Corporal Jeremiah Sanders

Cpl. Jeremiah Sanders

Corporal Jeremiah Sanders was born enslaved around 1842-1844 in Franklin County, Virginia. On December 7, 1860, Sanders was sold to Walker Louthan for $1,300. The sale papers refer to Sanders as “Jerry” and describe him as “sixteen years of age, of copper color... and of slender build.”

Sanders was still enslaved and working as a waiter when he enlisted on May 29, 1863, in Readville, Massachusetts. At enlistment, military records described him as 21 years old, 5’9 1/4” tall, with a dark complexion, black hair and brown eyes. Jeremiah Sanders served in the 55th Massachusetts Colored Infantry, Company D., which has been overshadowed by its companion regiment, the 54th Massachusetts, famously depicted in the movie Glory.

Saunders’ regiment notably fought in battles on Morris Island and Honey Hill in South Carolina. The valor of the 55th Massachusetts Colored Infantry in these battles, along with those of the 54th Massachusetts, helped to convince political and military leaders to enlist large numbers of African American soldiers into the United States Army during the war.

Pvt Sanders was promoted from private to corporal on June 1st, 1865. His promotion documents mistakenly list his name as Saunders. Black soldiers were primarily led by white officers and opportunities for promotion were limited for USCT. Corporals and, rarely, sergeants, were the highest ranks typically attained by Black soldiers during the Civil War.

The regiment mustered out on August 29, 1865, in Charleston, South Carolina. Cpl Sanders was transported and discharged to Boston on September 23, 1865. No evidence of his life after the war has yet been discovered.

The United States government agreed to compensate southerners for the loss of enslaved men who served with the Union. Between Feb. 24, 1864, and July 28, 1866, enslavers could file a claim for compensation for men who became soldiers and were thereby emancipated. This compensation, up to $300, was contingent upon a pledge of loyalty to “the Constitution and Government of the United States [. . . ] in accordance with the requirements of the General Order. No. 329, 1863, War Department, Adjutant General’s Office.”

Walther Louthan, who then lived in Palmyra, Missouri, referred to Jeremiah Sanders as “Jerry Louthan” in his petition seeking a $300 compensation from the U.S. Government in 1866.

Contributors: Sarah Plummer, Savannah Smith and Cathie Cummins