American Historical Ephemera and Photography, Featuring African Americana

Log of clothing given to 36 identified members of Company A, 62nd U.S.C.T. by 1st Lieutenant Aaron M. Adamson. November 1864. 1p, approx. 16 x 16 1/2 in. (creasing, light soil and wear). Columns list the name of soldiers, articles of clothing received, a monetary designation, soldier's signature line each indicating "his mark," and signature of the witness.

The first black regiment from Missouri was recruited in June 1863 at Benton Barracks in St. Louis. More than 500 men from central Missouri enlisted, nearly all of which had been formerly enslaved and, as per Missouri law, were legally forbidden to learn to read and write. The regiment was designated the First Regiment of Missouri Colored Infantry, but on March 11, 1864, was redesignated the 62nd U.S. Regiment of Colored Infantry. The 62nd earned the distinction of firing the last volley of the Civil War, on May 13, 1865, between White’s Ranch and the Boca Rita in Texas at what became known as the Battle of Palmito Ranch. Despite the regiment's military successes, it faced ongoing racism and discrimination even from within Union ranks. A medical board convened in October 1864 found that more than a third of three Missouri black regiments - the 62nd, 65th, and 67th U.S. Colored Infantry - had perished since enlistment, mostly from various undiagnosed diseases. Others died due to poor sanitation, lack of proper food, and harsh working conditions. Thinly clad soldiers without shoes and hats were forced to engage in hard labor and suffered illness and death disproportionately from their white counterparts. This log, recorded just a month after the medical board convened, may represent a response to the findings of the medical board and an effort to ameliorate the conditions endured by USCT.