COMMEMORATION
SERVICE FOR UNITED STATES COLORED TROOPS
(U.S.C.T.), UNION SOLDIERS
(U.S.C.T.), UNION SOLDIERS
The Lafayette County Juneteenth
Foundation will be honoring three United States Colored Troop
(U.S.C.T) Union Army veterans who are buried in the Mount Muncie
Cemetery which is south on Shelby Road in Higginsville, MO. We will
be honoring these soldiers on June 14, 2019 at 3 pm during a special
commemoration service. Dr. Joahn Hall of the Howard A. Hall
Foundation and the Buffalo Six Ranch in Richmond, MO will be
assisting by providing a riderless horse tribute.
All of the soldiers were born enslaved
and died as free men. We honor them for their sacrifices to end
slavery, America's horrific institution.
“...Sing a song full of faith that
the dark past has taught us, sing a song full of hope that the
present has brought us; facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
let us march on till victory is won...”
(excerpt from song titled “Lift Every
Voice” by J. Rosamond Johnson and James Weldon Johnson).
Joseph Johnson was born ca. 1842
died on November 16, 1914. He was born in Virginia and he died in
Lafayette County, MO. Johnson was married to Winnie Johnson and he
worked as a janitor. No other information about his parents is
known.
SOURCE: civilwararchive.com”
Perry Parker was born ca. 1842 and the date of his death is unknown. He was married to Eliza Parker. Perry worked as a farmer. The names of children were Minnie, Lawson, Frances, Nedore, Rebekkah, and Houston. Eliza died in 1927 in Higginsville, MO and is buried in the Mount Muncie Cemetery and was a widow at the time of her death. In a February 11, 1910 article in the Higginsville Advance, listed that the body of Frances Jones, Negro which was brought from Centerville, IA., Thursday was buried in the Negro cemetery here Saturday. The funeral was at the home of her mother. Eliza Parker.
“Perry Parker was a slave owned by Daniel Parker. In November of 1863, at the age of 22, he enlisted at Lexington, MO in the Union army. He was immediately sent to Benton Barracks in St. Louis and became part of the 62nd USC Inf. The company was organized as Co. “D” in the 1st Colored MO Volunteers on Dec. 9, 1863. On January 22, 1864 the company left Benton Barracks on for New Orleans, LA on a steamboat. The boat sank at St. James Parrish, but all on board survived. The unit arrived at Port Hudson, MS on Feb. 14, 1864 where they were stationed until Oct. 5, 1864 when they were ordered to Brazos, Texas. This unit saw active duty in what is widely believed to be the last battle in the Civil War at Palmetto Ranch, TX. After the war the company did various duties in Texas until March of 1866 when they were mustered out of the service. Perry’s unit, the 62nd MO USC Inf., is credited with creating Lincoln University in Jefferson City. These men donated part of their pay to leave a legacy of learning that is still in operation today.”
Charles Smith was born ca. 1844. and died on January 21, 1926. He was born in Virginia and died in Hgginsivlle, MO. He was a widower at the time of his death and worked as a janitor. Arthur Smith was an informant on the death certificate. Charles Smith's father was Manuel Workcuff who was born in Viriginia.
Smith was a slave owned by David Smith in Cooper County, MO. At the age of 18 he enlisted in the Union army. He was mustered into the 83rd Regimental Infantry at Fort Scott, KS in July of 1863. The 83rd infantry was organized from the famous 2nd Kansas Colored Infantry who had been the first colored troops to engage in battle in the Civil War at Island Mound, MO. Up until that time it had been believed that colored troops were incapable of combat duties. They had served primarily in support, such as escorts, guards, and maintenance. The 83rd would distinguish themselves yet again in battle at Jenkins Ferry and the entire Camden Arkansas campaign. They were also the first colored unit to charge and overtake rebel forces in a battle at Camden AK. This unit returned to Fort Smith and was later mustered out on in the fall of 1865 at Leavenworth, Kansas. The regiment lost 2 officers, 32 enlisted men were killed and mortally wounded, and 211 enlisted men died of disease.” Sources: www.civilwararchive.com and www.kansasguardmuseum.org.”
Excerpts are from the Mount Muncie
Cemetery: A History & Burial Registry, Higginsville, Missouri,
2009 written by Kay Russell and Linda G. Smith.
