William Henry Singleton

= William Henry Singleton 1835-1938 =

Born on August 10, 1835 in Carven County North Carolina to a slave mother and his master’s brother, Singleton was raised as a slave but eventually participated in the Civil War and thus gained his independence by fighting for the North. Following the war he acquired books and papers, and he started to take an interest in a religious education.

Singleton’s Youth

In his youth Singleton was of higher value being part white, so he was sold from his original plantation to a widow farmer who raised mixed slaves and auctioned them off for a large price when they reached adulthood. After several years of servitude to his new master, at the age of seven he ran away to the town of Newbern where his Great Grand- mother had resided for many years. Upon arrival in Newbern he was forced to flee due to a search party that was after his reward. Having nowhere else to turn Singleton returned to his childhood plantation in search of his mother, whom he barely recognized once he had found her. Singleton’s mother hid him in the storehouse which initially worked until he was found and was pursued. Eventually he turned himself in due to pressure from his mother and a deal with his master that he could stay at the plantation. Eventually his master grew tired of him and he was sold again to a poor woman who owned only an acre of land. He was treated kindly, but he grew disgruntled after a long period of time and ran away to Newbern again and found work at the Moor Hotel. After working diligently for three years he ran away from the Moor Hotel. This was due to the pressure he was receiving after confiding in the other bell boys he was working under age. And so for a third time Singleton ran away to the Singleton home plantation where he was accepted with a frustrated and weary air by his master, who put him to work and never sold him again during his slave career.

Singleton’s Involvement in the Civil War

The Civil War broke out and, having reached adulthood, Singleton joined a company run by Samuel Hymans (a West Point attendee). Having assembled all available troops in Carven County, Hymans’ regiment traveled to Newbern where they were joined by other companies to form the First North Carolina Cavalry. The First North Carolina Cavalry was stationed at Newbern until March 14th, 1862, when Burnside and Foster captured Newbern and drove them back to Kinston.After suffering their first defeat, the First North Carolina Cavalry was in disarray so Singleton took the opportunity and escaped from his company back to Newbern. Upon arrival he secured an audience with General Burnside’s secretary and helps plot the 10th Connecticut Regiment’s course through the Wives Forks. However being a former slave the general ignored his advice and headed straight for a full frontal attack and was repulsed by the First North Carolina Cavalry. After the repulse Singleton went to Newbern and raised a regiment of 1000 freed slaves. He was eventually appointed its unofficial colonel. With the formation of this new regiment Singleton was eventually granted approval by President Lincoln to make the regiment into an active part of the Northern army. Singleton’s amateur regiment became the First North Carolina Colored Regiment. The First North Carolina Colored Regiment was armed and shipped to South Carolina and stationed at Charleston Harbor until June, 1866 whereupon they saw active service in Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina.During this time period Singleton received a leg injury in the battle of Alusta, Florida. Shortly following this, the Civil War ended and Singleton was sent back to South Carolina for guard duty until his honorable discharge on June 1st 1866.

Life after the Civil War

Following his honorable discharge Singleton traveled north and settled down in New Haven, Connecticut where he secured a job as a coachman for six years until his employer, Henry Trowbridge died. Singleton ended up working 25 years for Henry Trowbridge’s brother TomasDuring this time Singleton married his first wife and had his first child. He joined the A.M. E. Zion Church in New Haven and began to educate himself. He studied and saved books every chance he had, and so he learned the alphabet, and how to spell. With his new found knowledge Singleton helped at the town jail and performed missionary work with the A. M. E. Zion Church. Finally he quit his job as a coachman and entered the itinerant ministry. Devoting all his time to the church for three years he left his old life and his first wife in New Haven and moved to Portland, Maine to become the pastor for the local A. M. E. Zion Church. During these three years his first wife died and he married again. Eventually he became a grandfather to six children. After his work as a pastor ended, Singleton moved to New York City and later to Peekskill New York where he worked for various employers through WWI. He voted and took pride in his ability to vote and act as a citizen and as a free man. Following this Singleton wrote his autobiography Recollections of My Slavery Days and published it in 1922. Sixteen years after this Singleton died.

References

1.Singleton, William H. "Http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/singleton/singleton.html." William Henry Singleton. 1922. Documenting the American south. 8 Oct. 2008 .