Profiles of 5 Wilkinson County Black Freedom Fighters

I will present brief profiles of 5 Wilkinson County Civil War Veterans, 4 are from the Census list. These bios, constructed mostly from pension records, will bring to light key information in understanding the Wilkinson County Veterans’ location, movement – before during and after the war, and strategic participation in the Civil War.

1. Duncan Stewart (#30) was born in 1824 in Woodville, Wilkinson County Mississippi. He married Lucinda Murray.  He joined Company C 70^th Regiment USCT in 1864 and was discharged July 4, 1865 at Natchez.  In the war, he suffered a gunshot wound to the left hip that exited his groin area.  He was treated and completed recovery at the City Hospital in Natchez, Mississippi. He died December 2, 1906 in Natchez, Mississippi. 
2. Philip McWhorter (#40) was born in 1844 on the Still plantation in Woodville, Wilkinson County, Mississippi.  He married Patsy Williams of Woodville. He joined Company A 81^st Regiment USCT in New Orleans in 1864 under the name Philip Brown. The 81^st regiment was stationed at Port Hudson Louisiana and then New Orleans. He was promoted to Corporal and was discharged November 1865 at New Orleans.  He died May 26, 1899 in Woodville.
3. Madison Veal was born in 1841 on Holy Grove Plantation in Woodville, Wilkinson County Mississippi. He married Laura Chetham. He ran away to Illinois and joined Company H 29^th USCT in Camp Casey Virginia (near Alexandria VA).  After the Civil War ended, the 29^th Regiment was shipped to Brownsville, Texas.  Madison Veal was promoted to Corporal and mustered out at Camp Butler, Springfield, Illinois, where he continued to live.  He voted for US Grant for president. He died in 1913 and is buried at the Danville National Cemetery in Danville, Illinois.
4. Noland Veal (#35), younger brother of Madison Veal, was born in 1845 on Holy Grove Plantation in Woodville, Wilkinson County Mississippi. He married Millie Wright. In March 1863, Nolan Veal, along with Andrus Hayden (#34) and William Bladen (#19), ran away to Bayou Sara Louisiana and enlisted in the Union Navy aboard the gunboat USS Kenwood.  He died April 8, 1919 on Cherryfield Plantation in Woodville, Mississippi.
5. Sydney Hunt (#38) was born in 1844 on Ashwood Plantation, Fort Adams, Woodville, Mississippi. He married Sarah Walker and after her death, married Sarah Henderson.  In August 1863 he enlisted in Company D 58^th Regiment US Colored Infantry at Natchez, District of Vicksburg, and mustered out July 1865. After the war he lived in Natchez, Angola and Vidalia Louisiana.  He died June 22, 1924 in Natchez and he and his wife Sarah Hunt are buried at the Natchez National Cemetery.

An Eyewitness Testimony

I first saw the name Sidney Hunt (#38) in the Civil War Pension file of Phil McWhorter (#40).  In a deposition given by his son Phil McQuerter (born 1872) on October 20, 1930 in Woodville, he stated.

“I do not know what company and regiment he served in, and his discharge and pension papers have been destroyed by fire.  I do not know who his officers were, but I heard him say that he served with one Sidney Hunt.  His widow, Sarah Hunt, lives in Natchez.”