John F. Butler
From Enslaved to U.S. Colored Troops Civil War Hero
1846-1866
John F. Butler was enslaved by John Greenwell of St. Mary’s County, Maryland. As a seventeen- year -old, he fled Greenwell Plantation on December 23, 1863. fleeing to Camp Stanton 20 miles north in Benedict, Charles County.
Butler knew if he enlisted at the Union Camp Statton, he would be free. He became part of the 19th Regiment. His training as an infantryman over the winter of 1863 was relatively short but brutal due to the conditions at the camp. In the 19th Regiment, 75 of the 1.000 men died of disease. By March 1864, the 19th and Butler departed for duty in Baltimore. In April, the 19th left Baltimore for Washington, D.C. There the regiment was reviewed by President Lincoln. The regiment continued across the Potomac into Virginia where it joined Grant’s Army.
Butler and the 19th fought several major battles through to Richmond. Their largest battle was as part of the Union Army’s July 30, 1864, assault against Confederate forces outside Petersburg, Virginia. Many were killed or wounded. Butler was wounded but recovered and returned to his unit. The performance of the 19th (including young John Butler) was commended for their ” bearing and military qualities”, despite the prejudice of the times against “colored troops”. After the war, the 19th was assigned to duty in Texas, where Butler died of disease.
Additional Resources
For John Butler’s full story, see Trail of Souls Project/ Middleham and St. Peter’s Parish middlehamandstpeters.org
More on Camp Stanton at Camp Stanton and the U. S. Colored Troops | Maryland History by the Object (wordpress.com)
