Decatur Dorsey (c. 1836 – July 11, 1891) was a Union Army soldier in the American Civil War and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at the Battle of the Crater. Born into slavery, Dorsey enlisted in the United States Colored Troops and served through the last year of the war.
Biography
Early life
Decatur Dorsey was born into slavery around 1836 in what is now Howard County, Maryland. Dorsey, who was also known as Cato, may have been a enslaved to Upton Welsh, who died in July 1858. In October 1858, Dorsey was enslaved by Upton Welsh's son, Napoleon B. Welsh. The Welshes lived near Gaither's Siding in Howard County. In 1858, Dorsey and another enslaved person were convicted of burglarizing a store located in Woodbine, Carroll County. He was then sentenced to serve two years eight months in the Maryland penitentiary. Dorsey completed his prison term in May 1861. Dorsey was sold as a slave by the State of Maryland to Edward Rider, Jr. of Baltimore County.
Military career
On March 26, 1864, Decatur Dorsey enlisted in Company B of the 39th United States Colored Infantry as a private, but was promoted to corporal less than two months later, on May 17. Dorsey enlisted in the Army as a free man even though he had not been freed by Rider and was still a slave. (Rider would later be paid a $100 bounty as a result of Dorsey's enlistment). for his actions at the Battle of the Crater and was discharged from the Army a month later, on December 4, while in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Later life
After the war, Dorsey returned to Baltimore, where he married Mannie Christie on January 4, 1866. In January 1868, he was charged by Baltimore police with stealing a wagon. By 1870 Dorsey had moved to New York City with his wife. In late 1870 he was convicted of stealing carpets from his employer and was incarcerated in Sing Sing Prison for three years. After his release, Dorsey moved to Hoboken, New Jersey, where he resided the rest of his life.