The 5th Massachusetts Cavalry, a Black Cavalry Regiment in the Union Army

This is part of my series of scrapbooks on Black regiments that served in the Civil War. While they are each focused on a single regiment, they are not intended as regimental histories. They collect information, links, and illustrations to help bring the experiences of the men of these units to modern readers. Sources are in brackets [,,,].

The 54th Massachusetts is today the most famous Black unit of the Civil War. It had two sister regiments. After Gov. John Andrew authorized the creation of the 54th and 55th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiments as his state’s first two black units, he authorized a black cavalry regiment, the 5th Massachusetts Cavalry in 1863.

Organizing a black cavalry regiment was extremely controversial according to historian Douglas Egerton:

“If anything, Andrew faced even more formidable obstacles than he had the previous January when creating the Fifty-fourth. For one, most Northern whites had an even harder time visualizing African Americans as elite cavalrymen than as common infantrymen. The cost of arming and mounting 1,000 men, moreover, far exceeded the price of outfitting as many infantrymen, and the expense of maintaining ten companies in the field did not decline once the men left camp.” [Egerton, Douglas R. Thunder at the Gates: The Black Civil War Regiments That Redeemed America (p. 252). Basic Books. Kindle Edition.]

The 5th was commanded by Henry S. Russell, “then a lieutenant colonel in the Second Massachusetts Cavalry. Just shy of twenty-six, the Harvard graduate had seen considerable action in Virginia, fighting beside the late Charles Russell Lowell. But what most recommended him for the post— as the antislavery press enthusiastically emphasized— was that he was a cousin to Rob Shaw.” Egerton (p. 253).

The regiment was organized on January 9, 1864. Second in command was Charles Francis Adams Jr., who was then a captain in the First Massachusetts Cavalry. Adams was the son of the U.S. minister to the United Kingdom. Although his family had strong anti-slavery credentials, Adams expressed racist views in private. His grandfather had been president as had his great-grandfather.

Corporal Charles Douglass, son of Frederick Douglass joined the 5th Massachusetts Cavalry. He had served in the 54th, but he had not seen combat with the unit. He was quickly promoted to Sergeant. His brother Frederick Douglass Jr. served as a recruiter for the regiment. Two out of three men in the 5th Mass. Cav. were former slaves. Egerton (p. 253-254)

The first job the regiment had was guarding Confederate prisoners at Point Lookout in May, 1864. Members of the regiment worried that they would not be allowed into the fight. In June 1864, the 5th joined other Union troops in the “siege” of Petersburg. The regiment’s first real fight was at the Battle of Baylor’s Farm. Colonel Russel was wounded in the battle and he was replaced in command by Adams.

The regiment was moved to the prison camp at Point Lookout in Maryland at the end of June, 1864 and it remained there until March of the following year when it joined troops around Richmond and Petersburg.

On April 3, 1865, the Fifth Mass. is claimed to have been the first Union cavalry regiment to enter Richmond, Va. One officer of the regiment wrote of the reception by the people of Richmond who assembled on the streets to welcome the Fifth:

“They danced and shouted and prayed and blessed the Lord and thanked him that the Yankees had come…It will be an event in history that colored troops were the first into the city,” Egerton (p. 275).

The Fifth participated in the occupation of Richmond after the surrender of Lee. The all-white electorate chose former Mayor Joseph Mayo as the new mayor. Incredibly, Mayo reinstated the pass system that had been used under slavery under which blacks on the streets had to have passes signed by their white employers. When the men of the 5th demanded that whites also produce passes they provoked outrage from the white residents of the city! Col. Adams was placed under arrest for allowing his men to straggle and “maraud.” The charges were dismissed after two weeks.

The 5th was next sent to Texas to deal with the remainders of Kirby Smith’s Confederate forces. By the time they got there, Smith had given up the fight. Col. Adams was no longer with the regiment because of health reasons.

Charles Douglass was the youngest son of Frederick Douglass.

In Massachusetts in the War, 1861-1865, James L. Bowen described the regiment’s history as follows (pp. 782-4):

THE Fifth Cavalry Regiment, composed of colored men, was organized during the autumn of 1863 and the following winter; but the first company. A, was not ready for muster until the 9th of January, 1864; three other companies were mustered on the 29th, E on the 10th of February, F on the 23d; three companies were filled during March, and two in April, but it was not till the 5th of May that Company M was ready for the mustering officer. On that day the First Battalion of four companies under Major Weld left camp en route to Washington; the Second Battalion followed next day under command of Major Adams, and the Third Battalion, Major Bowditch, on the 8th. The organization at this time numbered 930 officers and men, the commissions issued being as follows: —

Colonel, Henry S. Russell of Boston; majors, Horace N. Weld of Belmont, Zabdiel B. Adams of California and Henry P. Bowditch of Boston; surgeon, George S. Osborne of Danvers; assistant surgeons, Samuel Ingalls of Melrose and Frederick H. Parker of East Corinth, Me.; adjutant, James S. Newell; quartermastcr, Winsor Hatch, 2d; sergeant major, Alfred Froman, all of Boston; quartermaster sergeant, John Grayson of Worcester; commissary sergeant, William H. Jacobs of North Brooktield; hospital steward, George Whitzel; principal musician, William W. Gardner, both of Boston.

Company A — Captain, Albert R. Howe of Boston; first lieutenant, Andrew Chapman; second lieutenant, Henry S. Hinckley of Northampton.
Company B — Captain, Charles C. Parsons of Cambridge; first lieutenant, Charles E. Allan of Louisville, Ky.; second lieutenant, Charles P. Wheeler of Concord.
Company C — Captain, Cyrus E. Emery of Roxbury; first lieutenant, John Anderson of San Francisco; second lieutenant, George B. Farnsworth of Roxbury.
Company D — Captain, Horace B. Welch of San Francisco; first lieutenant, Jacob B. Cook; second lieutenant, Robert M. Higginson, both of Boston.
Company E — Captain, Charles P. Bowditch of Boston; first lieutenant, Edward H. Adams; second lieutenant, George A. Fisher of Cambridge.
Company F — Captain, Francis L. Higginson of Boston; first lieutenant, Abner F. Mallory; second lieutenant. Carter W. Whittemore of Boston.
Company G — Captain, Hiram E. W. Clark of New Salem; first lieutenant, Edgar M. Blanch of Pennsylvania; second lieutenant, Rienzi Loud.
Company H — First lieutenant, J. Davenport Fisher of Boston; second lieutenant, George A. Kogers of Roxbury.
Company I — Captain, Peter J. Rooney; first lieutenant, Patrick T. Jackson; second lieutenant, John G. S. White, all of Boston.
Company K — Captain, Erik Wulff of Boston ; first lieutenant, George D. Odell; second lieutenant, Abram 0. Swain of Boston.
Company L — Captain, James L. Wheat of Roxbury; first lieutenant, Francis L. Gil man of New Bedford; second lieutenant, Curt Gurdsdorff of San Francisco.
Company M — Captain, Cornelius Kaler of Bradford; first lieutenant, George F. Wilson; second lieutenant, Robert M. Parker, both of San Francisco.

The various battalions as they reached Washington reported at Camp Casey, near Fort Albany, on the Virginia side of the Potomac, some two miles from Long Bridge, Colonel Russell being placed in command of a provisional brigade of colored troops assembling there for instruction and discipline. The Third Battalion had been in camp only two days, however, when the regiment was ordered to report to General Butler at Fortress Monroe, reaching City Point on the 16th of May, where the regiment formed part of the Third Division, Eighteenth Corps. Being armed as infantry, the command was industriously drilled in that branch of tactics, performing guard and picket duty meantime, and taking part in various expeditions. These were without serious engagement or loss till the 15th of June, when the division, under command of General E. W. Hincks, moved toward Petersburg and the battle of Baylor’s Farm was fought. This was the only conflict in which the Fifth took an active part, and its loss was not severe, being three killed and 19 wounded, — but among the latter were Colonel Russell and Major Adams, leaving the regiment under command of Major Bowditch.

During the latter portion of the 15th the command was in support of a battery, and the following day was held in reserve. It then crossed the Appomattox to Point of Rocks and was temporarily assigned to the Tenth Corps, where the detachment which had been absent under Major Weld rejoined the main body, and on the 19th the regiment returned to the Third Division, Eighteenth Corps, the coming part of General Wild’s Brigade. Most of the remainder of the month was passed in picket duty on the north side of the Appomattox, where Hincks’s Division relieved troops of the Tenth Corps, but toward the close of the month the regiment was assigned to duty at Point Lookout, Md., as garrison for the camp of Confederate prisoners of war at that place. Arriving there on the 1st of July, the regiment remained during the balance of the year, being at the first under command of Major Weld. Major Adams returned to duty on the 16th of August; Lieutenant Colonel Charles F. Adams of Quincy, having been commissioned and mustered, arrived at the camp on the 8th of September and took the command, which he turned over to Colonel Russell on the 30th, when that officer reported for duty, and the regiment for the first time had its full complement of field officers present.

Colonel Russell retained the command till the 14th of February, 1865, when he resigned. Lieutenant Colonel Adams and Major Weld were promoted to colonel and lieutenant colonel respectively, and Captain Albert R. Howe was made junior major. With this equipment of officers the regiment took the field for the closing campaign of the war, and were on duty in front of Petersburg till the fall of that stronghold, and subsequently encamped in the vicinity till sometime in June, when ordered to Texas. Colonel Adams, being prostrated by sickness, was obliged to resign August 1, having been absent for some time, and the vacancy was filled by the promotion of Lieutenant Colonel Samuel E. Chamberlain, late in command of the portion of the First Massachusetts Cavalry remaining in the field till that time. Colonel Chamberlain at once joined his new command, which had been heavily taxed in the construction of fortifications, and like work, and was suffering severely in health. He warmly interested himself in the welfare of his men, and an improvement in their sanitary condition was soon apparent. The prospect of complications with the French troops in Mexico having disappeared, the regiment was finally mustered out of the United States service on the 31st of October, 1865, and set out for Massachusetts, making most of the journey by steamer; on reaching Boston it went into camp at Gallop’s Island where it remained till late in November, when the men were paid and discharged. [Thanks to John Hartwell for making me aware of this]

The memorial to the 54th, 55th Mass and 5th Mass Cavalry in Beaufort, South Carolina.

 

Here is a chronology of the 5th:

http://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/massachusetts/5th-massachusetts-cavalry-colored/

Here is a collection of photos of the white officers of the 5th Mass Cavalry posted by the Massachusetts Historical Society.

http://www.masshist.org/collection-guides/view/fap051

You can read about William Holmes, a trooper in the 5th Massachusetts, here.

Note: The unidentified African American cavalryman in the feature photo is believed to be a member of the 5th Massachusetts Cavalry.

 

 

 

 

 

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