William Hill, Company H

A comparison of their pension applications and Compiled Military Service Records (CMSRs) confirms that it was this soldier — not Henry Hill, Company E, 1st U.S. Colored Cavalry — who was shot and killed by his commanding officer.

According to his CMSR, William Hill was born in “Carrol, N.C.” (possibly “Corolla” in Currituck County, North Carolina. Although one of the cards in the CMSR stated he was 35 years old when at enlistment, other documents in his CMSR reported he enlisted at age 27. He was promoted to Sergeant about a year into his service but he was demoted for “over staying pass and for incompetency. Shot while in act of mutiny by Lt. Spencer, June 23d 1864.”

Widow – 167,048 / —–, Nancy Hill

Widow’s Claim for Pension, Nancy Hill, 22 October 1868
40 years old; residence, Portsmouth, Norfolk Co., Va.; post-office address, Portsmouth, Va.
“widow of William Hill … Company H … she was married to said William Hill on or about November 1846 at Portsmouth in the County of Norfolk and State of Virginia … said marriage having taken place according to the customs existing among colored people in the State of Virginia — without a license or the services of a minister of the Gospel … She further declares that said William Hill was killed … at Bermuda Hundred”
“Also personally appeared … Edward Berry and William Tatom, residents of Portsmouth, Norfolk County, and State of Virginia”

Memo by M. Boubin [sp?], Assistant Adjutant General, War Department, 1 September 1883
“Co. Descriptive Book shows [William Hill] shot while in the act of mutiny by Lt. Spencer, June 23/64. Alexander M. Spencer was 1st Lt. of the Co. No record of trial of Lieut. Spencer on file. The name Henry Hill is not borne on the rolls of that Co.”