William W. Bliss
Written as “Capt. W.W. Bliss”, “Capt. Wm W. Bliss”
William W. Bliss, 23, enlisted at Brooklyn on September 11, 1862, for three years, and was mustered in as a private in Company B of the 176th New York, the brothers’ company. He was promoted sergeant-major on March 1, 1863, captured at Brashear City on June 23, 1863, and paroled on August 17. On September 11, 1863, at Bonnet Carré, he was discharged “for promotion to captain, Ninety-fifth U. S. Colored Infantry” (176th roster, p. 864). He commanded Company F of the 95th, and later became lieutenant colonel of the new 87th and of the 84th U.S. Colored Infantry (NPS: 95th; NPS: 87th (New)).
On July 6, 1864, the 87th and 95th were consolidated as the new 81st U.S. Colored Infantry (National Park Service unit history). Bliss took command of James’s old company. In October he wrote to James that he could not “receipt for stores that I can give no account of”: five waist belts and plates, two sword belts and plates, and seven gun slings were missing (Capt. Bliss to James, October 4, 1864). Three days later James sent his September returns to General Meigs, with “one receipt for stores turned over to Capt. W.W. Bliss, 81 C.d.A., the two Regiments having been consolidated” (James to Gen. Meigs, October 7, 1864).