Snowden, Henry

Henry Snowden was born in Miffin County, Pennsylvania around 1843 and worked as a farmer prior to his involvement in the Civil War as a soldier. He enlisted for a three year term in Company E of the 6th United States Colored Troops on August 20, 1863 at age twenty. Snowden was about five feet and ten inches tall with what his records describe as a yellow complexion and black hair and eyes. The 6th regiment trained at Camp William Penn in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania until moving out on October 14, 1863 for Virginia. While in Virginia, Snowden’s regiment fought in the battle of Chaffin’s Farm on September 29 and 30, 1864 and the battle of Fair Oaks on October 27 and 28. The 6th also saw action in North Carolina where they participated in the assault on Fort Fisher in early 1865. Of the 224 men in the 6th who died during active service, 132 died of disease. Snowden mustered out of the 6th regiment as a private on September 20, 1865. Snowden was buried in Riverview Cemetery in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. (By Brenna McKelvey)