I21 Row I, place 21
CHARLES H. SMITH
Co. K, 1st U.S. Colored Infantry
Identified in the records; his life not yet written. Revised November 1, 2026.
The stone reads
CHARLES H. SMITH
Co. K. 1st U.S. Col. Inf.
Died March 9, 188[?]
Transcription as recorded in the plot register from the photograph; square brackets mark letters not legible or below ground. Photograph IMG_1219 (B. Brennan). [1]
Life
Charles H. Smith lies in grave I21 of the Prescott Post lot. His stone names his unit as Company K of the 1st U.S. Colored Infantry, and gives his death as March 9 of a year in the 1880s, the last digit illegible. [1]
The National Park Service's index of Civil War soldiers lists Smith, Charles H., 1st U.S. Colored Infantry, Company K, corporal in, private out, microfilm M589 roll 80. [2] The index has him entering as a corporal and leaving as a private; the service record will say why.
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
Headstone photograph (shown above) — Headstone of Charles H. Smith, grid I21, Prescott Post lot, 2026 (IMG_1219). [1]
What we don't know
- 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
- Gravestone of Charles H. Smith, grave I21, Prescott Post plot, North Burial Ground, Providence, Rhode Island. Photograph by Bernard Brennan (IMG_1219), 2026; transcription as recorded in the plot register.
- National Park Service, Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Database, search for "Charles H. Smith" (1st US Colored Infantry); accessed October 31, 2026, https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/soldiers-and-sailors-database.htm.
Help research this man
Do you have a record of Charles H. Smith — 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.