Maryland Colored Regiments

[Redcoat]

I am trying to research a freed slave from Maryland who fought in the Union Army. After the war he settled here in new Brunswick Canada.

His name was Charles H. Norris (1848 - 1911). I understand that there are six Colored regiments in Maryland,
Is there a list of names of the men in those regiments available?
View attachment 178181

 

[WJC]

After a quick check:
The National Park Service Soldiers and Sailors Database lists a Charles H. Norris, Private, Company K of Purnell Legion, Maryland Infantry. See https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search...oldierId=D88317BF-DC7A-DF11-BF36-B8AC6F5D926A
The Maryland State Archives has information on Civil War units recruited in Maryland. For brief histories of the six USCT units (4th, 7th, 9th, 19th, 30th, and 39th Infantry), see http://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc2900/sc2908/000001/000366/html/index.html
If you have an Ancestry.com account, check the Canadian Census record for Charles Norris, born 1848, living in Charlotte, NB in 1881.
Hope this helps.
Keep us posted as you find more: some of our members may be able to assist further as you find new information (and the questions that always seem to come with new information).

 

[Redcoat]

Thanks you so much. I will be posting an article about him in our group's newsletter "Graves Matter" In addition when we find his grave Company I will conduct a graveside service for him.

After a quick check:
The National Park Service Soldiers and Sailors Database lists a Charles H. Norris, Private, Company K of Purnell Legion, Maryland Infantry. See https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search...oldierId=D88317BF-DC7A-DF11-BF36-B8AC6F5D926A
The Maryland State Archives has information on Civil War units recruited in Maryland. For brief histories of the six USCT units (4th, 7th, 9th, 19th, 30th, and 39th Infantry), see http://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc2900/sc2908/000001/000366/html/index.html
If you have an Ancestry.com account, check the Canadian Census record for Charles Norris, born 1848, living in Charlotte, NB in 1881.
Hope this helps.
Keep us posted as you find more: some of our members may be able to assist further as you find new information (and the questions that always seem to come with new information).

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

I am trying to research a freed slave from Maryland who fought in the Union Army. After the war he settled here in new Brunswick Canada.

His name was Charles H. Norris (1848 - 1911). I understand that there are six Colored regiments in Maryland,
Is there a list of names of the men in those regiments available?
View attachment 178181

Charles enlisted as a Private 10/10/1861. He was discharged 8/15/1862. Seems he lost sight in his right eye, but no details. A Charles H. Norris served in the War with Spain, in Company D 1st Maryland Mounted Infantry. He filed for a pension for this service in Sept. 1920. Same man ???

 

[Redcoat]

Charles enlisted as a Private 10/10/1861. He was discharged 8/15/1862. Seems he lost sight in his right eye, but no details. A Charles H. Norris served in the War with Spain, in Company D 1st Maryland Mounted Infantry. He filed for a pension for this service in Sept. 1920. Same man ???

View attachment 178281

I don't think it is the same man. According to his obituary here, It stated he had resided here in St. Andrews for 32 years which would have put him her around 1879. The obit also mentioned that he was receiving a US pension. When you look at his photo it appears that his right eye may be off a bit.

 

[Redcoat]

Still searching for the real Charles H. Norris.

We are planning a big event to honour Pvt. Charles Henry Norris a former slave from Maryland who moved to New Brunswick Canada and married a local girl in 1872.

To that end I do not believe that he served in the Purnell Legion in 1861. We have two other men of the same name who served in Coloured regiments and I am attempting to identify our Charles Norris by pension records.

The one I suspect is from Company M, 3rd US Artillery
Dated filed 23 Feb 1897
Invalid application #1186,597
Law: R (S or E)
Family Search # 24625463

The other was a widows pension application.

If anyone knows how to access pension records which will connect our Charles Norris of St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada to his real unit, would be greatly appreciated.