Joshua Dunbar is a Notable burial at https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/dayton.asp.  Born in Kentucky around 1820, Joshua Dunbar enlisted in the army in 1863 in Boston. Pvt Dunbar joined the all-black 55th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, was medically discharged later that year, and re-enlisted with the 5th Massachusetts cavalry for the duration of the Civil War. Dunbar married and divorced in the 1870s and entered the Central Branch of the National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers at Dayton in 1882. His young son, Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906), became “one of the first influential black poets in American literature.” His father’s experiences as a former slave and a soldier influenced his writing about black life at the turn of the century. Joshua Dunbar died August 16, 1885.  *The preceding content is not intended as a comprehensive biography, but it highlights their significance as a result of military or civilian distinction, lasting achievements, or association with impactful national events. 

Colonel Charles Fox leads the 55th Massachusetts into Charleston, SC in 1865. Drawing

Colonel Charles Fox leads the 55th Massachusetts into Charleston, SC in 1865.

JOSHUA DUNBAR

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