Riland Garr
Private Riland Garr was born around 1844 in Albemarle County. He listed his occupation as a farmer on his service record. Nothing else is known about his life before the war.[1] Garr joined the Union army at the age of 21 as a private on April 20, 1865, and he mustered in on April 22, 1865, both in Petersburg, Virginia. Garr served in Company K of the 117th United States Colored Troops Infantry Regiment. His service record describes him as 5 feet, 2 inches tall, with black hair, black eyes, and a black complexion. In August 1865, Garr traveled with his regiment to Brownsville, Texas.[1]
Garr was quickly discharged on grounds of disability, however, on September 19, 1865, due to epilepsy dating back to infancy. Nothing is known about Garr's life after the war.[1]
Private Garr was profiled by the University of Virginia's John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History in 2017, as part of their "Black Virginians in Blue" digital project.[1]