Last updated: March 6, 2025
Person
Samuel Henry Patterson
NPS photo
Quick Facts
Significance:
African American veteran of World War I, died of disease while serving in the U.S.
Place of Birth:
Hattiesburg, MS
Date of Birth:
July 4, 1895
Place of Death:
New Cumberland, PA
Date of Death:
October 18, 1918
Place of Burial:
Section VIII, Row B, Grave 30
Cemetery Name:
Gettysburg National Cemetery
Section VIII, Row B, Grave 30
Samuel was born on July 4, 1895 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Not much is known about his early life, other than at some point, he moved from Mississippi to Georgia. There, he worked as a farm laborer, living in Riceboro County.
During World War I, over 380,000 African Americans served in the armed forces of the United States. Samuel Henry Patterson was one of them.
Samuel was drafted into the U.S. Army on August 5, 1918. By that point, U.S. forces were heavily engaged in Europe, fighting alongside Allies on the Western Front. Domestically, the war effort was kicking into high effort.
Shortly after being drafted, Samuel went to Camp Wheeler, GA to begin his training. He was soon placed into a Reserve Labor Battalion. These units worked on logistics and engineering projects, such as fixing roads and managing supplies and their transport. Samuel was initially in Company C, 403rd Reserve Labor Battalion. In September, he transferred to Company C, 425th Reserve Labor Battalion, which was stationed at the Quartermaster’s Depot in New Cumberland, PA.
In the fall of 1918, an influenza pandemic was ripping through the United States. The illness struck New Cumberland, and Samuel fell ill in October. He died of pneumonia on October 18.
Of the 116,516 Americans who died in World War I, 63,114 deaths were the result of disease.