An+Introduction+to+the+108th+Regiment

Original Author: Kris Souza, ENG206 SP10 Revision Author:
 * The 108th Colored Troops **

The 108th U.S. Colored Infantry was a regiment of black men sent from Kentucky to guard Confederate prisoners at the Rock Island Arsenal. The prison ran from December of 1863 through July 1865. Most were slaves from Kentucky, but there were some free men in the regiment. Four of these men were from Illinois. Twenty-eight of the men were drafted into service.

Lieutenant Colonel John Bishop, a white man, was the commander of the 108th. Unlike most officers at the time, he requested to command the unit, knowing that the recruits were black. From the start, Colonel Bishop was protective of his men. Though they were supposed to be ready for the field by July 11, 1864, they did not report to the Rock Island Prison Barracks until September 24, 1864. This may be due to the horrible condition of their weapons. Colonel Bishop told the War Department that the unit had received badly damaged muskets that had been bent and straightened, and were not ready to report for duty with weapons that were only suited for drills. His protests may have been the reason for the late arrival of the troops, but he knew they would be disadvantaged without proper guns.

As one might imagine, black troops guarding white prisoners was not a popular idea. One prisoner, Lafayette Rogan, kept a diary of his time at the Rock Island Prison Barracks. Rogan stated that the prisoners would have to “submit to this indignity” of being guarded by “a regiment of contrabands.” He later wrote, “Eight thousand Southern men today are guarded by their slaves who have been armed by the Tyrant.” It was not long before the 108th became known for firing on prisoners. This could have been due to their inexperience with guns—reportedly, many of the black guards shot themselves on accident. Of course, some of the shootings were likely brought about by the provocation of the prisoners, who taunted the black guards.

During their stay in Rock Island, Colonel Bishop often asked for better treatment of the men from Colonel Adolphus Johnson, the Commanding Officer of the Prison Barracks. The black troops were routinely asked to perform tasks without the same resources as their white counterparts, and were not treated fairly. For example, some of the white soldiers would fill stagnant water pools as part of their duties, using teams of horses and plenty of men. But when it was time for the black soldiers to do this job, they had to fill larger pools with less men, and were not given horses to assist them. Also, even though all troops were supposed to share “fatigue duty,” Colonel Bishop complained that his men performed this duty more often. This sort of mistreatment may have led to the extremely high death rate of the 108th. Fifty-two men died from diseases while at Rock Island, and the high numbers of dead troops unfortunately continued even after their transfer to Massachusetts at the end of the Civil War. Bishop was strict with his men, but he had good reason. There were local Southern sympathizers who might have targeted the troops. He also had trouble with the men visiting Davenport. Their time there was restricted, but they often broke the rules and were court marshaled. He was likely trying to stop the soldiers from the evils of gambling and drinking. Even when they finally were allowed to travel to Davenport, they were forbidden from staying past 6:30 p.m.

Though conditions were not good, the troops must have kept their mind on the benefits of serving. When signing up for their three-year enlistment, they received the same privileges and pay as other Federal soldiers. Any man who enlisted after June 15, 1864 was no longer restricted in benefits and pay as “persons of African descent” had once been. An even bigger benefit was realized on March 3, 1865. Congress freed the black soldiers, as well as their wives and children, who had enlisted in the Army in Kentucky. Colonel Bishop had again expressed his support for the men, writing letters to the Military Governor of Kentucky to try to free their families.

// Taken from “Black regiment guarded prisoners here” by Bruce Wine. Published in The Target, February 2, 1979, page 5. //

** Cemeteries and the Civil War Dead of Rock Island ** The Rock Island Arsenal is home to two cemeteries, the Rock Island National Cemetery and the Rock Island Confederate Cemetery. The Quad Cities is also home to a soldier’s lot, located in Oakdale Cemetery in Davenport, Iowa. Though located within a civilian cemetery, the lot is maintained by the National Cemetery Administration. It was established in 1866 (Department of Veteran’s Affairs). The National Cemetery got its start because of the prison camp at the Arsenal. Land to bury the deceased Union guards was set aside starting in 1863 (Department of Veteran’s Affairs). Many members of the 108th US Colored Troops died in Rock Island, and some are buried in the National Cemetery on Arsenal Island. The cemetery has grown to 31.5 acres (Department of Veteran’s Affairs). The Confederate cemetery is one of only seven existing in the United States specifically for Confederate soldiers. Three of these are located in the state of Illinois. It was established in 1863 for the burial of Confederate war prisoners. An estimated 1,950 soldiers died at the Rock Island Confederate Prison. During the war, POW’s were shipped to Rock Island from battles in the South. The number of prisoners would eventually total more than 12,000. Some causes of death were diseases like smallpox, exposure to cold winters, and malnutrition.

** Members of the 108th who lived in Moline in 1865 ** Berdoins, Charles, age 25, farmer from Wilson, KY. Died at Vicksburg, MA September 27, 1865. Fry, James, no information confirmed. Hartnett, Eli, age 21, farmer from Wilson, KY. Died October 11, 1919. Buried in Dayton National Cemetery, OH. Moxley, Lewis, age 23, farmer from Wilson, KY. Died May 17, 1865 at the Rock Island Prison. He is buried on Arsenal Island. (See picture below) Oldam, George, age 19, farmer from Jefferson, KY. O’Neil, Dave, age 22, farmer from Marion, KY. Rankin, Henry, age 36, farmer from Moline, IL. Spillman, George, age 19, farmer from Garnet, KY. Buried at Mound City National Cemetery, IL. Stark, Solomon, age 21, farmer from Nelson, KY. Troutman, Jesse, age 21, farmer from Nelson, KY. Troutman, Benjamin, age 21, farmer from Nelson, KY. Troutman, Louis or Lewis, age 28, farmer from Hardin, KY. Troutman, Moses, Moline. Name not found on muster rolls. Troutman, Steve, age 35, farmer from Nelson, KY. Wilson, Charles, Moline. Yancy, Moses, Moline.



** Works Cited **

Appendix A, Rock Island County Residents of the 108th. Found in General History file cabinet at Rock Island Arsenal Museum.

United States Department of Veteran’s Affairs []

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