THE FORTY-THIRD REGIMENT
UNITED STATES
COLORED TROOPS.
GETTYSBURG:
J. E. WIBLE, PRINTER, NORTH-EAST CORNER OF THE DIAMOND.
1866.
INTRODUCTION.
No apology can be necessary for the publication of the followingpages, as it is no unworthy or mercenary object they seek to obtain.They have been elicited by request of numerous friends of the officersof this regiment and of the colored troops, designed for their ownuse; and their object is not simply to give succinct statements ofindividual military history, or of any single command of the ColoredTroop, but to furnish, also, at the same time, an unanswerableargument on the subject of this Troop, as an element in the militaryservice on the side of Freedom and the Union; their extraordinary gooddiscipline, efficiency and bravery, and the fact that they are verysusceptible of intellectual and moral culture. We present it incompliance with the request that has been made, subservient to thispurpose.
J. M. MICKLEY,
late Chaplain of the Regiment.
COMMISSIONED OFFICERS
FORTY-THIRD REGIMENT
UNITED STATES COLORED TROOPS,
INCLUDING A BRIEF HISTORY OF THEIR MILITARY CAREER.
BREVET BRIG. GEN. S. B. YEOMAN.
This officer, formerly Colonel Commanding this Regiment, is a nativeof Washington, Ohio. His great-grand-father, James Yeoman, servedwith distinction as a Captain in the war of the Revolution, and hisgrand-father as a First Lieutenant in the war of 1812.
Before entering the United States service the General was a sea-man,whose experience of nautical life extends over a decade of years. Hestarted as a sailor before the mast at fifteen years of age. His firstvoyage was on a whaling expedition of three years in the ship"Alexander," which was wrecked on the South Island of New Zealand. Theboats, to which all fled for safety, became unmanageable; and notuntil after suffering great hardships on the deep, he with a fewothers were accidentally rescued. After this he made several voyages toSouth America, Asia and Africa; and returned shortly before theoutbreak of the Rebellion. He at once determined to remain andidentify himself with the cause of the Union and its FreeInstitutions.
He volunteered as a Private in Co. F. 22nd Ohio VolunteerInfantry April 20th 1861, and was afterwards appointed First Sergeantof his Company. With this command he continued in Western Virginia,under General Rosencrans until it was discharged by reason ofexpiration of term of service. At home he immediately commenced thework of Recruiting; and returned again to the field September 15th1861 as Captain of Co. A. 54th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.
At Corinth, General Yeoman, then a Captain, was particularly selectedby Maj. General Sherman, to take command of ten picked men, and withthese to penetrate the Rebel lines in order to ascertain their forces,and more especially the movements they were inaugurating. The task wasa perilous one; but he accomplished it with entire success, returningwith very valuable information, for which he obtained the heartythanks of the General in command and of the Department.
While gallantly in the discharge of duty he has received the followingwounds, viz.: In the battle of Shiloh, April 6th and