COL Thomas Wentworth Storrow Higginson (1823-1911)

Civil War Union Army Officer. Thomas Wentworth Higginson was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and educated at Harvard University. An ardent abolitionist, he rode with anti-slavery forces in Kansas in the 1850's and helped raise money for John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859. During the Civil War he served as colonel in command of the 1st South Carolina (US) Volunteer Infantry, which was the very first African-American Union infantry regiment of the Civil War in November 1862. He recruited escaped slaves from South Carolina to fight against the Confederacy. This regiment pre-dated the more famous 54th Massachusetts Infantry by nearly a year. Previously, he had served as Captain and commander of Company C, 51st Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, which had been sent to South Carolina on occupation duty. He resigned his commission and organized the recruitment and training of escaped slaves for the Union army. His commission as colonel to command the 1st South Carolina (US) Volunteer Infantry was confirmed in January 1863. This regiment was later redesignated the 33rd U.S. Colored Infantry in February 1864, and took part in operations in Beaufort, Pocotaligo and Hilton Head, South Carolina. Colonel Higginson commanded the regiment until October 1864, when wounds forced him to resign. In 1870, Fields, Osgood & Company published Higginson's memoirs as "Army Life in a Black Regiment." After the war he turned his attention to Black education, women's voting rights, and socialism. He died at Cambridge in 1911. His name appears on panel B, No. 49, U.S. Colored Troops Memorial, Washington, D.C.

Bio by: Steve