Page "William Harvey Carney" Paragraph 3

Carney was born simply as " William ," as a slave in Norfolk, Virginia February 29, 1840, but escaped to Massachusetts like his father through the Underground Railroad.

They later bought the rest of the family out of slavery.

Once William escaped from slavery and joined the Massachusetts Regiment, he met a white man named William Carney.

The white William Carney was from New Jersey and served for the Cumberland Greys in the Civil War.

Both the white and black Williams met, and the white William gave the black William his last name so he could serve in the 54th.