Historian Jeff Mansell to Speak about Role of U.S. Colored Troops in Building Fort McPherson

Event hosted by Natchez Historical Society

#NatchezUSCT

Jeff Mansell, Lead Historian
Natchez National Historical Park

NATCHEZ, Miss. – Jeff Mansell, lead historian for the Natchez National Historical Park, will speak about the Natchez U.S Colored Troops at the May 24 meeting of the Natchez Historical Society, announced NHS President Maria Bowser in a recent press release.

Mansell will present the findings of his latest research into the 58th U.S. Colored Troops and the building of Fort McPherson, the Union fortification erected by federal troops after their arrival in Natchez in July 1863.

The meeting, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 6 p.m. in the hall of Historic Natchez Foundation at 108 S. Commerce St. Handicapped accessibility is on the side of the building.

After the park closed its various sites due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Mansell turned his attention to examining and recording information found in more than 1,500 enlistment papers for the men of the 58th. These records provide a vast amount of information about the members of the regiment, including name, age, length of services, and profession.

Remarkably, these enlistment papers also list the name of the formerly enslaved’s owner, something typically not found in similar records. The birthplace of the new recruits was also recorded, providing researchers with the probable identity of the men who were sold at the Forks of the Road slave market, Mansell said.

The men of this regiment were the ones who participated in the destruction of the slave pens at the Forks of the Road in the fall of 1863. Tragically the enlistment papers also reveal that almost one-third of the regiment perished from various diseases in the first two months of their service.

All are invited to attend the meeting as Mansell explains more about the patriotic story of these formerly enslaved men who threw off the shackles of slavery to put on the blue uniform of the Union Army, and what that meant to them.

For more information on the Natchez Historical Society, visit: Natchezhistoricalsociety.org or join the NHS on Facebook: Search for “Natchez Historical Society” or follow this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/188228461785070