Traveling Through Time With the Shelby County Historical Society
Feature Article on black soldiers. Topic: BLACK HISTORY & CIVIL WAR
Written by Rich Wallace in February, 1996

BLACK SOLDIERS DISTINGUISHED THEMSELVES DURING CIVIL WAR
A large crowd stood shivering, waiting. A macabre sense of stillness filled the air. They were about to witness the only public execution in the history of Shelby County. Alfred Artis would be put to death for killing his twelve year old daughter, Emma. Somewhere in the crowd must have been his brother. Elias Artis was a young black man from Van Buren Township. He was a farmer by trade, as was Alfred. Elias was 22 years old. One can imagine the sense of shame and humiliation he felt as Sheriff J.C. Dryden and Deputy Christian Kingseed dragged the struggling prisoner to the gallows. In a few minutes it was all over. Afterward, Elias returned to farming. Eight years passed. Many of his neighbors, all white, had gone off to fight the Rebels in the Civil War. No Negroes were wanted for the cause.

 In the spring of 1863, word began to circulate that a recruiter would be passing through to sign up Negroes to fight for the Union. History unfortunately does not record the thoughts that raced through Elias's mind when he heard the news. Was this his chance to clear his family's name? Was he determined to prove that members of his race were just as brave, and loved their country just as much as their white neighbors?

 Although Elias was married at the time, and 30 years old, he made the decision to leave Shelby County and join the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. Fellow farmer Hezekiah Stewart also agreed to serve. He was single and 19 years old - about the average for a Civil War soldier. Both men received a state bounty, or sign up bonus of $50.

The chances are great that neither man had ever previously traveled outside the county. Now they were bound for a far away place called Massachusetts.  Along the way, they most likely met five men from Carthagena, a black community in Mercer County, who had also volunteered. They would all be assigned to Company D. Benjamin Hogan and Cato Chaney from that group were also farmers.

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Sheriff J.C. Dryden

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