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    Duty Driven: The Plight of North Alabama’S African Americans During the Civil War
    Duty Driven: The Plight of North Alabama’S African Americans During the Civil War
    Duty Driven: The Plight of North Alabama’S African Americans During the Civil War
    Ebook135 pages1 hour

    Duty Driven: The Plight of North Alabama’S African Americans During the Civil War

    By Peggy Allen Towns

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    DUTY DRIVEN
    The Plight of North Alabamas
    African Americans During the Civil War
    For over a century and a half, history has not adequately captured the voices of African Americans during the Civil War. Duty Driven vividly summarizes the remarkable stories of North Alabamas African Americans, during this pivotal period in our history. The first person stories and eyewitness accounts bring together historical evidence that validate the past and bridge the truth, while emphasizing the crucial roles of African Americans during the War.
    Duty Driven explores the enlistment of United States Colored Troops in Decatur, the only Alabama town to actually raise such a regiment. It documents the surrender and capture of the 106th, 110th and 111th Colored Troops by General Nathan Bedford Forrest, at Athens and Sulphur Branch Trestle, Alabama and provides the names of prisoners of war taken to Mobile to work on the fortifications. Their gripping stories paint a vivid picture of their courage, valor and sacrifice. Drawing on personal accounts, extraordinary facts are uncovered about African Americans who served in integrated Federal troops, as well as those who served with the Confederate Army. Additionally, an enlightening glimpse of the contributions of women to this war of freedom is presented.
    The powerful narratives are proof that freedom comes at a great cost. As Americans, it is our duty to remember these extraordinary heroes and to acknowledge the truth of our Nations heritage.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAuthorHouse
    Release dateSep 26, 2012
    ISBN9781477255575
    Duty Driven: The Plight of North Alabama’S African Americans During the Civil War
    Author

    Peggy Allen Towns

    Peggy Allen Towns is a local historian of African American history. She is a native of Decatur, Alabama, and her passion is preserving the voices and legacy of African Americans in her home town. She lectures and facilitates workshops on genealogy, local people and historical places. She is dedicated to identifying historic places, and as a result of her efforts, several sites have been listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage and the National Register of Historic Places. She has done extensive research documenting her familys history, which led to the discovery of a relative who served with the 110th United States Colored Infantry and the writing of her first book, Duty Driven: The Plight of North Alabamas African Americans During the Civil War.

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      Book preview

      Duty Driven - Peggy Allen Towns

      © 2012 by Peggy Allen Towns. All rights reserved.

      No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

      Published by AuthorHouse 02/18/2017

      ISBN: 978-1-4772-5556-8 (sc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4772-5547-6 (hc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4772-5557-5 (e)

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2012914106

      Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

      Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

      Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

      Cover Photo

      Amos McKinney Memorial Dedication

      July 11, 2009

      Courtesy Photo: Deangelo McDaniel

      Cover page picture: Courtesy of the 13th United States Colored Troop Living History Association of Murfreesboro Tennessee

      CONTENTS

      Acknowledgments

      Discover

      Introduction

      Chapter 1 Decision

      Chapter 2 Direction

      Chapter 3 Detachments

      Chapter 4 Determined

      Chapter 5 Demand

      Chapter 6 Defeat

      Chapter 7 Depositions

      Chapter 8 Distinguished

      Chapter 9 Dynamic

      Conclusion

      Source Notes

      Bibliography

      About The Author

      In

      Memory of my Mother

      Myrtle Lyle Allen

      When we, as Americans, exclude African Americans and the roles they played in the Civil War from America’s history, we deny the truth of our glorious heritage.

      Dedicated to the courageous and enduring spirit of all soldiers, particularly the

      United States Colored Troops who served in

      North Alabama during the Civil War.

      ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

      M y deepest appreciation to my parents George W. Allen and the late Myrtle Lyle Allen. My mother taught us a valuable lesson: If you don’t know where you’ve been, you’ll never know where you’re going. Special thanks to my siblings Cynthia, Emma, George, James, Petrina and Susie; and cousins Brinda Greene and Donnie Jones, who supported me in this endeavor; my daughter Latrisha A. Peterson and grandchildren, Alyssiya Allen and Nickoles Smith, who inspired me to tell our story. I also want to acknowledge grandchildren Alyssia Amedee and Faith Towns; my friends Malinda Ray and Deborah Robinson, and all those who said You can do it. Much gratitude to my husband, Edward Towns, who tolerated the many hours spent at my computer.

      I am grateful to Meagan Swearingen, a former co-worker who offered to visit the National Archives and obtained George Allen’s pension record for me, the document that sparked the interest to write this book. Much gratitude to Glenda McWhirter Todd, Juanita Patience Moss, Bennie McRae, and Civil War Reenactors of the 13th United States Colored Troop Living History Association of Murfreesboro, Tennessee and Ryan Dupree and the First Alabama Cavalry. You made it all come alive.

      I am immensely appreciative of The Reverend Wylheme H. Ragland. In October, 2009, he surprised me with a copy of the October 16, 1864, Mobile Advertiser and Register newspaper. In it were the names of African American soldiers, (mostly former slaves) captured at Athens and Sulphur Branch Trestle in Limestone County. The paper notified owners that their slaves were employed by the Engineer Department at Mobile, Alabama, and that the owners could receive compensation for their labor.

      This newspaper confirmed that the 106th, 110th and the 111th United States Colored Troops had indeed been captured and carried to Mobile, Alabama to work on the fortifications. The name of my ancestor, George Allen, was on that list before me in black and white. Further research proved that this soldier was not only a prisoner of war but that he was injured in the line of duty and received compensation for his disabilities.

      I am grateful to the following persons: James Nicholas, Franklin Elliott, Toni Christmas, Colonel James Walker and the Alabama A&M University State Black Archives for sharing documents.

      A special thanks to Bill Dennis, who obtained United States Court Claims filed against the federal government to acquire compensation for losses or damages that occurred during the war. Finally, I am most appreciative to friends who critiqued my manuscript; Dr. George Grayson, The Rev. Ronald Merriweather, John Allison, Karen Gierhardt, Dr. Dorothy Hardy, Melanie Smith, my cousins Celeste Stanton and Edward Greene, and my niece Stephanie Allen.

      For

      Daddy

      DISCOVER

      . . . to obtain knowledge of; arrive at through research or study; to learn or reveal; to expose.

      image002.jpg

      A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.

      —Marcus Garvey

      INTRODUCTION

      T he Civil War marked a revolutionizing turning point in American history. Historians and other writers however, seldom provide even a glimpse of the heroic and sacrificial service of North Alabama’s African Americans. Duty Driven tells the neglected story of slaves and freedmen during the Civil War and seeks to amplify the otherwise silent voices of my ancestors and others.

      As our nation commemorates the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War, many people are not aware of the active roles of North Alabama’s Colored Troops. This book documents the relentless and courageous struggles of soldiers in the 106th, 110th, and 111th United States Colored Troops (USCT). Furthermore, it depicts the harrowing experiences of individual soldiers who were captured by the infamous Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest at Athens and Sulphur Branch Trestle.

      As the war progressed, the shadowy history of African Americans is unveiled through eyewitness narratives that chronicle events experienced by soldiers and families. Until now, their involvements had been filed away, buried deep in the recesses of our history, and forgotten. A comprehensive list of prisoners of war (POWs) gives credence to USCTs taken to Mobile, Alabama, to work on the fortification. Their sweeping story emerges, disproving that these men were simply impressed slaves, but instead valiant soldiers.

      My interest in the role of African Americans in the Civil War arose out of research of my family’s history. After being told by historians and archivist in Mobile, There were never any black prisoners of war, ever here, and "No black POWs were brought here to Mobile, you must be mistaken. ¹Impressed slaves were sent here to work on the fortifications;" I felt it was my duty to tell the story of these North Alabamians and correct this common misconception.

      It did not take long for me to discover that

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