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Civil War history: 56th U.S. Colored Infantry

More than 150 years ago, the air around Cape Girardeau rang with cannon fire as the Civil War made its way into Southeast Missouri.

If you follow this blog, you may have heard of the Battle of Cape Girardeau. And nearly every American is familiar with Gettysburg, Shiloh and Bull Run. But in the annals of history, other significant events and people have become footnotes in the larger narrative.

One of these often-overlooked contributors to the Civil War story is the 56th U.S. Colored Infantry for the Union Army. This regiment, active from 1863 to 1866, was comprised mainly of slaves who had been freed to fight in the war and would remain free if they survived.

This unit’s history begins with its founding in St. Louis as the 3rd Arkansas Volunteer Infantry of African Descent in 1963. To fill the regiment, the Union Army offered slave owners $300 for each slave who enlisted. After signing up, the soldiers were paid $10 per month for their service, which was $3 less than white soldiers received.

The Common Pleas Courthouse in Cape Girardeau served as an enlistment point, and at least 249 African American soldiers signed up there. One of them was Jim Ivers, a slave who selected his owner’s last name when he enlisted because he didn’t have one of his own.

Jim traveled with the unit to Helena, Ark., where they performed garrison duty. For Jim, this mostly meant unloading supplies from steamers. While in Arkansas, the regiment was renamed the 56th U.S. Colored Infantry.

Private Ivers didn’t make it home from Helena. While there, he succumbed to consumption, died in October 1863 and was buried in an unmarked grave.

Throughout the rest of the war, the 56th Infantry was involved in some small conflicts. During the Battle of Wallace Ferry, they held out for four hours against a significantly larger enemy.

Following General Lee’s surrender, the regiment was set to be mustered out of the Army. Unfortunately, the steamboat they were on suffered a cholera outbreak. The troops were quarantined near Jefferson Barracks, and the final death toll due to illness reached 175 before the unit was officially disbanded.

Ivers Square – located near the Common Pleas Courthouse – is named after one of the 56th Infantry’s soldiers, and it will soon honor all African American Civil War troops. A new statue will be unveiled on June 8 to commemorate Jim Ivers and his comrades.

The statue depicts an African American Union soldier in uniform and is one of three sculptures from the same mold. The other two are located in Nashville, Tenn., and, fittingly, Helena, Ark.

This statue will serve to honor these courageous soldiers and keep their memory prominent.

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