During the Civil War Sgt. William Walker of the 3rd. S.C. Colored Infantry was tried and executed for leading an alleged mutiny in his company during November 1863 over the policy of the Federal Army of giving African American Soldiers less than equal pay. It was charged that Sgt. Walker led a group of men from his company to the tent of Colonel Augustus Bennett where they stacked arms and hung their accouterments on the stacks (period photo of stacked arms), Walker stating that the men, "would not do duty any longer for 7 dollars per month." The Colonel ordered the men to take their arms and go to their regular work or they would be "shot down for it." Sgt. Walker is alleged to have told the men to leave thier arms and walk away. Several other serious charges were also made against Sgt. Walker.
Period Photograph of African American Federal Soldiers at Port Royal, ca. 1863.
Walker was tried at Hilton Head by a military court January 9 - 12 of 1864 on specifications of inciting a mutiny; failing to report a mutiny and insubordination. Evidence at trial showed the soldiers had been worked nearly to exhaustion doing fatigue duty, including preparation of camps for white regiments contrary to standing orders from Gen. Gilmore. Litttle time was left for actual military training for the regiment. Walker and some of the other recruits had clearly been promised full pay when they enlisted. It was alleged at the trial that the men had never been read the general orders of the army as required by the Articles of War or any of the regulations which indicated that their acts were mutiny and punishable by death prior to the strike. Walker was convicted by a vote of 4 to 2 and executed before President Lincoln could consider his case.
Walker's case was mentioned in debates over the pay of Black Soldiers in the United States Senate and the conditions in the regiment highlighted in the trial were used as examples in efforts to reform army practices regarding African-American soldiers.
The Online Trial Record
A full table of Contents for the Trial Record, which has been preserved at the National Archives, is available. It contains links to the charges and testimony available here and will be updated as more testimony is available. Portions of the relevant army regulations are also online. Biographies of the individual Trial Participants are being placed online as they are researched.
The Trial Reenactment
The Court Martial Trial of Sgt. William Walker is recreated by a special reenactment committee consisting of members of the 54th. Massachusetts Co. I; the 27th. S.C. Volunteer Infantry; the 1st. South Carolina Cavalry; Hampton's Legion, The 47th. New York and the 1st. S.C. Artillary. The group is assisted by J.A.G. Officers from the U.S. Marine Corps, who sit on the court as President and members of the 6 judge panel.
William Hamilton, a lawyer and reenactor appears as Judge Advocate for the Prosecution. State Senator, Attorney and reenactor, Glen McConnel will appear as Judge Advocate for the Defense. J.A.G. Officers from the modern military will assist in the presentation of the trial and serve on the court. Reenactor and Charleston Police Chief Reuben Greenberg, appears as Sgt. Sussex Brown, a prosecution witness. Testimony is based directly on the original trial record and the court procedures are taken from that records and the Army regulations of the period. The first recreation of this trial was held at the Liberation of Port Royal Reenactment in October 1996.
You may view images of the full court and defense table from the Jan. 18, 1997 Charleston recreation of the trial.
The January 1997 reenactment in Charleston raised over One Thousand Dollars ($1000.00) for the S.C. African American History Memorial. Read the detailed report.
Research and Development of the Project is ongoing. Please return to this page to see how preparations evolve.
