Latest news with #UnitedStatesColoredTroops
Black America Web
2 days ago
- General
- Black America Web
Henrico Proposes $16M Trail To Honor United States Colored Troops
Source: Paul-Briden / Getty Officials in Henrico County, Virginia, are planning to pave a 3.2-mile trail that would serve as a community walking route for residents and double as a historical marker, honoring the United States Colored Troops (USCT) for their courageous service. The Black Union soldiers fought in the Battle of New Market Heights on Sept. 29, 1864, which was part of the larger Battle of Chaffin's Farm, a Union offensive during the Petersburg–Richmond Campaign, according to American Battlefield Trust, an organization helping to push for the historical marker, VPM noted. On that day, African American soldiers from the USCT led a fierce assault on heavily fortified Confederate positions southeast of Richmond, showing extraordinary courage amid intense enemy fire. Despite suffering severe casualties, their determination carried them into the enemy trenches, and in recognition of their valor, 14 USCT soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor—more than from any other single Civil War engagement. Source: Library of Congress / Getty Henrico County officials have proposed dedicating $16 million to the project, both to honor the legacy of the soldiers who fought there and to support local conservation efforts. The proposed walking trail would link Deep Bottom Park—a scenic spot along the James River featuring a boat landing and canoe launch—to New Market Road, as discussed during a meeting last week. Per Axios , officials are also considering whether to place monuments along the trail to honor the USCT soldiers. 'This place, as much as any, this land communicates what real courage is,' said Chuck Laudner, a consultant with the American Battlefield Trust, during a recent meeting where local officials presented their plan proposal for the trail, VPM reported. 'That's why we're here to honor them by highlighting and protecting this battlefield ground — to protect the very place where that legacy was forged.' Ryan Leverging, a project manager behind the forthcoming initiative, said the design is complete and that funding has been secured. While some parts of the project are being covered by local funds, others will depend on grant support. Henrico aims to break ground on the project next year. SEE MORE: Emmett Till National Monument Could Lose Designation John Lewis Statue Replaces Confederate Monument SEE ALSO Henrico Proposes $16M Trail To Honor United States Colored Troops was originally published on
CBS News
21-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
Minnesota's connection to the "fathers of Juneteenth"
Long celebrated by African Americans, Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, and a Minnesota state holiday two years later. Parades, concerts, informal and formal gatherings are just some of the ways families and communities honor what's also called Freedom Day. But it's much more than just a party, says Lee Henry Jordan, National Juneteenth's Midwest and state director. "You need to know the history of what you're commemorating and celebrating," Jordan said. "The 13th Amendment, the Emancipation Proclamation and General Order No. 3, we call those some of the 'Freedom Documents.'" Jordan believes all who take part in celebrations should know that in 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved people in states that tried to secede from the United States. Two years later, in June 1865, about 2,000 Colored troops marched into Galveston Bay in Texas to enforce General Order No. 3, which formally freed about 250,000 enslaved people who were being held illegally. Jordan calls members of four regiments — the 20th, 28th, 29th and 31st United States Colored Troops — the "fathers of Juneteenth." "The history of the United States Colored Troops, that should be a part of the celebration," Jordan said. Members of the United States Colored Troops. He hopes people look to uncover the freedom story of their own family, diving deep into history. "There were people that didn't get press but still did the work, and those people are in your family," he said. Jordan truly believes someone in his family wore the Union uniform and was in Galveston Bay in 1865. Through his research, he found at least one Minnesotan there. "William Crosley, and the fact that he's buried in Rochester, Minnesota," he said. "He was at Galveston, Texas, when the United States Colored Troops were there. So if he was there, who else was there?" He believes following a trail of history can unlock your family's freedom story. "There is a continuing story, energy, power, whatever you want to call it, that's connected to freedom," he said. "Find whatever that is for you, bring that to a Juneteenth celebration, and trust me, you will find a kindred spirit." Kindred spirits with shared history — American history — that should be celebrated by all. "If you don't leave there with a little bit more knowledge of who you are and where you come from and what can be done, then, now I think you're missing a little something," he said. Click here for a list of Juneteenth events this weekend in the Twin Cities, including the Great Minnesota Cookout on the lawn of the Minnesota State Capitol.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Black Civil War soldiers to be honored with 7-foot bronze monument
The Militia Act, passed by the United States Congress in 1862, allowed enslaved men to fight for their country during the Civil War. These soldiers, part of the United States Colored Troops, made up one-tenth of the fighting forces for the Union Army. Now, 160 years later, 70 Black Union military members who fought in the Civil War from 1863 to 1865 will be memorialized in a monument planned for Rocky Mount in Franklin County, Virginia, where the 69 soldiers and one sailor were born. The proposal started when Virginia Tech's Monument Across Appalachian Virginia project was awarded money to help fund the work of researcher Glenna Moore. She started looking into Franklin County's Black veterans in 2020 and received a grant that paved the way for an investigation into the soldiers' lives. At the start of her research, Moore said she had only found three soldiers born in Franklin County, but later discovered 70 men who fought as part of the U.S. Colored Troops, later renamed the Afro-Union Soldiers. "What excites me about finding the U.S. Colored Troop . . . it was something never taught to me. I was in junior high in Franklin County in 1965 and one of 14 chosen to go to a newly built high school with teachers that didn't look like me," Moore told ABC News. "We were one of the only Black students and were never taught we fought for ourselves." Moore noted that she only learned about Black soldiers' contributions to the war after she became an adult, and it made her feel empowered. "I wish I could tell my 13-year-old self -- sitting in that history class as the only Black student, being taught the Lost Cause myth -- that one day, you will uncover the powerful history of the USCT soldiers," she said. Once the research was solidified, the Raising the Shade committee -- a community interested in uncovering more about African Americans' significant role in the Civil War and educating others -- and the Franklin County NAACP decided on a way to commemorate the soldiers. To get more information, Moore and others collaborated with the National Archives and African American Civil War Museum in Washington, D.C. After meetings, the groups decided to build a monument using private funds. But there was a problem: they needed to find a location. MORE: Fort Lee renamed in honor of 2 Black US Army trailblazers "The only viable option at the time was the Veterans Memorial Park in Rocky Mount and the town council assumed that was the final decision," Franklin County NAACP President Eric Anspaugh told ABC News. "However, we viewed it as a placeholder while exploring other, more visible locations. The town resisted any change, even after we petitioned and attended council meetings." The groups realized the memorial park area is prone to flooding, is not frequently visited and had fallen into disrepair, so they decided another location would be a better fit for the monument. In early 2024, the Raising the Shade Committee sought funding through a grant application, which required confirmation from the local government that they would assist in finding a location for the monument. While the site hadn't been determined, the town supported the project from the beginning and was eager to help identify the most suitable place. A meeting was set up in that spring, followed by monthly discussions and participation in community events. Initially, the Veterans Park was considered as a potential location, but the committee felt it was not the best fit. A town official suggested a church site. "One of our council members, Ralph Casey, suggested First Baptist Church as an alternative," Mayor Holland Perdue told ABC News. "That started a new conversation, and ultimately, the church was chosen because it aligned well with their plans for the property. The committee also liked the idea of a downtown location for greater visibility." Meanwhile, the sculptors got started on the 7-foot bronze statue and Rick Weaver knew Rocky Mount -- he helped to remove Confederate symbols and replace them with new monuments. Having worked with Raising the Shade and the Franklin County NAACP in the past, he agreed to take on this project. He also brought along Paul Dipasquale, who worked on the Arthur Ashe Monument -- which depicts the Black tennis player -- in Richmond, Virginia. When the two heard of the placement at the Veterans Memorial Park, they believed the area was not suitable to house the Union soldiers' monument as it was too small and did not include any other Black veterans. Other possible locations, such as the area around the town's farmers market, were also discussed. "This project will not only honor these men but also educate the community about this part of Franklin County's history. There was some discussion about the location, but there was never any question about whether we wanted to have a monument -- everyone was on board from the start," Mayor Pedue said. "The main focus was finding the best place for it." Then, in a move that the pastor said mirrored council member Casey's suggestion, the First Baptist Church stepped in and offered its original location. It's now used as an educational community center, as the congregation built a new church in 1965 during the Civil Rights Movement. That original site is on a visible main road. "Some have questioned why a church would host a monument for soldiers, but I see the stories of the soldiers and the church as intertwined," the Rev. Chris Coates of First Baptist Church told ABC News. "Both represent resilience and overcoming obstacles. The church members sacrificed to build their place of worship, just as these soldiers sacrificed for freedom." After months of back-and-forth with town officials, the offer was a relief. "For those of us involved in the project, it felt like a weight had been lifted. We were finally able to shift focus back to telling the soldiers' stories instead of debating locations," Anspaugh -- the local NAACP president -- said. The groups weren't only interested in the monument, but gathering enough history to create profiles on each soldier to showcase in town. The monument -- one of seven community initiatives accepted into the Appalachian project -- is scheduled to be completed by November 2025 and mounted on an elevated hill along a busy street by December 2025. It will feature the Black Union soldiers, 21 of whom were free when they enlisted and may have been free all their lives, according to National Archives files researched by Raising the Shade. In 1860, there was a small population of 105 free Black people in Franklin County and some owned property. However, there were 6,351 enslaved people in Franklin County -- nearly one-third of the entire population of 20,098 inhabitants. A forum hosted at the historic First Baptist Church is planned for May 31. The church and others will work with high school students and youth groups to educate them on the Black soldiers who fought in the Civil War and hailed from either their county or town. The unveiling will take place at the historic First Baptist Church, which was built in 1896 by members who were formerly enslaved or were children of formerly enslaved communities. "I hope this project will increase awareness and bridge racial divides, not just in our community but beyond," the Rev. Coates said. Black Civil War soldiers to be honored with 7-foot bronze monument originally appeared on
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'They chose to serve': United States Colored Troops members honored at City Cemetery
Feb. 28—WILKES-BARRE — City Cemetery was the site of a wreath-laying ceremony on Thursday afternoon, during which local United States Colored Troops (USCT) members were honored for their service and sacrifices during the Civil War era. The ceremony was one of two events held in the city on Thursday in recognition of Black History Month. "They were not drafted. They did not have to serve. They chose to serve," Bill Lewis, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, said of the Black Civil War veterans buried in City Cemetery. "They all intentionally said, 'I want to join the U.S. Army' and with that, in many cases, they signed up for what could have been, or what was, a death sentence." Among those who were mentioned during the ceremony were Henry Brown, a conductor on the Underground Railroad, and Moses Morris, who served in the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, an all-Black regiment in the Union Army. The 54th Massachusetts is notably portrayed in the 1989 film "Glory." Lewis pointed out the intrigue behind a 54th Massachusetts veteran being recruited from Wilkes-Barre. "Why would they come to Wilkes-Barre — a little town in the 1860s — to find soldiers? Well, they found them." Will Conyngham, president of the Luzerne County Historical Society, pointed out that the unit recruited servicemen from as far away as Canada and speculated that this widened search for soldiers may have likewise extended to Wilkes-Barre. Tim Hodge, a living historian dressed in full period costume, placed a wreath at Morris' gravesite. An estimated 196 Civil War veterans are buried in City Cemetery, and veterans of other wars rest there as well. Lewis described the Civil War soldiers who are buried there as "true heroes and true patriots" before extending his gratitude to all departed service members. "This is truly a field of glory for all the veterans and all the folks who are buried here, but most especially for the Civil War soldiers who contributed so much." The USCT veterans remained the main focus of Thursday's ceremony. Lewis suggested that someone from the public should identify each Civil War veteran buried in City Cemetery and compile their stories. In the case of the USCT members, that story includes volunteering to fight and remaining in danger even after the war had ended. Conyngham acknowledged the added stakes of the Civil War for USCT members, considering the war was essentially fought over the abolition of slavery. "Many of these veterans, they were fighting to preserve the union. These guys were fighting to save their lives, not just on the battlefield," Conyngham asserted. On Thursday evening, an event was held at the Westmoreland Club Grand Hall. There, Hodge remained in costume while portraying Captain Robert Smalls, a historical figure who was born into slavery but later freed himself through his efforts during the Civil War. Entertainment was provided at the evening event by the Soulful Springs Gospel Choir.
