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Bedford County Historical Society Map


Bedford County Historical Society, Inc.

“As we look to the past,
the future looks to us.”

United States Colored Troops(USCT)
from the Bedford Gazette 1912

Many African Americans served in the Union army during the American Civil War. They were enlisted by the U.S Government and were known as the United States Colored Troops or USCT. Regiments raised by the individual states were all white. But these troops raised by the U.S. Government were black and came from many different states. At that time, they were not allowed to become officers so their officers were white.

Many African Americans who were residents of Bedford County or who later moved to Bedford County served in the USCT. Over the years there have been attempts to identify them and recognize their service. The lists below report the names of USCT men who appeared on one or more of the lists compiled earlier or that we have located in our research to identify these men.

If you are a descendant or know a descendant of any of the man who served in the USCT, we would love to hear from you. We are especially interested in collecting and preserving copies of any documents or photographs associated with the service of these men in the USCT.


USCT Soldiers of Bedford County , from the book "Soldiers Dead: List of those buried in the cemeteries and graveyards of Bedford County 1912" by Frank McCoy of Speelman, Commander of Major William Watson Post No. 332, G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic).

The following soldiers appeared in the McCoy book cited above. The Bedford County Historical Society has searched for the grave markers of these individuals. Results of our search are reported as "Marker" or "No Marker/Tombstone" after the individual.

  • William Hartley, Cpt., 2nd USCT and 55th Pa. Inf, buried in Bedford Cemetery, Bedford, Pa. pg. 1 (Officer - white)
  • John R. Barks, Corp. Co. B 22nd Regiment USCT, died March 24th 1904 age 66 yrs 8ms 17das buried in Mount Ross Cemetery, Bedford, Pa. pg.2 (Marker)
  • Elijah Bolden, Co. I. 6th Regiment USCT, buried in Mount Ross Cemetery, Bedford, Pa. pg. 2 - - No Marker/Tombstone
  • John Brown, Co. F 3rd Regiment USCT, buried in Mount Ross Cemetery, Bedford, Pa. pg. 2 - - No Marker/Tombstone - Location unknown
  • George Coleman, Co. G. 32nd Regiment USCT, buried in Mount Ross Cemetery, Bedford, Pa. pg. 2 - - No Marker/Tombstone - Location unknown
  • Reuban Gates, Co. C 3rd Regiment USCT died March 2nd 1891 age 75yrs 11ms 5das buried in Mount Ross Cemetery Bedford, Pa. pg. 2 - - Marker
  • Moses Johnson, Co. I. 6th Regiment USCT, died November 1st 1898 age 58yrs. buried in Mount Ross Cemetery Bedford, Pa. pg. 2 - - Marker
  • William Johnson, Co. K 3rd Regiment USCT, buried in Mount Ross Cemetery Bedford, Pa. pg. 2 - - No Marker /Tombstone
  • James Key, Co. G. 32nd Regiment USCT, died June 4th 1897 age 74yrs 11ms buried in Mount Ross Cemetery, Bedford, Pa. pg.2 - - Marker
  • Philip Key, Co. B. 32nd Regiment USCT, buried in Mount Ross Cemetery, Bedford, Pa. pg. 2 - - No Marker/Tombstone
  • Bert Lewis, Co. G 32nd Regiment USCT, died July 19 1893 age 70 yrs buried in Mount Ross Cemetery, Bedford, Pa. pg. 2 - - Marker
  • George Lyles (LISLES), Co. E 3rd Regiment USCT, born April 21 1831 died November 23rd 1903 buried in Mount Ross Cemetery Bedford, Pa. pg.2 - - Marker
  • Cyrus McPherson, USCT, buried in Mount Ross Cemetery, Bedford, Pa. pg. 2 - - No Marker/Tombstone
  • Charles Miller, Co. G 32nd Regiment USCT, died February 17th 1910 age 82 yrs 1ms 23 das buried in Mount Ross Cemetery, Bedford, Pa. pg. 2 Marker
  • David Miller, Co. G 32nd Regiment USCT, died February 10th 1895 66 yrs. buried at Mount Ross Cemetery, Bedford, Pa. pg. 2 - - Marker
  • Wythe Perry, (Wyat) Co. K 3rd Regiment USCT, died January 26th 1899 age 87yrs 1ms 24 das buried in Mount Ross Cemetery, Bedford, Pa. pg. 2 - - Marker
  • James Strathers, Co. B 43rd Regiment USCT, died February 24th 1880 (No dates) G.A.R. buried in Mount Ross Cemetery, Bedford, Pa. pg. 2 - - Marker
  • Jackson Tillman, Co. G (32nd) 43rd Regiment USCT, died January 20th 1911 (No age) buried in Mount Ross Cemetery, Bedford, Pa. pg. 2 - - Marker
  • Aaron, Young, Co. D. 24th Regiment USCT, died October 28th 1908 age 65yrs 9ms 21das buried in Mount Ross Cemetery, Bedford, Pa. pg. 2 - - Marker
  • Daniel D. Young, Co. D 24th Regiment USCT died August 31st 1908 age 72yrs 8ms 8das buried in Mount Ross Cemetery, Bedford, Pa. pg. 2 - - Marker
  • Jacob Young, Co. G (24th )127th Regiment USCT, died June 6th 1905 age 73yrs 9ms 11das buried in Mount Ross Cemetery, Bedford, Pa. pg.2 - - Marker
  • Peter Young, Co. F 127th Regiment USCT died 1900 age 64yrs buried in Mount Ross Cemetery, Bedford, Pa. pg. 2 - - Marker

Cemeteries that have not been checked.

The following soldiers also appeared in the McCoy book cited above. They are listed separately because we have not yet visited the cemeteries where they were reported buried to determine whether or not a marker exists for them.

  • Lewis Willard, USCT buried in Snowberger Graveyard in Bloomfield Township, Pa. pg.3
  • John Carson, Co. H 22nd USCT, buried in Everett Cemetery, Everett boro, Pa, pg. 4
  • Jacob Dean, Co H 32nd USCT, buried in Everett Cemetery, Everett boro, Pa. pg. 4
  • Philip Holmes, Co. D 45th Regiment USCT, buried in Hopewell Cemetery, Hopewell Township, Pa. pg.5
  • Henry T. Allen, Co. D. 43rd Regiment USCT, buried in Lutheran Church, near Breezewood, Pa. pg. 10 - - Mount Zion, East Providence
  • Thomas Burk, Co. C 55th Mass. Col. Inf. Regiment USCT, buried in Lutheran Cemetery, near Breezewood, Pa, pg. 11 - - Mount Zion
  • Peter Byers, USCT, buried in Union Cemetery, Providence Township East, pg. 11- - Unmarked

USCT buried in Mount Ross Cemetery not in above list.

The following soldiers did not appear in the McCoy book cited above. Their service in the USCT and burial in the Mount Ross Cemetery were established and documented by the Bedford County Historical Society as a part our our research on the USCT and efforts to locate graves of soldiers appearing on the USCT list made by McCoy.

  • De Charmes (Richard) Davis, Corp. Co. B 32nd Regiment USCT Col. Vol. 1847-1930- - Tombstone
  • John T. Harris, Co. F 3rd Regiment USCT Inf. 1836-1914 - - Tombstone
  • Lewis Reed, Co. D 12th Col. Inf. Regiment USCT died February 10th 1893 - - Tombstone
  • Rev. Elias Rouse, died --- 69yrs 8ms 18das

Bedford County USCT Soldier's Graves

The following is a list of soldiers of Bedford County USCT soldiers whose names appeared on one or more lists of USCT soldiers from Bedford County. The list combines the list made by McCoy in 1912, which is cited above and a Civil Works Administration list made in January 1934 and approved as "project (05-0096) for making a and publishing of a permanent record of all soldiers who are buried in Bedford County."

  • Barks, Alfred, Sergt., 41st Regiment USCT Co. H - Grave unknown
  • Barks, Moore, 32nd Regiment USCT Co. B. Co. B. Grave unknown (Altoona?)
  • Barks, William, USCT Grave in Pittsburgh
  • Barks, William, USCT Grave unknown
  • Barns, Robert, 32nd Regiment USCT Co. G. Grave unknown
  • Bates, Thomas, 24th Regiment USCT Co. E. Grave unknown, died in Harrisburg Pa., asylum.
  • Berry, John Weston, 41st Regiment USCT Co. D. (ref: Bates, John Berry) Grave in Burgess Cem., Juniata Twp.
  • Boston, John, USCT Grave unknown
  • Boston, James, 41st Regiment USCT Co. C - Grave unknown
  • Brice, John, Civil War - Service unverified (ref: Bates, 3rd USCT Co. E & 6th USCT Co. H.) Grave unknown
  • Brown, Henry, 3rd Regiment USCT Co. I Grave in Mt. Zion, Lutheran Church Cem. East Providence Twp.
  • Brown, Todd, 3rd Regiment USCT Co. F. - Grave unknown
  • Callahan, James, 8th Regiment USCT Co. D. Grave unknown - probably near Pittsburgh, Pa.
  • Costler, John, USCT Grave unknown
  • Costler, Joseph, Corp. 127th Regiment USCT Co. H. grave in Cleveland, Ohio
  • Davis, James, 24th Regiment USCT Co. B Grave unknown
  • Davis, John, Civil War service (ref: Bates 8th USCT Co. D. & 22nd USCT Co. I & 24th USCT Co. E) Grave unknown
  • Dean, Andrew, USCT Grave unknown
  • Doogen, Henry, USCT Grave unknown
  • Fry, Henry, 43rd Regiment USCT Co. G Grave unknown
  • Ganz, Thomas, USCT Grave unknown
  • Gordon, Daniel, 43rd Regiment USCT Co. F. Grave unknown
  • Hollinger, Stephen, USCT Grave unknown
  • Johnson, Charles, Civil War service unverified (ref: Charles Johnson, 3rd USCT Co. A. and Co. I & Charles Johnson 6th USCT Grave unknown
  • Jordon, Henry, 8th Regiment USCT Co. H Grave unknown
  • Lewis, Robert, 8th Regiment USCT Co. D Grave unknown
  • Love, George, USCT Grave unknown
  • Love, John, 41st Regiment USCT Co. H. Grave unknown
  • Luckett, Alex, 32nd Regiment USCT Co. G Grave unknown
  • Lumac, William, Corp. 43rd Regiment USCT Co. D (ref: Bates, William Lomox) Grave unknown
  • Lyles, David, 3rd Regiment USCT Co. E. Grave unknown
  • Lyles, James, 3rd Regiment USCT Co. E Grave unknown
  • McPherson, John, 3rd Regiment USCT Co. K Grave unknown
  • Plowden, Jacob, 3rd Regiment USCT Co. E, Grave unknown
  • Spriggs, John, (unverified) USCT Grave unknown
  • Strathers, Willis, 43rd Regiment USCT Co. C. Grave unknown, killed in action.
  • Streets, Rankin, USCT Grave unknown
  • Tillman, George, 41st Regiment USCT Co. H. Grave unknown
  • Tillman, Isaac, USCT Grave unknown
  • Tillman, James, 25th Regiment USCT Co. H. Grave unknown
  • Warren, Nimrod, 43rd Regiment USCT Co. C. Grave Mt. Ross Cemetery, Bedford Twp.
  • Watkins, Hiram, 55th Mass. Col. Inf. Grave in Everett Cemetery, West Providence Twp.
  • Williams, S. Henry, 41st Regiment USCT Co. A. Grave unknown