Southard's Independent Company Explained

Company "A" (Southard's Independent Company), Pennsylvania (Colored) Infantry was a United States Colored Troops unit briefly formed during the Civil War in the Union Army. The unit was organized at Camp William Penn, Pennsylvania on July 28, 1864[1] It was named for its commander, Captain Converse Southard. The unit was disbanded November 14, 1864[2] at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania[3] and its remaining members sent to reinforce existing U.S.C.T. regiments.

Purpose

Not much is known about this unit, except that it did not see combat. It was enlisted for a period of only 100 days;[4] enlistments of 3 to 4 months or so were usually for emergencies. Many members transferred to other units before the unit was disbanded, including its officers.

An army under CSA General Jubal Early had threatened Washington DC in the beginning of July but had fled to West Virginia by August. The troops may have been raised to serve in the defense of Washington DC or replace Pennsylvanian units sent to Maryland.

Known members

There were 100 men (3 officers, 18 NCOs, 2 Musicians, and 77? Soldiers) assigned to the unit at formation.[5]

Officers

Captain Converse Southard

(b. Unknown (c.1838) - d. November 20, 1876; 37 yrs old). Converse A. Southard was born in Newark, Licking County, Ohio the son of Joseph and Priscilla Southard. In 1860 Southard was residing in Peoria City, Peoria County, Illinois and was a clerk before the war.[6] He was commissioned as a 1st Lieutenant in the Illinois Militia on Aug 16, 1861 and was assigned to Company "A", 47th Illinois Volunteer Infantry (IVI).[7] He was promoted to Captain of Company "A", 47th Illinois on May 9, 1862 but resigned his commission on October 29, 1862.[8] He attended the Command School at Camp William Penn from March 30, 1864 and was commissioned as a Captain in the Pennsylvania Militia on July 20, 1864.[9] He was assigned to command a company in what was anticipated to be a full regiment of Colored Troops that was later reorganized as an Independent Company. Southard was given an honorable discharge on August 11, 1864[10] and was then transferred to Paducah, Kentucky to command Company "C", 119th US Colored Infantry Regiment, U.S. Colored Troops[11] and mustered in on February 28, 1865. He was later charged in July with "Behavior Unbecoming of an Officer"; reportedly he had been found with a woman in his quarters who was undressing. He requested to resign his commission for the good of the service on July 7, was marked Absent Without Leave on August 19, and was mustered out on September 7, 1865. He later resided in Buffalo, New York after the war and died there of "congestion of the brain" on November 20, 1876. His remains were shipped by rail to his birthplace of Newark, Ohio where he was interred in the Cedar Hill Cemetery on November 23, 1876.

First Lieutenant Enon M. Harris

(b. March 3, 1839[12] - d. October 26, 1908; 69 yrs old) Enon Major Harris was commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the Pennsylvania Militia on July 20, 1864.[13] He received a transfer to the 8th US Colored Heavy Artillery Regiment. He had the distinction of being one of 27 veteran Navy and Army officers assigned to the Honor Guard for Abraham Lincoln's coffin. They escorted it to and from Independence Hall in Philadelphia and guarded Lincoln while he lay in state. Harris was buried at Arlington Cemetery.

Second Lieutenant George W. Keys

Was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Pennsylvania Militia on July 21, 1864.[14] He transferred to Company A, 41st US Colored Infantry Regiment, U.S.C.T. on September 10, 1864.[15] Promoted to Adjutant on August 14, 1865.[16]

Non-Commissioned Officers

Musicians

Private Soldiers

See also

Notes and References

  1. Frank H. Taylor, PHILADELPHIA IN THE CIVIL WAR (1861-1865), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1913, p.279
  2. Frank H. Taylor, PHILADELPHIA IN THE CIVIL WAR (1861-1865), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1913, p.279
  3. Pennsylvania Adjutant-General's Office, Report of the Adjutant General of Pennsylvania (1864); Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 1865. p.269
  4. Pennsylvania Adjutant-General's Office, Report of the Adjutant General of Pennsylvania (1864); Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 1865. p.269
  5. https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers.htm#q=%22Southard's Company, United States Colored Infantry (Pennsylvania)%22 although no summary of the Units service is listed in the US NPS database, there is a listing by name of 89 members of this Unit in the NPS database.
  6. http://www.peoriacountyillinois.info/directories/1861_dcty/1861_directory_s.html{{Dead link|date=May 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} 1861 Peoria City Directory
  7. http://civilwar.illinoisgenweb.org/r050/047-a-in.html Roster: Company "A", 47th Illinois
  8. http://civilwar.illinoisgenweb.org/r050/047-a-in.html Roster: Company "A", 47th Illinois Infantry
  9. Pennsylvania Adjutant-General's Office, Report of the Adjutant General of Pennsylvania (1864); Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 1865. p.269
  10. https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_193/051/20193533-8.jpg WAR DEPARTMENT, Adjutant General's Office (Washington, December 12, 1864) Special Order №442, section 27
  11. http://soda.pop.psu.edu/cgi-bin/broker?e2=transfer&_PROGRAM=pubprogs.cw3b.sas&_SERVICE=sodapop Pennsylvanians in the Civil War. by Steve Maczuga
  12. Web site: Archived copy . 2012-04-04 . 2012-10-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121014142118/http://files.usgwarchives.org/pa/philadelphia/history/family/dickbrisbane.txt . dead .
  13. Pennsylvania Adjutant-General's Office, Report of the Adjutant General of Pennsylvania (1864); Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 1865. p.269
  14. Pennsylvania Adjutant-General's Office, Report of the Adjutant General of Pennsylvania (1864); Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 1865. p.269
  15. http://soda.pop.psu.edu/cgi-bin/broker?e2=transfer&_PROGRAM=pubprogs.cw3b.sas&_SERVICE=sodapop Pennsylvanians in the Civil War. by Steve Maczuga
  16. Samuel P. Bates, History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers, (1861-1865), Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; 1868-1871.
  17. http://www.afrolumens.org/rising_free/usct/southards.html#Samuel_P._Bates African American Civil War Veterans - Pennsylvania Burials by Units - Southard's Company, United States Colored Infantry (Pennsylvania) - Cumpton, Jacob T.
  18. National Park Service, "Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System" (Film M589, roll 18)
  19. Samuel P. Bates, History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers (1861-1865), Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 1868.
  20. http://www.afrolumens.org/rising_free/usct/southards.html African American Civil War Veterans - Pennsylvania Burials by Units - Southard's Company, United States Colored Infantry (Pennsylvania)
  21. http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/philadelphia/cemeteries/philly-nat-cem/phil-g.txt Philadelphia County, PA_USGenWeb Archives Cemeteries.....G Surnames: Philadelphia National Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA
  22. National Park Service, "Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System" (Film M589, roll 33)
  23. http://www.afrolumens.org/rising_free/usct/southards.html African American Civil War Veterans - Pennsylvania Burials by Units - Southard's Company, United States Colored Infantry (Pennsylvania)

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