maryland  20853 for the cost of duplication and mailing ($6).    Copies of most of the 10 buried soldiers Pension and/or Military Files are available upon request.  Questions can be forwarded by E-Mail about any aspect of this document.   Send E-Mails to:  stanley.way@prodigy.net.

Descendants of Coatesville Soldier???

If you think you may be a descendant of one of the listed soldiers we would like to hear from you.  Send an E-Mail to:  stanley.way@prodigy.net.  

LINKS

Lest We Forget    A website devoted to honoring heroes, both yesterdays and todays.

African American Civil War Memorial and Museum

United States Colored Troops Institute for Local History and Family Research - an educational institute to promote and encourage original historical and genealogical research about the 200,000 colored men and their 7,000 white officers who comprised the US Colored Troops during the American Civil War. 

Bates History of Pennsylvania Volunteers On-Line  Note that USCT regiments are listed in Volume V

United States Colored Troops Homepage - features Camp William Penn and the USCT Regiments formed there.

Fort Ward Museum and Historic Site - Fighting for Freedom, Black Union Soldiers of the Civil War

Unionville, Maryland USCT Veterans Honored  - A somewhat similar cemetery in Unionville, MD containing 18 former slaves and Civil War combatants.

African Union Church Cemetery, The cemetery has existed about 155 years along banks of the Branch Canal, a
part of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in Delaware City.  This cemetery restoration and preservation project seems very similar to that needed for the Union American Methodist Episcopal Church Cemetery in East Fallowfield Township.

Preserving the Legacy of the United States Colored Troops - From the National Archives

Martin Delaney was a famous African-American activist at the time of the Civil War as well as a member of the USCT.

Afrolumens - African American History in South Central Pennsylvania

Search for a Civil War Soldier or Sailor - A search facility from the National Park Service

Pennsylvania Statutes including those for Historic Burial Places

A Philadelphia Inquirer article on April 25, 2002 describes the restoration and preservation effort.

Detailed description of each Civil War Regiment is included in a book by Samuel P. Bates, Member of the Historical Society of
Pennsylvania, in the late 1860s.