A historic African American cemetery in Penbrook, Dauphin County, PA | ||
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Lincoln Cemetery, Dauphin CountyHarrisburg Men of the 5th Massachusetts CavalryA preservation organization has been set up to look after this cemetery. The contact address is below. Contributions for the care and preservation of this cemetery may be sent to this organization: |
Name: Thomas J. Miller Unit HistoryPrior to the official formation of the United States Colored Troops in 1863, many African American men from Harrisburg, looking for the chance to bear arms during the Civil War, traveled to Massachusetts to join one of three units that the governor of that state had been authorized to form from African American enlisted men. Two of those units, the 54th and 55th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, have received much attention from the success of the 1989 movie Glory, that told the story of the 54th regiment. The third unit, the 5th Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry, has not received as much attention. Like the infantry units, though, it also contained numerous men from Harrisburg. The grave of one man, a veteran who survived the war and died in Harrisburg in 1912, is shown above. The 5th Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry was organized at Camp Meigs, near Readville, Massachusetts, in the fall of 1863 and recruitment was completed by May 1864. It was composed of African American volunteers from many different states, with white commissioned officers. Despite its designation as a cavalry unit, it was equipped and functioned as an infantry regiment, and is sometimes designated as dismounted cavalry. Its initial deployment was to Fortress Monroe, whereupon it was reassigned to the 3rd Division, 18th Corps, at City Point, Virginia, on the James River. The regiment entered the war by performing reconnaissance and picket duties along the Appamattox River in May and June, 1864, then took part in the advance on Petersburg on June 14th. It was first actively engaged with Confederate forces at the battle of Baylor's Farm, where its casualties totaled three dead and nineteen wounded. It continued to take part in the Petersburg campaign until it was assigned to Point Lookout, Maryland in late June, 1864. Returning to Petersburg in March, 1865, the 5th Massachusetts Cavalry took part in the final battles of the war, and some months after the surrender was transferred to Texas to guard the border with Mexico. The men of the regiment were mustered out at Clarksville, Texas in October, 1865 and returned to Massachusetts, where they were discharged the following month.1 Roster of Harrisburg Men of the 5th Massachusetts CavalryContributed by John C. Richardson, researcher of the 5th Massachusetts Cavalry
James C. Greenley (then spelled Greenly) transferred from GAR Post 520 in Harrisburg to the Robert Gould Shaw GAR Post 206, Pittsburgh, in February 1888.
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Known Burials at Lincoln Cemetery:
Surnames, unknown and A-C | Surnames D-G | Surnames H-L | Surnames M-P | Surnames Q-S | Surnames T-Z
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