Voices of the Civil War Episode 12: "Emancipation Proclamation"

Hanover Tavern

I’m looking forward to visiting the Hanover Tavern located in Hanover County, VA and the surrounding area on tomorrow for the Civil War Battle Bus Tour . In the late 1980s, while living in Richmond, VA, I visited the tavern on several occasions to attend their dinner theater. Little did I know that many years later, my genealogy research would lead me back to the tavern and to the Hanover Courthouse District where it is located.

About Hanover Tavern




I do not have any ancestors that I know of who lived in Hanover County, but it is my research of James A. Fields (1844-1903) and his family that has led me back to Hanover County. The Fields family escaped from slavery in the Hanover Courthouse/Tavern area to Fort Monroe in Hampton, VA during the Civil War.

Mr. Fields and members of his family went on to become educated through Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, now Hanover Courthouse District , and excelled professionally in careers in law and education. There is a historic house in my community where Mr. Fields lived. ( Click here for more about the James A. Fields House)

My afternoon visit to the tavern for the " Civil War Battle Bus Tour " will include a scrumptious buffet lunch, civil war exhibit, lecture by Michael Hardy, author “Battle of Hanover Courthouse: Turning Point of the Peninsula Campaign, May 27, 1862,” and a guided bus tour.

The Fields family was living in the Hanover Courthouse/Tavern area during time of the battle and George Washington Fields (1854-1932), a younger brother of James A. Fields, wrote in his unpublished autobiography “Come On Children” about their lives during slavery and various battles and skirmishes which occurred in the courthouse/tavern area. My main objective in attending this tour is to gain knowledge about the geography of the courthouse/tavern area as well as its activities during the Civil War.

Moses Smith, Black Canadian Born Soldier in Civil War

Through a recent study of the birthplaces and enlistment locations of a select group of soldiers in Company B of USCT 1 Calvary, I discovered a black Canadian born soldier who enlisted in Buffalo, NY in October 1864 and was transferred to a Virginia Based United States Colored Troop Regiment a few days after his enlistment. This discovery is quite intriguing and the curious side of me wants to know more about this soldier. And so I start the research process of this soldier with a basic genealogy step which is to “WRITE DOWN WHAT I KNOW.” I hope that by posting this summary on my blog that others who are more knowledgeable of Canada, New York, and Civil War research can give me tips on further researching the life of this soldier. The information below was obtained from the Civil War Union Service Record for Moses Smith, USCT 1 Calvary.

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Moses Smith was born in Canada around 1843. Although his record does not name a province in Canada, a strong possibility is “Ontario” since it borders Buffalo, NY the location where Moses enlisted. On his Union Civil War service record, his physical characteristics were noted as “5 foot, 3-1/2 inches tall, with black complexion, eyes, and hair”. His occupation was listed as a Laborer.

Moses Smith mustered into the military as a “Recruit” on October 3, 1864 in Buffalo, NY under Captain Ruggans. He was 21 at the time of his enlistment. Three days later on October 6, 1864, Moses was “forwarded or transferred to the “United States Color Troop 1 Calvary which had been organized in Camp Hamilton, VA in December 1863. Moses Smith received a bounty of $100 and $25.75 for clothing for his military service.

Remarks in the service records suggest that Moses Smith was a musician because it indicates transfers and duty in the “reglt band.” (I assume that the reference to “band” refers to a musical group and not some other type of military group.) There is also a remark about a special order 32 dated Jan 9, 1865.

Moses Smith was mustered out of the military on February 4, 1866 in Brazos Santiago, TX along with his regiment, USCT 1 Calvary.

The part of this story which sparks my interest the most is Moses' Canadian roots and I hope to discover more about this black Smith family living in Canada during the 1800s.

United States Colored Troops in Photos

Check out this short video of photos of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) 1863-1865. These African American men fought during the American Civil War.

USCT Bounty Poster

Posters such as this likely enticed African American men to enlist in the military during the Civil War. Although many of them could not read during this era, no doubt the word got out about the contents of a poster such as this, and the benefits of joining the military.

Life in The Army During the Civil War

This video is a class project performed by two young men. I thought they did a great in their reenactment of life in the army during the Civil War. Hope that they received an A+ on this project. Enjoy!

Civil War Veteran Soldier Reunions, 1913 and 1938

This is priceless video footage of the 50th and 75th reunions of Civil War veterans. Video was sent to me by a genealogy friend and includes footage of African American Civil War Veterans.