1st South Carolina volunteers of african descent/33rd USCT history

yankee hoorah

First Sergeant
Joined
Feb 21, 2014
Location
Maryland
In the coming years I will be forming a unit for Civil War reenacting. It will be based on these 2 units.

I'm curious if there are any rosters, photos, regimental histories, or even remains of the flag that the unit carried?

Please provide the source that you found this information from.
Thanks,
YH
 
As far as I know the only photographs are of some of the officers. I'm not sure if any of the enlisted men exist. Better known enlisted men included Robert Sutton and Prince Rivers. Rivers later was involved in Reconstruction era South Carolina politics.

There are considerable newspaper illustrations, since the unit was known to be one of the earliest black units. They are often racist cartoons however.

There are two excellent first person accounts: "Army Life in a Black Regiment" by Col. T. W. Higginson and "Reminisences of My Life in Camp" by Susie King Taylor. For historical context, I suggest "Rehearsal for Reconstruction" by Willie Lee Rose. A more recent account if "Firebrand of Liberty."

There was a privately printed memoir of a quartermaster who died on service, by his father, I belief. It has an engraving on its frontpiece. The Boston Public Library has a copy of it, in rare books.
 
Sounds like a good project. Maybe you'll discover something not generally known. I do hope you'll share your findings as you make them. I think those guys (and others like them) deserve better recognition. Your unit could be a real educational opportunity.

Good on ya !
 
In the coming years I will be forming a unit for Civil War reenacting. It will be based on these 2 units.

I'm curious if there are any rosters, photos, regimental histories, or even remains of the flag that the unit carried?

Please provide the source that you found this information from.
Thanks,
YH

It's the same unit, isn't it?

See Thomas Wentworth Higginson's Army Life in a Black Regiment.
 
It's the same unit, isn't it?

See Thomas Wentworth Higginson's Army Life in a Black Regiment.
Right its the same regiment. The "First South" as they called themselves was redesignated the "33rd United States Colored Troops" without any change or reorganization of the actual formation.
 
In the coming years I will be forming a unit for Civil War reenacting. It will be based on these 2 units.

I'm curious if there are any rosters, photos, regimental histories, or even remains of the flag that the unit carried?

Please provide the source that you found this information from.
Thanks,
YH

P139803.gif


James Swift Rogers

Residence Worcester MA; a 22 year-old Student.

Enlisted on 8/20/1862 as a Sergeant.

On 9/25/1862 he mustered into "C" Co. MA 51st Infantry
He was discharged for promotion on 12/10/1862

On 1/31/1863 he mustered into "F" Co. US CT 33rd Infantry
He Resigned on 10/20/1863


Promotions:
* Capt 1/31/1863 (As of Co. F 33rd USCT Infantry)


Other Information:
died 4/9/1905 in Roxbury, MA

(Son: Elliot Folger Rogers)

After the War he lived in Rockport, MA

Sources used by Historical Data Systems, Inc.:

- Massachusetts Soldiers, Sailors and Marines in the Civil War
- Register of the Commandery of the State of Massachusetts MOLLUS
- Photo courtesy of Massachusetts Commandery of MOLLUS
- Official Army Register of the Volunteer Force 1861-1865
(c) Historical Data Systems, Inc. @ www.civilwardata.com
 
The regiment wore red trousers during the early part of its existence. Higginson mentions in a journal wanted to swap them for regulation sky blues, but I don't recall if or when that happened.
 
The regiment wore red trousers during the early part of its existence. Higginson mentions in a journal wanted to swap them for regulation sky blues, but I don't recall if or when that happened.
It did happen. The 33rd wore Sky Blues, vs the scarlet of the 1st. I don't knoww the date they were issued unfortunately.
 
1) Try posting your question here:

https://www.facebook.com/USCTLHA

This the US Colored Troops Living History Association. There are some members who are from SC. You might find somebody to help you.

2) Also, see if you can contact Joseph McGill at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The contact page is here:
http://www.preservationnation.org/who-we-are/contact.html#.VVlPP84vvfA

McGill has some knowledge on the subject of SE Coast colored soldiers, he might be able to help you.

3) Post a question at the Lowcountry Africana.com website; the contact page for the website is here.

They might be able to refer you to someone.

- Alan
 
Can anyone answer the question about the rosters? With rosters you could look up all sorts of information about individual men.
 
Seth Rogers was the surgeon for the 1st SC and kept a diary: http://www.unf.edu/floridahistoryonline/Projects/Rogers/

At the bottom of the page I linked to are several other resources (I wish I'd seen these earlier) and then at the very bottom is the link to his letters.

I'd like to know if any of Susie King Taylor's papers still survive.

Also this book, just from looking at some of the bibliography: https://books.google.com/books?id=-...onepage&q=Charles T. Trowbridge diary&f=false

1) Try posting your question here:

https://www.facebook.com/USCTLHA

This the US Colored Troops Living History Association. There are some members who are from SC. You might find somebody to help you.

2) Also, see if you can contact Joseph McGill at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The contact page is here:
http://www.preservationnation.org/who-we-are/contact.html#.VVlPP84vvfA

McGill has some knowledge on the subject of SE Coast colored soldiers, he might be able to help you.

3) Post a question at the Lowcountry Africana.com website; the contact page for the website is here.

They might be able to refer you to someone.

- Alan

Seconded! Lowcountry Africana is a great, great resource.
 
Trowbridge tells quite a tale of fighting guerillas post Civil War. The accounts is from many years afterward, and I don't now how useful it would be for you.
 
Looking at this regiment on fold3, they do have complete compiled service records online. A complete muster roll for the enlisted men could be created from them with a bit of time and effort. There are also many soldiers who have dozens of records in their files, which might make interesting reading. Unfortunately the cards for the day-to-day of the regiment itself are not online, although there's information on which microfilm roll they're on at the national archives. (M589)

If you aren't interested in a paid membership (fairly cheap, fold3 is 8 bucks a month) you could get the free trial week and take a look at everything.
 
In the coming years I will be forming a unit for Civil War reenacting. It will be based on these 2 units.

I'm curious if there are any rosters, photos, regimental histories, or even remains of the flag that the unit carried?

Please provide the source that you found this information from.
Thanks,
YH


Not directly what you asked for but Letters from Port Royal has some primary source discussion of the 1st South, see the books index for South Carolina Volunteers.
 
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