Vanessa Williams on "Who Do You Think You Are?"

You can watch "Who Do You Think You Are?" on Friday nights on NBC or anytime online:
http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/video/episodes/#vid=1284559

The Vanessa Williams pedigree was shown as follows:
> her father- Milton Williams Jr. > Milton Williams Sr & Iris Carll > Frank Carll > David Carll, her 2nd great grandfather. In December 1863, those who were black or African Americans were first allowed to enlist in the Civil War. David Carll enlisted soon after.

A search of Civil War Soldiers and Sailors found:
http://www.civilwar.nps.gov/cwss/soldiers.cfm
http://www.civilwar.nps.gov/cwss/soldiers.cfm
Soldier Name  Side Function  Regiment Name
Carll, David Union Infantry 26th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry

I found this explanation of the 26th infantry:
26th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry
Organized at Riker's Island, New York Harbor, February 27, 1864. Ordered to Dept. of the South April, 1864. Attached to District of Beaufort, S. C. Dept. of the South, to October, 1864. 2nd Separate Brigade, Dept. of the South, to January, 1865. 1st Separate Brigade, Dept. of the South, to February, 1865. 2nd Separate Brigade, Dept. of the South, to June, 1865. Dept. of the South to August, 1865.

SERVICE.--Reported at Beaufort, S. C., April 13, 1864, and post duty there till November 27. Expedition to Johns and James Islands July 2-10. Operations against Battery Pringle July 4-9. Actions on Johns Island July 5 and 7. Burden's Causeway July 9. Battle of Honey Hill November 30. Demonstration on Charleston & Savannah Railroad December 6-9. Action at Devaux's Neck December 6. Tillifinny Station December 9. McKay's Point December 22. Ordered to Beaufort, S. C., January 2, 1865, and duty there till August. Mustered out August 28, 1865.

Regiment lost during service 2 Officers and 28 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 3 Officers and 112 Enlisted men by disease. Total 145.

After the war had ended, one of the soldiers wrote, "Our duty is to let the colored people know that they are free citizens of the United States, and to protect them as such, and also to prevent their former owners from driving them off the plantations, and cheating them out of their share of the crop, which they are very anxious to do. These former slave holders grieve and fret a great deal about having to pay the freedmen for their labor, but they have to do it." They do the job of liberation duty.

His pension file contained a tin type photo of David Carll. This is very unusual. It was only there because David had to fight for 10 years to get his pension approved.

The 1880 census record revealed that David married Louisa, who was a white person. I found she was Mary Louisa Appleford and the show did not have time to mention that her family also served in the Civil War.

A search of Civil War Soldiers and Sailors found:
http://www.civilwar.nps.gov/cwss/soldiers.cfm

Soldier Name  Side Function  Regiment Name
Carll, David Union Infantry 26th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry
Appleford, George Union Artillery 4th Regiment, New York Heavy Artillery
Appleford, Joseph  Union Cavalry 2nd Regiment, New York Cavalry
Appleford, Thomas Union Cavalry 2nd Regiment, New York Cavalry
Appleford, Wellington Union Cav 2nd Regiment, New York Mounted Rifles

A search of new FamilySearch found:
George W. Appleford b. 26 July 1842(sic), died 6 October 1865;
Joseph Appleford b. 14 November 1845, died 25 June 1865;
Wellington Appleford b. 24 January 1849, died 10 August 1865.

The George W. Appleford b. 1842 is incorrect, as that is George Jr. and he is listed on the 1870 census whereas George Sr. b. 1806-08 is missing from the 1870 census.

So Vanessa had a 3rd great grandfather and two uncles who died in the Civil War. Nothing mentioned about them on "Who Do You Think You Are?"

The census data I posted to Genforum.com:
http://genforum.genealogy.com/appleford/messages/86.html