Soldiers of the 14th Rhode Island Heavy Artillery

An all-African-American volunteer regiment, the 14th Rhode Island Heavy Artillery served honorably during the Civil War. In 1862, under pressure from African Americans who wished to fight but were denied the opportunity, the War Department announced that states could form regiments “consisting entirely of colored citizens.” Eventually, 179,000 African Americans would serve in the Army, with 19,000 more in the Navy. Rhode Island Governor James Smith obtained permission on July 19, 1863, to enlist and organize a colored company of heavy artillery.

Due to the high volume of volunteers, the proposed company instead became a regiment of twelve companies. The 14th RI consisted of nearly 1,800 men, recruited from Rhode Island, Connecticut, and other northern states. Seventy-seven white officers also joined the regiment. They trained at Dexter Training Ground in Providence and later were stationed at Dutch Island in Narragansett Bay.

In 1863, the 14th RI’s First Battalion was ordered to Louisiana, soon joined by the Second and Third. The Battalions did not take part in any major battles, but were under constant threat while they guarded forts and patrolled local communities. On several occasions they skirmished with Confederate soldiers, suffering numerous casualties. However, most casualties came from disease that ran rampant through their ranks during their tour of duty. On April 4, 1864, while the Battalions were in Louisiana, the War Department re-designated all state regiments composed of soldiers of African descent as US Army regiments. The 14th RI was designated the U.S. 8th Heavy Artillery April 4, 1864, and re-designated as the 11th Heavy Artillery May 21, 1864. Not all members of the later U.S. regiment had served in the Rhode Island regiment.

As African Americans, soldiers of the 14th RI were plagued by discrimination from white officers and received equal pay only after prolonged protest and refusal to accept a lesser amount. Until Congress acted in 1864, black soldiers in the Union Army typically received $10 per month, from which a $3 clothing fee was deducted automatically, while their white counterparts received $10 per month plus a $3 clothing allowance. They served knowing they faced violent retribution, execution, or enslavement if captured by Confederate forces.

Veterans of the 14th RI are buried in several different areas within the North Burial Ground.

Commanding Officers

Major Joseph Comstock, DoB – Feb. 7, 1811, DoD – Aug. 16, 1868

Major Richard Godfrey Shaw, DoB – June 29, 1832, DoD – Apr. 30, 1898

Company A:

Sergeant-major Zebedee Howland, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Mar. 13, 1883

Sergeant John A. Jenkins, DoB – Unknown, DoD – June, 4, 1902

Sergeant George H. Black, DoB – Unknown, DoD – May 17, 1887

Corporal John Thompson, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Dec. 7, 1901

Corporal Charles Snyder, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Nov. 11, 1902

Musician John Easton, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Oct. 26, 1901

Pvt. James Polk, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Jan. 5, 1910

Company B:

Captain Henry Simon, DoB – 1812, DoD – Oct. 6, 1864

Corporal Charles A. Jackson, DoB – Unknown, DoD, Nov. 11, 1915

Pvt. Henry Hunter, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Nov. 14, 1885

Pvt. Theodore H. Jackson, DoB – Unknown, DoD - Apr. 9, 1876*

Pvt. Charles H. Stafford, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Aug. 3, 1910

Company C:

Pvt. William Burr, DoB – Unknown, DoD - Aug. 14, 1903

Pvt. Slyvanus Green, DoB – Unknown, DoD – May 13, 1907

Company D:

Pvt. Stephen Davis, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Jun. 7, 1910

Pvt. William W. Field, DoB – Unknown, DoD – May 5, 1906

Pvt. John Gibbs, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Nov. 2, 1869

 

Company E:

Pvt. John Barnett, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Nov. 19, 1889

Pvt. Edward Silvey, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Aug. 3, 1904

Company F:

Pvt. James A. Lawrence, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Dec. 25, 1906

Company G:

Corporal Benjamin Ringgold, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Jan. 5, 1909

Pvt. Thomas Barber, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Dec. 6, 1901

Company H:

Corporal John Carter, DoB – Unknown, DoD Dec. 30, 1911

Pvt. Henry C. Diggs, DoB – Unknown, DoD Sept. 30, 1891

Pvt. John Hill, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Mar. 28, 1911

Company I:

Pvt. Robert Lewis, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Jul. 27, 1894**

Pvt. Benjamin F. Williams, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Nov. 2, 1904

Company K:

First Lieutenant Charles W. Munroe, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Mar. 20, 1868***

Company L:

Corporal Adam Lee, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Dec. 13, 1910

Pvt. William L. Johnson, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Aug. 11, 1906

Pvt. Theodore Williams, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Jan. 20, 1912

Company M:

Corporal Joseph R. Parker, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Mar. 11, 1911

Corporal Henry B. Williams, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Jan. 27, 1895

Pvt. Ambrose Clark, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Dec. 28, 1897

Pvt. Joseph Hovey, DoB – Unknown, DoD – Jul. 12, 1897

*Chenery says he died in 1876.

**Noted as 14th RI H Arty.

***On stone, “1st Lieut. Co. K, 4th RI Vols”

Further Reading

African American Civil War Monument and Museum http://www.afroamcivilwar.org/

Chenery, William H. The Fourteenth Regiment Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. New York: Negro Universities Press, 1969 (1898).

The Fourteenth Rhode Island Reenactor Program, http://14thri.org/the_14th_ri.htm

Lardas, Mark. African American Soldiesr in the American Civil War: USCT 1862-66. New York: Osprey, 2006.

Oakes, James. Freedom National: The Destruction of Slavery in the United States, 1861-1865. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013.

National Archives Lesson Plan, http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/blacks-civil-war/

North Burial Ground
5 Branch Ave.
Providence, RI 02906

North Burial Ground Project

@Rhode Island College