Archives of Maryland
(Biographical Series)

Perry Dickson (b. 1834 - d. 1917)
MSA SC 3520-9481
USCT Soldier, Kent County, Maryland

Biography:

    Perry Dickson or Dixon was free born1 in Chestertown, Kent County, Maryland around 18342.  His father's name was Benjamin Dickson. 3 As a free man in Kent County, he was a farmer by occupation. 4 When Abraham Lincoln enacted the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 it offered the opportunity for free blacks and slaves to join the Union army in the Civil War. 5 Perry decided to enlist as a private on March 10, 1864 in Company H of the 30th U.S. Colored Troops regiment with the intention of fighting for the freedom of all African Americans. 6  According to his service record, he was promoted to Corporal on March 11, 1864 and then to Sergeant on August 27, 1864. 7  His service record also states that he was "free." 8  

    The 30th regiment was organized at Camp Stanton, Maryland from February 12 to March 18, 1864, to serve three year terms. 9  The 30th regiment primarily recruited on the Eastern Shore and southern counties in Maryland. 10 The 30th regiment participated in the Wilderness campaign in the spring and summer of 1864. 11  The regiment was also present for the Siege of Petersburg, Virginia where they built forts and rifle pits. 12  The regiment also participated in the capture of Fort Fisher, North Carolina from late 1864 until early 1865. 13  After serving honorably in the Civil War and performing garrison duty in the south, Perry Dickson was officially discharged on December 10, 1865. 14

    After the war, Perry Dickson made the decision to move from Chestertown to Baltimore.  While living in Baltimore, he resided at several residences, including 1813 Lorman Street and 804 Woodyear Street. 15  While in Baltimore, he worked as a drayman. 16  Perry Dickson married Annie E. Chambers 17 by Reverend Benjamin Brown18.  The couple had seven children together19.  As of 1912, he was earning a $27.00 per month pension rate. 20  He often suffered from rheumatism, indigestion, and neuralgia all of which were caused from the war. 21 After residing in Baltimore for nearly 50 years, Perry Dickson passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage on May 4, 1917. 22  He was 82 years old at the time of death while residing at 1843 Lorman Street. 23  He was subsequently buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery on May 8, 1917. 24

For a visual representation of Perry Dickson's journey from slavery to freedom, please click here. Users must have access to Google Earth in order to utilize this file, which includes landmarks(pins) in Dickson's life from 1834 to 1917. You may take the tour and investigate individual sites under the "Places" tab on the left of the screen, or you may navigate using the slider and cursor on the map itself.

Endnotes:

1. COMPTROLLER OF THE TREASURY (Bounty Rolls), 1864-1880, Volunteers, Perry Dickson, Reel: SR 4438, [MSA SM183-1], Page 196.

2. BALTIMORE CITY HEALTH DEPARTMENT BUREAU OF VITAL STATISTICS (Death Record), Dates: 01/1917-05/1917, Perry Dixon, Reel: CR 48171, MSA CE1132-128.

3. Ibid.

4. Ancestry.com. U.S., Colored Troops Military Service Records, 1861-1865, Company H, 30th Regiment, Perry Dickson, Page 20.

5. Agnes Kane Callum, Colored Volunteers of Maryland, Civil War: 7th Regiment United States Colored Troops 1863-1866 (Baltimore, MD: Mullac Publishers, 1990), 1.

6. Ancestry.com. U.S., Colored Troops Military Service Records, Company H, 30th Regiment, Perry Dickson.

7. Ibid.

8. Ibid.

9. Wilmer, L. Allison , J. H. Jarrett, and Geo. W. F. Vernon. History and Roster of Maryland Volunteers, War of 1861-65. Vol. 2 (Baltimore, MD: Guggenheimer, Weil & Co., 1899), 233.

10. Ibid.

11. Ibid.

12. Ibid.

13. Ibid.

14. Ibid.

15. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS (U.S. Colored Troops Pension File Collection) [MSA SC 4126] Perry Dixon, Box 22, Folder 468, Page 132, 99.

16. BALTIMORE CITY HEALTH DEPARTMENT BUREAU OF VITAL STATISTICS (Death Record), Perry Dixon.

17. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS (U.S. Colored Troops Pension File Collection) [MSA SC 4126] Perry Dixon, 152.

18. Ibid., 153.

19. Ibid.

20. Ibid., 143.

21. Ibid., 139.

22. BALTIMORE CITY HEALTH DEPARTMENT BUREAU OF VITAL STATISTICS (Death Record), Perry Dixon.

23. Ibid.

24. Ibid.
Researched and written by Tanner Sparks, 2012.

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