Private, Co. B, 17th Regt. United
States Colored Troops
Enlisted: Dec 1863 at Nashville, TN
Mustered out: April 1866 in Nashville, TN
Honorable Discharge
Approximately
180,000 African-Americans, comprising 163 units served in the
Union Army (United States Colored Troops - USCT) during the Civil
War.
Their unit was
organized in Nashville, Tennessee in December, 1863. This unit
served duty at McMinnville and Murfreesboro until April, 1864 when
the 17th Corps de Afrique Infantry had duty at Port Hudson,
Louisiana until July, 1864. The Corps was then broken up, where
they joined the 88th Regiment Infantry. After this reorganization
at Memphis, Tennessee, they served the the District of West
Tennessee until December, 1865. Then it was consolidated with the
3rd United States Colored Heavy Artillery, December 16, 1865.
As a Union Army
Soldier, Ananias endured many adversities of the times during his
three years of duties. The African-American comprised 10% of the
entire Union Army; From reported casualties, approximately 1/3 of
those who were enrolled in the military lost their lives during
the war. The USCT regiments fought in all theaters of the war,
also served as garrison troops in the rear. They have documented
that his regiment was instrumental in helping the Union win the
Battle of Donaldsonville and the Battle of Nashville and the
destruction of the Tennessee Confederate Army.
USCT soldiers
suffered extra violence at the hands of Confederate soldiers. They
were victims of Battlefield massacres, most notable at Fort Pillow
in Tennessee. They were at risk for murder by Confederate
soldiers, rather than held as prisoners of war.
Black soldiers
served in artillery, infantry, and non-combat support functions
that sustained an army; they were carpenters,chaplains, cooks,
guards, laborers, nurses, scouts, spies, steamboat pilots,
surgeons and teamsters. In June, 1864, Congress granted equal pay
to the U. S. Colored Troops and mad the action retroactive. Black
soldiers then recieved the same rations and supplies with
comparable medical care.
The following
information was shared with us about Ananias Jackson by his
Great-Greatgranddaughter, Stacy Harris: The story goes as
follows: One day while talking to Annie Thomas, another Great
Granddaughter, she asked me if I know Ananias Jackson was
considered to be a Civil War hero. She said, yes, his name was on
the wall of the Civil War Monument in Washington, DC. He fought in
several of the last major battles that ended the Civil War, and
that The Tennessee House of Representatives had recognized Ananias
Jackson as being a Civil War hero. She also stated that Ananias
had ties to Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain). She also offered to
send me evidence and several day later I found the following
original sealed document in the mail. (My copy has original
signatures from the Tennessee House of Representatives.
 |
By Favors A RESOLUTION
to posthumously honor Mr. Ananias Jackson for his
meritorious military service in the Civil War. WHEREAS, our
nation was conceived by individuals who were willing to
sacrifice their personal safety and concerns to ensure our
individual and collective freedom, and the Volunteer State
is especially proud to be the home of so many valiant men
and women who have performed above and beyond the call of
duty: and WHEREAS,
it is altogether proper that we take a moment to recognize
those soldiers gone before, soldiers who go, with
unrivaled bravery, set the standard for thousands of
Tennesseans through the ages to continue our time-honored
tradition of volunteerism: and WHEREAS,
sadly, many of those soldiers have not received the
acknowledgment they deserve for their courageous actions
that, ultimately, helped shape the history of our
country:, and WHEREAS,
Ananias Jackson was one such American soldier: he served
with courage and gallantry and deserves for his heroism in
our nation's Civil War; and WHEREAS,
Ananias Jackson was born in December 1845 in what was then
known as Madison Station, Alabama; he was the slave of Jim
Clement, one of the first settlers of Alabama; and WHEREAS, Mr.
Jackson joined the Civil War in December 1863 in
Murfreesboro, and was assigned to the United States
Colored Troops Company B of the 17th Regiment: this
valiant Regiment was instrumental in helping he Union win
the Battle of Donaldsonville and the Battle of Nashville
and destroy the Tennessee Confederate Army; and WHEREAS, today, Mr. Jackson's name is featured on the wall of the Civil War Museum and the bravery of the 17th Regiment has been immortalized in several books; and WHEREAS,
Ananias Jackson's descendants have preserved his memories
and love to recount his exploits with the 17th Regiment;
and WHEREAS,
after the Civil War, Ananias Jackson went back to Alabama,
where he married Laura Bradford, and they had five
children: Ananias, William, Marie, Mary, and a daugher who
died at an early age; and WHEREAS,
after Laura died, he felt the call to the ministry and
became a traveling preacher, during his ministry, and met
and married Elizabeth Renshaw in Bridgeport, Alabama,
where he became a farmer; and WHEREAS, his
great granddaughter, Annie Delores Hughes Thomas, is today
carrying his torch forward with dignity; she has dedicated
much effort to researcher her valorour ancestor and seeing
that Ananias Jackson and his heroic Regiment, nearly a
century and a half later, receive the recognition they
deserve; now, therefore, BE IT
RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
HUNDRED FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF TENNESSEE, THE SENATE
CONCURRING, that we hereby posthumously (sic) Mr. Ananias
Jackson for meritorious service in the United States Army
during the Civil War, extend our gratitude for his
dedication to our country, and honor the memory of this
great soldier. BE IT
FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this
resolution be prepared for presentation with this final
clause omitted from such copy. |
