Rock Island National Cemetery honors 108th U. S. Colored Troops on Juneteenth
By Isabella Wilson
The Rock Island National Cemetery hosted a ceremony honoring the soldiers of the 108th United States Colored Troops (USCT) in a ceremony Monday, June 19.
Honoring the 108th USCT, an organization comprised of local descendants of men from the USCT regiment and other community members committed to honoring the soldiers by sharing their stories, organized and coordinated the ceremony.
The keynote speaker was Command Sgt. Maj. James E. Brown, command sergeant major, U.S. Army Garrison Rock Island Arsenal; he assumed the duties as the command sergeant major on Feb. 10, 2023. Previously, Brown most recently served as the command sergeant major of the 261st Multifunctional Medical Battalion at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. As command sergeant major for the garrison, Brown is a vital part of its mission to provide quality facilities and excellent base operations support and services to all installation tenants in the areas of law enforcement, crime prevention, security management, fire, safety, information management, facilities engineering, housing, maintenance of buildings and roads, and transportation.
History of the 108th USCT
The 108th USCT is one of 170 Civil War regiments comprised of formerly enslaved and free Black men that served during the American Civil War. The regiment was formed in Kentucky and organized on June 20, 1864 on Louisville, Kentucky. After garrison and guard duty at various points in Kentucky, the regiment was transferred to Rock Island Prison Barracks at Rock Island, Illinois (now the site of Rock Island Arsenal).
The 108th arrived on the post on Sept. 24, 1864, and served as guards at the prison that held Confederate prisoners of war. On May 30, 1865, the 108th left the Rock Island Prison Barracks and transferred to Vicksburg, Mississippi. While at Rock Island, 50 men from the regiment died from various illnesses or infections. Those men are buried at Rock Island National Cemetery. During the duration of their service the regiment lost more than 200 men.
