4th United States Colored Troops

United States Regiments & Batteries * United States Colored Troops

The 4th Regiment of United States Colored Troops lost 3 officers and 102 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 1 officer and 186 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War.

1863
July 15 -September 1 Organized at Baltimore, Maryland
October 1 Moved to Fort Monroe, Virginia then moved to Yorktown, Virginia
October-May Duty at Yorktown attached to 2nd Brigade, United States Forces, Yorktown, Virginia, 18th Corps, Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina
October 4-9 Expedition from Yorktown to Matthews County
1864
February 6-8 Wistar’s Expedition against Richmond
February 8 New Kent Court House
March 1-4 Expedition to Bottom’s Bridge in aid of Kilpatrick’s Cavalry
March 9-12 Expedition into King and Queen County
March 17-21 Expedition into Matthews and Middlesex Counties
April Attached to 2nd Brigade, Hincks’ Colored Division, 18th Corps
May 4-June 15 Butler’s operations south of the James River and against Petersburg and Richmond
May 4
Skirmish at Bermuda Hundred
May-June Duty at Spring Hill on the Appomattox. Built Fort Converse on the Bermuda Hundred line.
May 20

Attack on Fort Converse
June 15-18

Before Petersburg
June 16 –
December 7

Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond

Attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 18th Corps
July 30

Mine Explosion, Petersburg, Battle of the Crater
September 7

Dutch Gap
September 28-30

Battle of Chaffin’s Farm, New Market Heights

The regiment attacked Confederate fortifictions under heavy fire. Color bearer Sergeant Alfred B. Hilton of Company H, carrying the national colors, took the regimental colors from another color bearer who had been wounded. Hilton was then mortally wounded, shot through the leg, and called “Boys, save the colors!.” Corporal Charles Veale of Company D took the regimental colors and Sergeant Major Christian Abarham Fleetwood took the national colors from Veale before either could touch the ground. They continued forward until it became plain that the charge would not succeeded. When the attackers withdrew to the reserve line Fleetwood waved the flag and rallied men from the regiment to continue the fight.

All three men were awarded the Medal of Honor:

Medal of Honor from the Civil War eraSergeant Hilton, “When the regimental color bearer fell, this soldier seized the color and carried it forward, together with the national standard, until disabled at the enemy’s inner line.”
Sergeant Veale “Seized the national colors, after two color bearers had been shot down close to the enemy’s works, and bore them through the remainder of the battle.”
Sergeant Major Fleetwood “Seized the colors, after two color bearers had been shot down, and bore them nobly through the fight.”
October 27-28
Battle of Fair Oaks
December 7-27

1st Expedition to Fort Fisher, North Carolina

Attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 25th Corps
1865
January 7-15

2nd Expedition to Fort Fisher, North Carolina

Attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 25th Corps
January 15

Assault and capture of Fort Fisher, N. C.
January 19

Sugar Loaf Hill
February 11

Sugar Loaf Battery
February 18-20

Fort Anderson
February 22

Capture of Wilmington
February 22

Northeast Ferry
March 1-April 26

Campaign of the Carolinas

Attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 10th Corps, Dept. of North Carolina
March 6-21 Advance on Goldsboro
March 21 Occupation of Goldsboro
March 23-24 Cox’s Bridge
April 9-18 Advance on Raleigh
April 14 Occupation of Raleigh
April 26

Bennett’s House

Surrender of Johnston and his army.
October-May Assigned to the Northern Defenses of Washington under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Augustus Boernstein and Major Wareham C. Hill.

The regiment was stationed in:

Fort Sumner: Companies A & I
Fort Totten: Company B
Fort Stevens: Companies C & H
Fort Slocum: Company D, plus regimental headquarters
Fort Lincoln: Company E
Fort Mahan: Company F
Fort Reno: Companies G and K
1866
May-August Assigned to the Dept. of North Carolina