By William "Bennett" White, Spring 2023
Nathan Butcher was born in Gloucester, VA, around 1845. He was listed as a baker prior to enlisting in Company G of the 1st Regiment, United States Colored Cavalry on December 10, 1863 in Norfolk. He enlisted for a three-year term of service. The 1st USCC saw military action at Drury’s Bluff (May 10-16, 1864), Baylor’s Farm (June 18, 1864), and at the siege of Petersburg (June-August 1864). His unit then patrolled Newport News and Portsmouth until May 1865. He was promoted to Sgt at one point during service, however he finished as a private. He and his unit then sailed for Texas and patrolled the Rio Grande until being mustered out on February 4, 1866. By 1882, he had returned to Norfolk and married Paulina (or Pauline) Butcher (née Sykes) on July 17, 1873. The 1880 Census lists Butcher as a laborer. He and Paulina had two daughters, Ella (aged 6) and Pauline (aged 2) as of 1880. He died in Norfolk on October 13, 1899 and buried at West Point Cemetery.
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Full Name: Nathan Butcher
Also Known as: Nathaniel Butcher, Mathew Butcher
Birth Date: ca. 1845
Birthplace: Norfolk, VA
Parents: Nathaniel Butcher, Mary Butcher
Ethnicity:
Race: African American
Spouse: Paulina Butcher (née Sykes)
Children: Ella Butcher, Pauline Butcher
Marriage Date: July 17, 1873
Marriage Place: Norfolk, VA
Death Date: October 13, 1899
Death Place: Norfolk, VA
Burial Date:
Burial Place: West Point Cemetery, Norfolk, VA
Major Keywords/Search Terms:
Nathan Butcher | USCC | 1st Regiment, United States Colored Cavalry | Norfolk, VA | West Point Cemetery |
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The National Archives At Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; NAI Title: U.s., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934; NAI Number: T288; Record Group Title: Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 1773-2007; Record Group Number: 15; Series Title: U.s., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934; Series Number: T288; Roll: 66
The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Special Schedules of the Eleventh Census (1890) Enumerating Union Veterans and Widows of Union Veterans of the Civil War; Series Number: M123; Record Group Title: Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs; Record Group Number: 15; Census Year: 1890
The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Compiled Military Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served with the United States Colored Troops: 1st through 5th United States Colored Cavalry, 5th Massachusetts Cavalry (Colored), 6th United States Colored Cavalry; Microfilm Serial: M1817; Microfilm Roll: 2
The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General; Record Group Number: 92; Series Number: M1845
Virginia, Marriages, 1785-1940. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013.
Year: 1880; Census Place: Norfolk, Norfolk, Virginia; Roll: 1381; Page: 386A; Enumeration District: 071
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Websites: (National Park Service, Battle Unit Details)
National Park Service, “The Civil War: Battle Unit Details,” Last modified (n. d.), Accessed on March 17, 2023, https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battle-units-detail.htm?battleUnitCode=UUS0001RC00C
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