I heard about his marker in the Fork, the Knox County lands between the French Broad and Holston rivers, before I knew his story, but according to his March 17, 1864, enlistment papers, Gaines Armstrong was just 18 when he joined Company D in the 1st Regiment of the United States “Colored” Heavy Artillery. Gaines was a farmer who stood at five feet, four inches and had hazel eyes. Probably just recently freed from slavery, he was enlisted for three years.

The Battle for Knoxville at Fort Sanders had happened just a few months earlier during the Civil War, on November 29, 1863. (Feb. 4 article Civil War connection) It was a bloody victory for the Union, as Confederate troops led by Lt. Gen. James Longstreet attempted to take control of the city from Major Gen. Ambrose Burnside’s men. While the carnage included more than 800 casualties for the Confederates and less than 100 for the Union, the fort itself also sustained damages, and Brigadier Gen. Davis Tillson was brought in to make repairs and to fortify the area overall. Gaines Armstrong’s regiment was mustered in Knoxville to serve with Tillson’s 2nd Brigade. Gaines was among the conscripts of 20,133 African American soldiers between the ages of 18 and 45 in Tennessee serving in the Union.

According to Terry and Dr. Charles Faulkner’s research reflected in their book Rediscovering Fort Sanders, the Black men under Tillson’s command were responsible for the large-caliber cannons, which included 3-inch ordinance rifles and 10- and 20-pound Parrott rifles. However, they “undoubtedly built and perhaps even manned other small defensive outposts in the Knoxville area.” An encampment was also created for their family members, many who had no other place to go. The 1st Regiment performed much heavy labor and fatigue duty in their work to create “formidable” defenses around the city. Additionally, their orders included helping to protect the railroad bridge at Strawberry Plains, a critical element of the transportation of supplies. Inspection of Knoxville’s defense works resulted in accolades for Tillson and his men, as reported by Brigadier Gen. Z.B. Tower, inspector general of fortifications.

Even after Gen. Robert E. Lee’s surrender in April 1865, the 1st Colored Heavy Artillery continued to serve in Knoxville and were not mustered out until March 1866. The September 11, 1867, edition of the Knoxville Weekly Whig newspaper published a notice of 124 claimants who were asked to visit the Office of the Agents of the Bureau of the Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands to sign vouchers for the bounty that was due to them. Gaines Armstrong’s name was on the list.

The 1870 census record shows Gaines with a family and still living in the Fork. In 1886, he was a delegate for the 16th District at the Representative and Floterial Convention. In 1905, he reconnected with his military peers and was elected senior vice commander of the Isham Young Post 80 of the Grand Army of the Republic, founded by veterans of the Union Army in 1866. Proud of his service to the Union, he also participated in the 1908 G.A.R. encampment event. In 1906, he used his leadership skills to petition for improvements, including educational opportunities, for the Black community.

Gaines Armstrong died December 27, 1916, and is buried at Huckleberry Springs.

Jan Loveday Dickens is an educator, historian, and author of Forgotten in the Fork, a book about the Knox County lands between the French Broad and Holston Rivers, obtainable by emailing ForgottenInTheFork@gmail.com.