How & Where To Find Your Wilkinson County Black Civil War Ancestors

If your ancestors are from Wilkinson County, born between the years 1824 to 1844, and may have fought in the Civil War, but are not on the Wilkinson Census, look for the 1890 Veterans Censuses and Military Cemetery records in the following nearby locations:

1. Natchez, Adams County, Mississippi is located on the Mississippi River, 30 miles north of Wilkinson County. Natchez military units contained over 25% of the Wilkinson County Veterans listed in the 1890 Census.

• 6^th Regiment US Colored Heavy Artillery ~ 10
• 58^th Regiment US Colored Infantry ~ 3
• 70^th Regiment US Colored Infantry ~ 3
• 71^st Regiment US Colored Infantry ~ 2

2. Vicksburg, Warren County, Mississippi is located on the Mississippi River, 70 miles north of Natchez.  The historic Vicksburg Campaign was marked by the heroic USCT fighters that saved the Army’s supply chain at Milliken’s Bend. The enlistment of Wilkinson County Veterans in Vicksburg military units is also significant.

• 3^rd Regiment US Colored Calvary ~ 5
• 52^nd Regiment US Colored Infantry ~ 2

Note: Much has already been written about the burning of Edward McGehee’s Bowling Green Mansion in Woodville.  The Union Army ordered the Mansion burned in October 1864 by soldiers in the 3rd Regiment US Colored Calvary.

3. New Orleans/Baton Rouge/Port Hudson, Louisiana. Port Hudson, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans are all located along the Mississippi River, south of Wilkinson County.  New Orleans was under control of the Union Army as early as 1862.  The Louisiana Native Guards and Corps d’Afrique were early New Orleans Black Military units.  The Battle of Port Hudson near Baton Rouge was critical to the Union Control of the South end of Mississippi River down from the Siege of Vicksburg. Wilkinson County Veterans in the 1890 Census served in Military Units at Port Hudson and New Orleans.

• Port Hudson 75^th, 78^th, 81^st and 82^nd Regiment US Colored Infantry
• New Orleans 73^rd, 96^th, 98^th and 99^th Regiment US Colored Infantry

4. Bayou Sara/St Francisville, Louisiana was a Union Navy port located only 27 miles South of Wilkinson County.  The USS Kenwood joined the Mississippi River squadron, 1 June 1863, and operated on the Arkansas River in the vicinity of Fort Pillow, participated in the joint Army-Navy expedition which captured Yazoo City, Mississippi, 13 July 1863. Kenwood was sent to the Port Hudson, Louisiana, Division, 19 August 1863 and served as a convoy and patrol gunboat at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, until 10 February 1865, when she was ordered to the 4th River District at Natchez.

5. Search all States and Counties that had Black military regiments or Naval ports. Don’t be in disbelief to find Black veterans in distant places. In just 1-year, Madison Veal went from slavery days on a plantation in Woodville to Quincy Illinois to Alexandria/ Petersburg/ Appomattox, Virginia to Brownsville/ Brazos Santiago, Texas, before settling in Springfield Illinois.

This brief look at the Wilkinson County Civil War Veterans Census highlights the Black soldiers’ participation in the War as they travelled along the Mississippi River from New Orleans to Illinois and beyond. Not much has been written about the lives of these men who fought for our freedom, and that needs to change – now.

An illustration of the Milliken’s Bend battle from the Harper’s Weekly periodical, showing black U.S. soldiers battling Confederates.