Grave #6688 Charles Sprout/Sprow

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

Charles Sprout (or Sprow), Private, Co. E, 1st USCT Cavalry (United States Colored Troops). Enlisted December 12, 1863 at Fort Monroe, VA at age 23 and discharged February 4, 1866. Charles was a Chatham slave owned by James Horace Lacy and sought freedom in April 1861. Died February 13, 1926.

Images

Grave #6688: Charles Sprout

Compiled Service Record

Handwriting, Font, Material property, Parallel

Company Descriptive Book -- Compiled Service Record, page 2

Company Muster-in Roll -- Compiled Service Record, page 3

Company Muster Roll, December 1863 -- Compiled Service Record, page 4

Company Muster Roll for January/February 1864 -- Compiled Service Record, page 5

Company Muster Roll for March/April 1864 -- Compiled Service Record, page 6

Company Muster Roll for May/June 1864 -- Compiled Service Record, page 7

Company Muster Roll for July/August 1864 -- Compiled Service Record, page 8

Company Muster Roll for September/October 1864 -- Compiled Service Record, page 9

Company Muster Roll for November/December1864 -- Compiled Service Record, page 10

Handwriting, Font, Rectangle, Material property

Company Muster Roll for January/February 1865 -- Compiled Service Record, page 11

Company Muster Roll for March/April 1865 -- Compiled Service Record, page 12

Company Muster Roll for May/June 1865 -- Compiled Service Record, page 13

Company Muster Roll for July/August 1865 -- Compiled Service Record, page 14

Company Muster Roll for September/October 1865 -- Compiled Service Record, page 15

Company Muster Roll for November/December 1865 -- Compiled Service Record, page 16

Compiled Service Record, page 17

Company Muster-out Roll -- Compiled Service Record, page 18

Pension for Charles Sprout

Handwriting, Rectangle, Font, Material property

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

Private Charles Sprout (he is also listed as Sprow) served with the 1 USCT Cavalry from December 12, 1863 until February 4, 1866. Prior to the war, Charles was owned by James Horace Lacy; he was a slave at Chatham which is now park headquarters for Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania NMP. Sprow must have claimed his freedom for his pension file contains a note that he was free as of April 19, 1861 and he enlisted at Fort Monroe, VA which saw a large number of refugee arrivals. In his mid-twenties by the time he was discharged, Sprow later married and lived until the age of 86 when he died on February 13, 1926.

Fredericksburg National Cemetery has five Civil War burials of African-American soldiers and a few from later wars. Unlike some other Civil War cemeteries, these burials are not separated from white burials. Instead, they are scattered around the cemetery. Early in the Civil War, Black men were unable to enlist as soldiers. That policy would change as more slaves fled to Union lines and the Union war aims shifted to support emancipation. From that point Black soldiers played an increasingly important role in the Union war effort. By the end of the war there were 166 Black regiments in United States service, comprising 300,000 men. These regiments were distinguished from ordinary Union unit by the title United States Colored Troops. In some cases, Black troops had non-combat roles, like guarding railroads, but this would change in the final year of the war.

Sources

Pfanz, Donald C. "Where Valor Proudly Sleeps: A History of Fredericksburg National Cemetery, 1866-1933." National Park Service, 2007. (Available at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania NMP)

Cemetery Roster & Book File, Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania NMP

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Compiled Military Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served with the United States Colored Troops: 1st through 5th United States Colored Cavalry, 5th Massachusetts Cavalry (Colored), 6th United States Colored Cavalry. NARA Record Group 94, ID 300398, Roll 0013, M1817. Accessed through Fold3, May 20, 2021.

Numerical Index to Pensions, 1860-1934. NARA Record Group 15, A1158. Accessed through Fold3, May 20, 2021.