William Johnson (b.
circa 1839 - d. ?)
MSA SC 3520-4496
USCT Soldier, Talbot County, Maryland
Biography:
William Johnson was born in Easton, Talbot County, Maryland around March 2, 1839.1 Johnson stated in his pension file that he was "free born but bound out."2 His occupation before enlisting in the Civil War was "working on farm" while residing in Chestertown, Kent County, Maryland.3 There is no mention of Johnson on the bounty or muster rolls.4 Johnson, however, does have a pension file stating that he enlisted as a private in Company E of the 7th United States Colored Troops regiment.5 Johnson writes a letter in 1911 to Mr. Davenport, a War Department Commissioner stating that his "correct name" is "William Johnson" and that he has never gone by any other name.6 Johnson also stated on the second page that he enlisted under that name and that his discharge was burned with the rest of his belongings.7 He also provides names of his comrades for the Bureau of Pensions.8 It appears likely that he was a U.S. Colored Troops veteran, but there was a lack of evidence that surrounded his pension claim. As of 1912, however, his pension was rejected because the War Department could not determine his status as a former soldier.9
Various pension applications suggest that he enlisted on May 22, 1862, which was a mistake.10 On May 22, 1863, the Bureau of Colored Troops was formed and four months later the War Department Adjutant General's Office gave Colonel Birney the authority to organize a regiment of colored men.11 It was not until September 23, 1863 that the first three companies (A, B, and C) were officially organized.12 By October companies D, E, and F were organized.13 The regiment faced drilling and instruction during the winter of 1863 at Camp Stanton, Benedict, Maryland.14 During the war, he suffered gunshot wounds to his left breast and in the left leg.15 He obtained his honorable discharge on October 07, 1865.16
After the war, those wounds would have lasting ramifications for him as he was unable to perform laborious activities. Presumably, he was in the hospital recuperating from his wounds before being discharged from the military. After his discharge, he resided in Chestertown, Kent County, Maryland for several years, before moving to New Castle County, Delaware for nine years until 1876, then to Chester, Pennsylvania until 1883, then to Camden, New Jersey until around July 1910, and finally he moved to Milford, Delaware.17 While in Camden, New Jersey he resided at 1048 Ferry Avenue.18 In Milford, Delaware, he resided at 401 Truitt Avenue.19 On March 7, 1896, William was married to Sarah Boyer at Wilmington, Delaware by the Reverend Spencer Williams.20 He was also married once before on April 17, 1888.21 William and Sarah had three children together.22 There is much confusion surrounding William Johnson within his pension, which makes it difficult to prove if he was a soldier.
2. Ibid., 2.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid., 48.
6. Ibid., 44.
7. Ibid., 43.
8. Ibid.
11. Agnes Kane Callum. Colored Volunteers of Maryland: Civil War 7th Regiment United States Colored Troops, 1863-1866 (Baltimore, MD: Mullac Publishers, 1990), 1.
12. Ibid., 2.
13. L. Allison Wilmer, 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), 155.
14. Ibid.
15. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS (U.S. Colored Troops Pension File Collection) William C. Johnson. Page 6.
16. Ibid., 8.
17. Ibid., 27.
18. Ibid., 12.
19. Ibid., 39.
20. Ibid., 3.
21. Ibid.
22. Ibid.
Written and Researched by Tanner Sparks, 2012.
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