6th US Colored Infantry
OVERVIEW: Organized at Camp William Penn, near Philadelphia, Pa., July 28 to September 12, 1863. Moved from Philadelphia to Fort Monroe, Va., October 14; thence to Yorktown, Va. Attached to United States Forces, Yorktown, Va., Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina, to January, 1864. 2nd Brigade, United States Forces, Yorktown, Va., 18th Corps, Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina, to April, 1864. 2nd Brigade, Hincks' Colored Division, 18th Corps, Army of the James, to June, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 18th Corps, to August, 1864. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 18th Corps, to December, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 25th Corps, to December, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 25th Corps, to March, 1865. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 10th Corps, Dept. of North Carolina, to August, 1865. Dept. of North Carolina to September, 1865.
SERVICE: Duty at Yorktown till May, 1864. Wild's Expedition to South Mills and Camden Court House, N. C., December 5-24, 1863. Wi star's Expedition against Richmond February 2-6, 1864. Expedition to New Kent Court House in aid of Kilpatrick's Cavalry March 1-4. New Kent Court House March 2. Williamsburg March 4. Expedition into King and Queen County March 9-12. Expedition into Matthews County March 17-21. Butler's operations south of the James River and against Petersburg and Richmond May 4-June 15. Capture of City Point May 4. Fatigue duty at City Point and building Fort Converse on Appomattox River till June 15. Attack on Fort Converse May 20. Before Petersburg June 15-18. Bailor's Farm June 15. Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond June 15 to December 17. In trenches before Petersburg and fatigue duty at Dutch Gap Canal till August 27. Moved to Deep Bottom August 27. Battle of Chaffin's Farm, New Market Heights, September 29-30. Fort Harrison September 29. Battle of Fair OaksOctober 27-28. In trenches before Richmond till December. 1st Expedition to Fort Fisher, N. C., December 7-27. 2nd Expedition to Fort Fisher, N. C., January 7-15. Bombardment of Fort Fisher January 13-15. Assault and capture of Fort Fisher January 15. Sugar Loaf Hill January 19. Sugar Loaf Battery February 11. Fort Anderson February 18-20. Capture of Wilmington February 22. Northeast Ferry February 22. Campaign of the Carolinas March 1-April 26. Advance on Kinston and Goldsboro March 6-21. Occupation of Goldsboro March 21. Cox's Bridge March 23-24. Advance on Raleigh April 9-14. Occupation of Raleigh April 14. Bennett's House April 26. Surrender of Johnston and his army. Duty in the Dept. of North Carolina till September. Mustered out September 20, 1865.
Regiment lost during service 8 Officers and 79 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 5 Officers and 132 Enlisted men by disease. Total 224. This made the regiment third among the 166 USCT regiments in terms of combat losses.
Benjamin Jones
Only one Williamson County resident has been identified as serving in the 6th US Colored Infantry. On October 11, 1864, Benjamin Jones enlisted in the regiment. In some accounts, he is identified as being born in Blanton County, Pennsylvania, but his enlistment papers state he was born in Williamson County, Tennessee, around 1834. He was a 33-year-old laborer when he enlisted in Buffalo, New York.
Soon after enlistment, in mid-December 1864, he was sent to a training facility in Bronx County, New York City. From there, he was sent to Chaffin's Farm in Henrico County, Virginia. The regiment was already in the field, having seen action in Petersburg and Richmond, Virginia. By early January 1865, Jones was participating in the successful Second Battle of Fort Fischer in Wilmington, NC, including the bombardment of the Fort and the final assault and capture of it on January 15, 1865. From there, the 6th were sent to Sugar Loaf Hill and the Batttle of Wilmington and the advance on Goldsboro, North Carolina.