I get questions every so often about this headstone. So, I’ll post it here. Within the Grisso Cemetery, a worn headstone engraved with lettering still faintly reads:
𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤
𝐔.𝐒. 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐫
𝟏𝟖𝟔𝟎
The name “Black” has puzzled many, as formerly enslaved people are buried in this cemetery. In the context of history, Black soldiers weren’t officially recognized until afterward the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. One of the first notable examples of African-American troops being mustered into Union service was the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, which was formed on March 13, 1863.
A little closer to home, we have the 1st Regiment, Kansas Colored Infantry (later called the 79th). They were also not mustered into official service until January 1863, even though the regiment had already participated in the action at Island Mound, Missouri, on October 27, 1862. Additionally, these troops were rostered as Colored.
 | |
An
unidentified African American soldier poses with his family for a
portrait made between 1863 and 1865. This image was found in Cecil
County, Maryland, leading researchers to believe that this soldier
probably belonged to one of the seven United States Colored Troops
regiments raised in that state. This ambrotype is part of the
Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Photographs at the Library of
Congress. Colorization by Vincent S. Anderson |
By virtue of the date, 1860, we know this is not an African American soldier, but it is a soldier with the last name “Black.”
Although this soldier’s first name, origin, and personal history remain unknown, his presence and death are still recorded on this eroding ledger of stone, marking the end of his journey.
I also found a potential clue in Fulton County, Arkansas, records—a marriage between the Black and Grisso families. Perhaps this hints at a connection to the soldier’s stone.
Enjoy Your Ozarks' History!
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