From NKAA, Notable Kentucky African Americans Database (PIONEERS & PATRIOTS: Anderson County Military Servicemen, Revolutionary War - WWI)
Busey, Luke
(born: c. 1845) Busey was born a slave in Anderson County. He remained a slave into adulthood; President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation only freed slaves in states openly hostile toward the Union. Late in the war, however, the government called for the enlistment of colored regiments, and all who answered the call were granted immediate freedom.Luke Busey therefore made his way to Camp Nelson to enlist, and on September 9, 1864 was enrolled as a private in Company E of the 5th U.S. Colored Cavalry Regiment. At this time he testified he was born in Anderson County about 1845.
Although not at the full complement of men, the regiment was assigned at the end of September to take part in Burbridge's Campaign into southwest Virginia and was active at the First Battle of Saltville on October 2, 1864. In December, another attempt was made to destroy the salt works, and the 5th were again part of Stoneman's Raid. On December 17-18, 1864 the Battle of Marion was fought, during which the Confederate lead mines were captured, and on the December 20-21 the Federals captured and destroyed the salt works after the 2nd Battle of Saltville.
In January 1865, Company E of the 5th Regiment was detailed to escort a herd of cattle from Camp Nelson to Louisville. As this column passed through Mercer and Anderson Counties, its progress was closely monitored by Confederate partisans operating in the area. On January 25, 1865, just outside Simpsonville in Shelby County, a band of Confederate guerrillas under Captain Isaiah "Zay" Coalter caught the colored troopers completely off guard, and after a fifteen-minute action all 35 men of the rear guard were down, either dead or left for dead.
Local citizens gathered up the dead troopers and buried them in a mass grave while the wounded were taken to Louisville. Although Private Busey was certainly assigned to this detail, he was not listed among the casualties, and most likely among those further along the trail.
Throughout the spring and early summer of 1865 the regiment saw duty at various posts in central Kentucky until August 1865, when it was transferred to the Department of Arkansas. The regiment was engaged in that state against renegade groups until March 1866. It was mustered out of the service at Helena, Arkansas March 20, 1866.