On February 29th, 1864, Scott enlisted as a private in Company E of the 30th USCT until discharge on December 15th, 1865.² The 30th USCT was organized at Camp Stanton in the beginning of 1864 and assigned to the 9th Corps.³ The regiment’s first major action was during the Siege of Petersburg; although initially assigned to work in a noncombatant capacity, the unit played an important role in the Battle of the Crater.⁴ The unit also notably participated in the Battle for Sugar Loaf Hill, Cox’s Bridge March, both efforts to capture Fort Fisher, and the Capture of Wilmington.⁵    

    On April 11, 1864, Scott was appointed as a corporal.⁶ Scott was called to battle at the Battle of the Crater during the Siege of Petersburg; he received a gunshot wound  “in storming the enemy’s works at Petersburg...[Scott was] wounded in action at the crater July 30th, 1864.”⁷ Ordered by Lieutenant Colonel Henry Pleasants, federals dug a mine under the Petersburg battlefield and set up four tons of gunpowder to explode under the confederate banks in the early morning of July 30th, 1864; the ensuing battle resulted in high casualty combat.⁸ Just one of the many African American casualties, Scott “was wounded in battle of the crater July 30th 1864. On June 28, 1866, Dr. Phillips rated disability ½ GSW (gunshot wound) of right hip ball passed through the right idium and emerged in the glutial region.”⁹ Scott’s hospital records suggest he was married to Mary Scott prior to enlistment. Ellen Miles was listed by Scott as a near relative. Scott’s gradual convalescence led to his being “mustered out December 10th 1865 at Roanoke Island...no discharge furnished as he was absent” due to injury. Scott was released on a surgeon certificate of disability; his informal discharge is confirmed by his casualty discharge sheet in his military service record.¹⁰

    During the Siege of Petersburg, Scott became eligible for a pension due to his injury. Scott believed  that he was “entitled to an increase of pension on account of [an] increased disability from [the] gunshot wound [in his] right hip causing severe pains in right side and back, difficulty in locomotion and [rendering him] totally unable to perform manual labor.”¹¹ On December 15th, 1865, Scott successfully applied for an invalid pension at a rate of $4 per month.¹² Scott’s “original declaration filed March 26th, 1866, alleged gunshot wound of right hip. Increase rejected March 21st, 1879, Increase to $6 from May 18th, 1881, Increase rejected June 29th, 1889, Increase to $8 from May 2nd, 1890 and to $10 from October 16th, 1891.”¹³

    Scott suffered from rheumatism, a nonspecific medical term for muscle and joint pain, for the rest of his life. After the war, Scott moved to Clarksville, changing residence nearly every year. Due to his disability and rheumatic condition, Scott seemed to have a difficult time finding work. Scott’s rheumatism fed into his general debility, making manual labor even more difficult for him. Scott listed Mary Scott as his spouse in his military service hospital record, so she most likely was his first wife. Around 1876, Scott married his first wife and had his first born Harry Scott.¹⁴ Around 1880, Scott married his second wife and had his second child Arthur Scott.¹⁵ Scott died on June 21st, 1899.¹⁶