1st Regiment, United States Colored Cavalry

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Charles William Emerson was born near Calais, Maine, in 1840. He was the son of William and Mary (Jones) Emerson. He was decended from Michael Emerson of Howsham, Cadney parish, Lincoln county, England, who emigrated to America in March 1651, and setteled at Haverhill, Massachusetts Bay Colony. (From "The Haverhill Emersons", Jane Emerson James, revised edition, 1984, in the NEHGS collection.)


This is the only known image of C. W. Emerson. He is the gent on the left,
in the light colored coat. His wife Roselna sits in front of him.

Charles Emerson enlisted as a Private in June 1861, with the 3rd New York Cavalry at Rochester NY. By January 1863 he was a Sergeant Major. In June 1863 he was transfered to the 23rd New York Cavalry and promoted to 1st Lieutenant. Then in December 1863 he accepted a commission as Captain in the 1st U.S. Colored Cavalry. His military file obtained from NARA will be available here in the near future.

He married Roselna King, of St. Stephens, New Brunswick, Canada. After the war they went to Michigan and had two daughters. He moved to New York City, then to New Jersey, where he worked as a clerk for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. He is described on a pension application as five feet ten inches tall, 125 pounds, with hazel eyes and gray hair. He died December 1905 and was buried in Jersey City, NJ.

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