This is the Volunteer Enlistment record for Addison Cravens (1817-1892), born a slave in Tazewell county, Virginia, who joined the 11th US Colored Troops (USCT) on 15 December 1863 at Fort Smith, Arkansas. The regiment was organized in that month and subsequently attached to the 2nd Brigade, District of the Frontier as part of the 7th Corps, Department of Arkansas. It remained a part of the corps until April 1865.

The 11th Regiment performed guard and escort duty out of Fort Smith until November 1864. The unit saw action at Fort Smith on August 24, moved to Little Rock in November 1864, saw action at Boggs’ Mill on January 24, 1865, and performed duty at Little Rock and Lewisburg, Arkansas, until April 1865. The 11th USCT (old) was consolidated with the 112th and 113th (old) to form to the 113th United States Colored Troops (new).

Company B of the 11th United States Colored Infantry was led by Captain John Hayes Jr., an attorney who had originally enlisted as a private in the 5th Kansas Cavalry in September 1861, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He served as a 2nd lieutenant and recruiting officer for the 2nd Kansas Colored Infantry Regiment from 1863 to 1864. Hayes mustered out of service on April 1, 1865, and returned to his home in Corydon, Wayne County, Iowa.

An original duplicate (not scan or photocopy) of this same Enlistment record for Addison Cravens can be found in the collections of Virginia Humanities. See Addison Cravens’s Enlistment in the Union army. A description of that record claims that the enlistment form was filled out and signed on Craven’s behalf by “Dr. John Hayes, Jr. who also conducted the medical examination of the recruit.” This is not true. The form was filled out by the recruiting officer, 2nd Lt. John Hayes, Jr. and the medical examination was performed by Abijah D. Tenny, Asst. Surgeon, 1st Kansas Colored Infantry. Addison Craven’s signature was written for him and validated by his mark, “X.” When he enlisted in 1863 at the age of 44, Addison was described as a 5′ 10″ farmer of dark complexion (census records describe him variously as black or mulatto).

Addison Cravens’ remains are buried in Fairview Cemetery, Van Buren, Crawford county, Arkansas. See Find-A-Grave. Family records reveal that after the war, Addison continued to farm in Van Buren, Crawford county, Arkansas. His arrival in Arkansas is not recorded but it was sometime prior to the birth of his first child in 1838. He had a son by the same name, born in 1838, who also served with him in the USCT.