Pvt. Dawson Wright

Private Dawson Wright was born c.1842 in Franklin County, Virginia, and enlisted on Aug. 17, 1864, in Middleport, Ohio. Military records described him as 22 years old, 5’8” tall, with black complexion, black eyes, and black hair. His occupation was listed as Coal Digger, and he enlisted for one year. On his Declaration of Recruit, the standard enlistment term of three years was marked out and annotated to denote his specified term of one year. At the time of his enlistment, he could not read, and his signature was expressed by a mark.

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He served with the 9th USCT Heavy Artillery Co. B, which was organized at Clarksville and Nashville, TN on Nov. 1, 1864. He served with 241 other men in Battery B. His regiment was attached to the District of Nashville until May 5, 1865, when it was broken up. Wright was then transferred to the 88th Regiment Co. F, in Memphis on Aug. 10, 1885, just before being discharged at the end of his year of service on Aug. 16, 1885.

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A four-year-old male child was listed on an 1850 Slave Schedule as property of Savannah Wright in Franklin County, Virginia. This might have been the child who became a soldier. No record of Dawson Wright was found after the Civil War. Explanations for this include changing of surname, passing for white, living in circumstances which allow for being overlooked, and of course, death.

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Contributors: Sarah Plummer, Toni Smith and Cathie Cummins