B17 Row B, place 17
William L. Johnson
Private, Co. L, 14th Rhode Island Heavy Artillery · died 1916-08-11
Identified in the records; his life not yet written. Revised November 1, 2026.
Not yet photographed. The plot survey sheet records: William L. Johnson, Co. L, 14th Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, Private, died August 11, 1916. A photograph is wanted; see the help page. [1]
Life
William L. Johnson lies in grave B17 of the Prescott Post lot. The plot survey records his stone as naming his unit as Company L of the 14th Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, and gives his death as August 11, 1916. [1]
The National Park Service's index of Civil War soldiers, which files the 14th Rhode Island under its later name, the 11th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery, lists Johnson, William L., 11th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery, Company L, private in and out, microfilm M589 roll 48. [2]
He appears in the roster of the regiment's 1898 history, page 252. [3]
His service record, any pension file, and his life before and after the war have not yet been researched. This page will grow as the records are read.
The records
- records/B17/stone-2026.jpg — Headstone of William L. Johnson, grid B17, Prescott Post lot, 2026. [1] (not yet hosted)
What we don't know
- What exactly does the stone say? It has not yet been photographed; the name, unit and date here are from the survey sheet.
- When and where did he enlist, and what did his company do? His compiled military service record (National Archives, RG 94) will say.
- Did he or his widow apply for a pension? The General Index to Pension Files (NARA T288/T289) has not yet been searched for him.
- Where was he born, and how did he come to Providence?
- Where did he live and work in Providence? The city directories and the censuses of 1870–1920 have not yet been read for him.
- Did he marry, and did he leave children?
- When was he buried here, and what does the City's interment record say? The City lot record has not yet been matched.
Sources
- Prescott Post plot survey sheet, grave B17, compiled by Bernard Brennan, 2026: name, unit and date of death as read on site. The stone has not yet been photographed.
- National Park Service, Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Database, search for "William L. Johnson" (14th Rhode Island Heavy Artillery); accessed October 31, 2026, https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/soldiers-and-sailors-database.htm.
- William H. Chenery, The Fourteenth Regiment Rhode Island Heavy Artillery (Colored) in the War to Preserve the Union, 1861–1865 (Providence: Snow & Farnham, 1898), 252.
Help research this man
Do you have a record of William L. Johnson — a census page, a pension card, a city-directory entry, a newspaper item, a family story? You can upload it to the project without an account. Please say what the record is, where you found it, and why you believe it is this man. Every contributor is credited on this page.
Credits
Researched by Bernard Brennan. Records courtesy City of Providence, Department of Parks, North Burial Ground. Revised 2026-11-01.