John C. Kineyea (b.
circa 1844 - d. 1896)
MSA SC 5496-51312
USCT Soldier, Queen Anne's County, Maryland
Biography:
John
Charles Kineyea was born on Maryland's Eastern Shore in Queen
Anne's
County around 1844.1 He
began
his life as a slave to the Tilghman family who were wealthy property
owners.2 At the time of his enlistment, his slave owner was Mary L.
Tilghman.3 Tilghman manumitted Kineyea
on September 16, 1863, on "the date of his enlistment" in the 7th
regiment.4 The manumission was not officially acknowledged until August 21, 1865
as
it needed witnesses to sign the papers.5
Under the Act of 1864, Chapter 15, Section 4, "to the owner of
every negro slave who shall agree to the enlistment of his slave as
above, the sum of one hundred dollars shall be paid when such owner
shall file with the proper authority a good and valid deed of
manumission."6 Tilghman, like many slaveowners, may have viewed this as
their final opportunity to receive compensation for the loss of their
slaves as the institution of slavery was rapidly deteriorating. Not
only were slaveowners entitled to compensation, but free blacks and
slaves also counted towards the state quota, which meant many
slaveowners could have protected their family members from having to
join the war.7
He enlisted as a private in Company B of the 7th U.S. Colored Troops regiment.8 On September 23rd, 1863, Kineyea was mustered in at Baltimore, Maryland to become a contributing factor in gaining liberty for African-Americans.9 From the organization of the company until March 29, 1865, he was a Sergeant, at which time he was promoted to 1st Sergeant until his discharge.10 Since Kineyea enlisted in the war, Mary Tilghman received $100 in bounty money for the compensation of losing her slave.11
During the war, however, he sustained various injuries, none of which were life threatening. On August 25, 1864, he received a gun shot wound to his right ankle while on "picket duty" at Petersburg, Virginia.12 He also sustained a right groin injury, rheumatism, and deafness.13 Upon leaving Virginia in May 1865, the 7th regiment went to Indianola, Texas to serve as a garrison for 18 months.14 While in Texas, militaristic duties were limited, but they still participated in "daily drill, target practice, inspection, guard duties, and policing the areas."15 Kineyea's company was sent to Lavaca, which was smaller than Indianola and the people were friendlier.16 Indianola represented a place where the people "were hostile to the Black troops" and "frequent complainers about the Negro Troops being in Indianola."17 The mission in Lavaca was to patrol prisoners, administer the oath of allegiance, and act as a magistrate when they had cases of dispute.18
In Horace Gibson's pension file, Kineyea is mentioned as an "intelligent, truthful" man who would be able to provide more information about the other soldier, who was promoted for courage and behavior after action at Deep Bottom, August 1864.19 This description came from Robert M. Spinney, a white man from Massachusetts, who had been commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 7th U.S. Colored Troops Regiment.20 Spinney would further note that Kineyea "knew about everything that was going on in the Co," a quality which must have contributed to the promotions he received during service.21
After serving his three year term, Kineyea was discharged from the army on October 13, 1866 at Indianola, Texas.22 All men who were slaves at the time of their enlistment were disqualified from earning a $100 bounty.23 However, Col. Shaw successfully spoke with the Secretary of War on behave of his men receiving their bounty money.24 Each man was paid and they went their separate ways. Despite being wounded and injured on several occasions, he was able to have a distinguishable military career, which shows his persistence in gaining liberty.
His post-war life can be told through the various affidavits that were provided from his acquaintances who testified in his wife's defense for gaining a widow's pension. An affidavit from Felix B. Pye stated that he witnessed the marriage between John and Adeline which was performed by Reverend James Gore (a catholic priest) on June 11, 1872.25 Pye, along with others, mentioned in their affidavits that Kineyea was often spelled "Conyer," as both were pronounced similarly.26 Another friend and USCT soldier, Thomas Scott, testified that John's first marriage was to Henrietta Kemp, but she died in 1869, within the first year of their marriage.27 Scott also testified that "four or five years" later, John married Adeline Butler.28 William Kell, who married Kineyea's sister, testified that John and Henrietta had a child together, but soon after, it was decided that he (Kell) would raise the child (no reason given).29 Kell also testified that the child was just an infant when Henrietta passed away.30 John Kineyea's brother, Scipio Kineyea, provided an affidavit testifying that Adeline Kineyea owned no property and had "no one legally bound to support her" after the death of his brother.31
During Kineyea's time in Baltimore, he seemed to resided at two residences, 313 Pine Street and "337 State."32 In 1880, John Kineyea was listed as "John Conyer" on the census and he was a hod carrier by occupation.33 He was a boarder in a household with his wife Adeline who was a laundress by occupation.34 Kineyea was pensioned at a rate of $10.00 per month commencing on August 22, 1890, then he received an increase to $12.00 per month on December 4, 1891.35 Five years later, on July 17, Kineyea passed away from "Bright's disease" when he was around 52 years old.36 He had resided in Baltimore for 24 years prior to his death. His residence listed at the time of his death was 313 N. Pine Street.37 Two days later, he was buried at the U.S. National Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland.38 After his death, Adeline was supported by a widow's pension earning $8.00 per month which commenced on August 15, 1896.39
For a visual representation of John C. Kineyea'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 Kineyea's life from 1844 to 1896. 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.
12. An Officer of the Regiment, Record of the Services of the Seventh Regiment, U.S. Colored Troops, from September 1863, to November, 1866 (Providence: E.L. Freeman & Co., 1878), 108.
13. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS (U.S. Colored Troops Pension File Collection) John C. Kineyea. Page 12.
14. Agnes Kane Callum, Colored Volunteers of Maryland, Civil War: 7th Regiment United States Colored Troops 1863-1866 (Baltimore, MD: Mullac Publishers, 1990), 34.
15. Ibid.
16. Ibid.
17. Ibid.
18. Ibid.
20. Ibid.23. Callum, Colored Volunteers of Maryland, 39.
24. Ibid.
25. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS (U.S. Colored Troops Pension File Collection) John C. Kineyea. Page 18.
26. Ibid.
28. Ibid.
29. Ibid., 24.
30. Ibid.
31. Ibid., 29.
32. Ibid., 5.39. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS (U.S. Colored Troops Pension File Collection) John C. Kineyea. Page 42.
Written and Researched by Tanner Sparks, 2012.
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