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36th USCT Infantry

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Muster In: Organized February 8, 1864, from 2nd North Carolina Colored Infantry.1
Muster Out: Mustered out October 28, 1866.2

Commander(s):
Colonel Alonzo G. Draper
Commander Image

Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin F. Pratt
Commander Image

Major William H. Hart
Commander Image

Commander 4
Commander Image

First Offensive Order of Battle: Point Lookout, Maryland3

Second Offensive Order of Battle:

Point Lookout, Maryland (June 19-?, 1864)6

Unattached | Army of the James | Union Army (June ?-30, 1864)7

  • Not present at the Siege of Petersburg.8
  • Unit Strength: >661 officers and men PFD (June 30, 1864)9
  • Weapons: Enfield Rifles (.58 caliber) (June 30, 1864)10
  • Note: The 36th USCT appears on the June 30, 1864 order of battle as “unattached, Army of the James,” so it must have arrived from Point Lookout, Maryland at some point in late June 1864, but I do not yet have an exact date.11

Third Offensive Order of Battle: Unattached | Army of the James | Union Army (July 3-31, 1864)12,13

  • Commander: Colonel Alonzo G. Draper (July 31, 1864)14
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • Note: Moved from Point Lookout to Bermuda Hundred, Va., July 1-3.15

Fourth Offensive Order of Battle: Second Brigade | Third Division | XVIII Corps | Army of the James | Union Army16

  • Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin F. Pratt (August 31, 1864)17
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Fifth Offensive Order of Battle: Second Brigade | Third Division | XVIII Corps | Army of the James | Union Army18,19

  • Commander:
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Sixth Offensive Order of Battle: Second Brigade | Third Division | XVIII Corps | Army of the James | Union Army20,21

  • Commander: Major William H. Hart (October 31, 1864)22
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Seventh Offensive Order of Battle:

Second Brigade | Third Division | XVIII Corps | Army of the James | Union Army (November 1-December 3, 1864)23

First Brigade | Third Division | XXV Corps | Army of the James | Union Army (December 3-31, 1864)24

  • Commander: Major William H. Hart (December 31, 1864)25
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • Note: On December 3, 1864, the X Corps and XVIII Corps of the Army of the James were reorganized into the XXIV Corps and the XXV Corps.

Eighth Offensive Order of Battle: First Brigade | First Division | XXV Corps | Army of the James | Union Army26,27

  • Commander:
    • Major William H. Hart (January 31, 1865)28
    • Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin F. Pratt (February 28, 1865)29
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • Note: At some point, apparently in December and probably due to the First Fort Fisher Expedition, the First and Third divisions of the XXV Corps switched places.  The old First Division under Brigadier General Charles A. Paine became the new Third Division and was mostly sent on the First Fort Fisher Expedition.  The old Third Division, under Brigadier General Edward A. Wild, became the new First Division and remained at the Siege of Petersburg.

Ninth Offensive Order of Battle: First Brigade | First Division | XXV Corps | Army of the James | Union Army30,31

  • Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin F. Pratt (March 31, 1865)32
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Dyer’s/Sifakis’ Compendium Info:
Siege of Petersburg Battles33:

  • Moved from Point Lookout to Bermuda Hundred, Va., July 1-3.
  • Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond, Va.,July 3, 1864, to April 2, 1865.
  • Battle of Chaffin’s Farm, New Market Heights, September 29-30.
  • Battle of Fair Oaks October 27-28.
  • Dutch Gap November 17.
  • Indiantown, Sandy Creek, N. C., December 18 (Detachment).
  • Duty north of James River before Richmond until March 27, 1865.
  • Appomattox Campaign March 27-April 9.
  • Occupation of Richmond April 3.
  • Duty in Dept. of Virginia until May.

Bibliography:

    Siege of Petersburg Documents Which Mention This Unit:

    Sources:

    1. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3)
    2. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3)
    3. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3)
    4. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3)
    5. Volume 14 (Ordnance Returns for the Second Quarter, April-June, 1864); 36th United States Colored Troops Entry, Page 95; Summary Statements of Quarterly Returns of Ordnance and Ordnance Stores on Hand in Regular and Volunteer Army Organizations, 1862-1867, 1870-1876. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M1281, Roll 7); Records of the Office of the Chief of Ordnance, 1797-1969, Record Group 156; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.
    6. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3)
    7. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 2 (Serial Number 81), p. 552
    8. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3)
    9. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 1 (Serial Number 80), pp. 163-178: The unit had this number of officers and men “present for duty equipped” on June 30, 1864.  Present for Duty Equipped attempts to strip away anyone not actually going into combat.  Those non-combatants are included in PFD, the way I represent unit strengths across this web site for consistency.  So the unit had at least this number of officers and men PFD, though we know that number is higher.
    10. Volume 14 (Ordnance Returns for the Second Quarter, April-June, 1864); 36th United States Colored Troops Entry, Page 95; Summary Statements of Quarterly Returns of Ordnance and Ordnance Stores on Hand in Regular and Volunteer Army Organizations, 1862-1867, 1870-1876. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M1281, Roll 7); Records of the Office of the Chief of Ordnance, 1797-1969, Record Group 156; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.
    11. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 2 (Serial Number 81), p. 552
    12. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 1 (Serial Number 80), page 268
    13. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 3 (Serial Number 82), page 738
    14. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 3 (Serial Number 82), page 738
    15. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3)
    16. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 2 (Serial Number 88), page 622: “Organization of the Army of the Potomac…August 31, 1864”
    17. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 2 (Serial Number 88), page 622: “Organization of the Army of the Potomac…August 31, 1864”
    18. Sommers, Richard J. “Grant’s Fifth Offensive at Petersburg: A Study in Strategy, Tactics, and Generalship.  The Battle of Poplar Spring Church, the First Battle of the Darbytown Road, the Second Battle of the Squirrel Level Road, the Second Battle of the Darbytown Road (Ulysses S. Grant, Virginia).” Doctoral Thesis. Rice University, 1970. Print. p. 1304.
    19. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 1 (Serial Number 87), page 136: “Return of Casualties in the Union Forces (September-October 1864)”
    20. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 3 (Serial Number 89), page 467: “Organization of the Union Forces” (October 31, 1864)”
    21. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 1 (Serial Number 87), page 151: “Return of Casualties in the Union Forces…Fair Oaks and Darbytown Road, Va., October 27-28, 1864”
    22. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 3 (Serial Number 89), page 467: “Organization of the Union Forces” (October 31, 1864)”
    23. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3)
    24. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 3 (Serial Number 89), page 1126: “Organization of the Union Forces” (December 31, 1864)
    25. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 3 (Serial Number 89), page 1126: “Organization of the Union Forces” (December 31, 1864)
    26. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 336: “Organization of the Union Forces” (January 31, 1865)
    27. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 750: “Organization of the Union Forces” (February 28, 1865)
    28. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 336: “Organization of the Union Forces” (January 31, 1865)
    29. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 750: “Organization of the Union Forces” (February 28, 1865)
    30. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 1 (Serial Number 95), page 579: “Organization of the Union Forces” (March 31, 1865)
    31. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 1 (Serial Number 95), page 596: “Return of casualties in the Union Forces commanded by Lieut. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, March 29-April 9, 1865”
    32. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 1 (Serial Number 95), page 579: “Organization of the Union Forces” (March 31, 1865)
    33. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer (Part 3)
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