1 10 17 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/6b093ae1fd52b7a92b50eb6b936d2f1d.jpg a6e5b4ec536e158c0bf5f948095d34eb https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/00a6f3efc60a043d7f6f9bdf2277315f.jpg ba153d0b21b8e5930add22fc3e37ea79 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/dd22b8e4720dcd4a87c819191a193066.jpg e00a2ebd83c43ce55dee6c7393a8bb90 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/56f4c3f6db9339902f999ab81b97cb82.jpg 78f3d7d6a16d1280758d4468fef94266 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/4fd57e013d5c1a19d48595ffddac2370.jpg 298111d7d9d2cd6ad6b666b739fa3384 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/8093fac7cf7bee762792207ec130ae36.jpg 3c2312a804ceb1d2e4ab6167f7e4ed73 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/2dd27dd351d4ace80f6008a9fbf29776.jpg ce1e15347ccc816bfd8b6229cdc345fc https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/af4a4fbed68f01d081b7164765e21c6f.jpg 7d234d45488ebb1f0f8552cfb013fad9 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource United States Colored Troops (USCT) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource Included in this thematic collection are seventeen memorials that honor the vital contributions of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) to the Union victory during the American Civil War. The first all-Black units formed unofficially in Louisiana (Louisiana Native Guard, 1862); South Carolina (First South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, 1862-63); and Kansas (First Kansas Colored Infantry, 1862-63). The first official authorization to employ African Americans in federal service was the Second Confiscation and Militia Act of July 17, 1862. The Confiscation Act allowed Union officers to free enslaved men and put them to work as army laborers. However, Abraham Lincoln did not fully authorize the use of Black men in combat until the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Beginning in late January 1863, Governor John A. Andrews of Massachusetts raised the first regiment of Black soldiers in the North, the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry. The abolitionist Frederick Douglass helped recruit men for the Massachusetts 54th, famously issuing a call to free African American men to join the Union Army. In a speech, “Men of Color, To Arms!”, delivered in Rochester, New York on March 2, 1863, Douglass urged his fellow free men of color to fight for the end of slavery and for their freedom: "By every consideration which binds you to your enslaved fellow-countrymen, and the peace and welfare of your country; by every aspiration which you cherish for the freedom and equality of yourselves and your children; by all the ties of blood and identity which make us one with the brave black men now fighting our battles in Louisiana and in South Carolina, I urge you to fly to arms, and smite with death the power that would bury the government and your liberty in the same hopeless grave." On May 22, 1863, the U.S. War Department issued General Order No. 143, authorizing the creation of the Bureau of Colored Troops. By the end of the Civil War, over 200,000 men, including white officers, served in 175 regiments of the USCT, which made up ten percent of the Union army. The compiled military records of the men who served in the USCT can be found in the National Archives and Records Administration. Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Renée Ater Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 108 in. (274.32 cm) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource “Spirit of Freedom”: African American Civil War Memorial (Washington, DC) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) African Americans--History Public art Public sculpture United States Colored Troops Washington (D.C.) Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource Located in Washington, DC, the semicircular bronze statue by Ed Hamilton depicts three African American infantrymen and one sailor. The soldiers grasp the barrels of their rifled muskets, while the sailor holds a ship’s wheel. The soldiers wear the standard Union army uniform—a forage cap, a light coat, and trousers—while the sailor wears a federal Navy flat hat, a wool frock, and trousers.  Overlooking the group is a personification of the "Spirit of Freedom,” rendered as a shrouded, angelic figure whose face tilts upward, eyes closed, and whose crossed hand rest on the chest. On the back of the monument in bas-relief, an African American soldier is joined by six members of his multigenerational family—his wife, three children, and his parents—who gather around him as he prepares to go off to war. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Hamilton, Ed, 1947- Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photographs by Renée Ater Wide-angle photograph: National Gallery of Art Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource July 18, 1998 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource The African American Civil War Memorial Freedom Foundation; National Park Service Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource National Park Service, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20240, United States Relation A related resource African American Civil War Memorial Museum, Washington, DC Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1925 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20001, United States Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on granite base:  Civil War to Civil Rights and Beyond. This Memorial is dedicated to those who served in African American units of the Union Army in the Civil War. The 209,145 names inscribed on these walls commemorate those fighters of freedom. Extent The size or duration of the resource. 108 in. (274.32 cm) Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze; Pink granite; Stainless steel Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Ater, Renée. "Remembering and Commemorating the United States Colored Troops: The African American Civil War Memorial in Washington, DC." In Tell It With Pride: The 54th Massachusetts Regiment and Augusts Saint-Gaudens' Shaw Memorial, by Sarah Greenough and Nancy Anderson, 112-126. Yale University Press, 2013. Alan Skerrett, Jr, ed. "Monuments to the United States Colored Troops (USCT) [African American Civil War Soldiers: The List." Jubilo! The Emancipation Century Blog, May 30, 2011. Accessed February 11, 2026. https://jubiloemancipationcentury.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/monuments-to-the-united-states-colored-troops-usct-the-list/. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater bas-relief bronze Civil War figurative granite inscription memorial wall names stainless steel https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/dc6552f089a8f073f878fa3309650f88.jpg fa4f19de999f8b4dfc99dd9ccd429b8c https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/2469f2e8ad4cb00a8143f4245cd44c3c.jpg d1d0e5b5da2b0e4d72ba24e38ebfc198 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource United States Colored Troops (USCT) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource Included in this thematic collection are seventeen memorials that honor the vital contributions of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) to the Union victory during the American Civil War. The first all-Black units formed unofficially in Louisiana (Louisiana Native Guard, 1862); South Carolina (First South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, 1862-63); and Kansas (First Kansas Colored Infantry, 1862-63). The first official authorization to employ African Americans in federal service was the Second Confiscation and Militia Act of July 17, 1862. The Confiscation Act allowed Union officers to free enslaved men and put them to work as army laborers. However, Abraham Lincoln did not fully authorize the use of Black men in combat until the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Beginning in late January 1863, Governor John A. Andrews of Massachusetts raised the first regiment of Black soldiers in the North, the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry. The abolitionist Frederick Douglass helped recruit men for the Massachusetts 54th, famously issuing a call to free African American men to join the Union Army. In a speech, “Men of Color, To Arms!”, delivered in Rochester, New York on March 2, 1863, Douglass urged his fellow free men of color to fight for the end of slavery and for their freedom: "By every consideration which binds you to your enslaved fellow-countrymen, and the peace and welfare of your country; by every aspiration which you cherish for the freedom and equality of yourselves and your children; by all the ties of blood and identity which make us one with the brave black men now fighting our battles in Louisiana and in South Carolina, I urge you to fly to arms, and smite with death the power that would bury the government and your liberty in the same hopeless grave." On May 22, 1863, the U.S. War Department issued General Order No. 143, authorizing the creation of the Bureau of Colored Troops. By the end of the Civil War, over 200,000 men, including white officers, served in 175 regiments of the USCT, which made up ten percent of the Union army. The compiled military records of the men who served in the USCT can be found in the National Archives and Records Administration. Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Renée Ater Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 56th United States Colored Infantry Monument (St. Louis, Missouri) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) African Americans--History Cemeteries--Missouri Missouri--St. Louis United States Colored Troops United States--Missouri--Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The marble obelisk, which stands on a square stone base, honors the memory of the 173 African American soldiers of the 56th United States Colored Infantry who died of cholera in August 1866. The soldiers were originally buried at the city's old quarantine hospital near the Mississippi River. In 1939, responding to the organizing efforts of local citizens, the War Department reburied the soldiers at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. In the summer of 2014, the Veterans Administration, at the urging of local community members, placed a marker next to the obelisk that includes the names of the 118 soldiers of the 56th U.S. Colored Infantry who are buried at the site, plus 55 soldiers whose remains were never recovered. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource May 1936 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Members of the 56th United States Colored Infantry; Joseph E. Mitchell; Jacob Kuhl; War Department Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, 2900 Sheridan Rd, St. Louis, Missouri 63125, United States Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on obelisk: To the memory of 175 non com. officers and privates of the 56. U.S.C. Infty. Died of cholera in August 1866. Bronze plaque on base of obelisk: 1863- 1866 56th U.S. Colored Infantry Their Memory Will Not Perish Brigadier General N. B. Buford July 27, 1864 This Monument and Remains Were Removed from Quarantine Station, M.O. By Authority of War Department Collaborating with Citizens Committee, And Dedicated May 1939 Joseph E. Mitchell, Chairman Bronze plaque added August 2014: Dedicated to the soldiers of the 56th Regiment U. S. Colored Troops who died of cholera while in transport along the Mississippi River and at St. Louis, Missouri, in summer 1866. In 1939, the remains of many of these soldiers , buried in the Koch Hpspital Cemetery, were reinterred here. A marble obelisk that was placed at the hospital cemetery was also moved here. The soldiers buried here are: <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/2469f2e8ad4cb00a8143f4245cd44c3c.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">See photograph for list of names</a> Other soldiers in the same regiment who died while in transport along the Mississippi River and whose remains are unrecoverable are memorialized here: <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/2469f2e8ad4cb00a8143f4245cd44c3c.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">See photograph for list of names</a> May They Rest in Peace. August 2014. Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Marble; Bronze Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Leonard, Mary Delach. "African-American Union Army Soldiers Died on Their Way Home from War; Then History Lost Their Names." St. Louis Public Radio. Accessed January 23, 2019. https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/african-american-union-army-soldiers-died-their-way-home-war-then-history-lost-their-names#stream/0. Alan Skerrett, Jr, ed. "Monuments to the United States Colored Troops (USCT) [African American Civil War Soldiers: The List." Jubilo! The Emancipation Century Blog, May 30, 2011. Accessed February 11, 2026. https://jubiloemancipationcentury.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/monuments-to-the-united-states-colored-troops-usct-the-list/. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph: <a href="https://www.stlpr.org/arts/2015-05-24/african-american-union-army-soldiers-died-on-their-way-home-from-war-then-history-lost-their-names#stream/0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">St. Louis National Public Radio</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource National Cemetery Administration, U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, United States Civil War granite inscription obelisk https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/2294ea039d60a70659dcbef75a84579e.jpg 6505b2df45ad3ed5b33a82d20bd12c72 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/8e5b36572bf021d60140d140d1ffb9d9.jpg bfcc76e7eadc3ddf2f1cc4d41ef553dd Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource United States Colored Troops (USCT) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource Included in this thematic collection are seventeen memorials that honor the vital contributions of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) to the Union victory during the American Civil War. The first all-Black units formed unofficially in Louisiana (Louisiana Native Guard, 1862); South Carolina (First South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, 1862-63); and Kansas (First Kansas Colored Infantry, 1862-63). The first official authorization to employ African Americans in federal service was the Second Confiscation and Militia Act of July 17, 1862. The Confiscation Act allowed Union officers to free enslaved men and put them to work as army laborers. However, Abraham Lincoln did not fully authorize the use of Black men in combat until the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Beginning in late January 1863, Governor John A. Andrews of Massachusetts raised the first regiment of Black soldiers in the North, the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry. The abolitionist Frederick Douglass helped recruit men for the Massachusetts 54th, famously issuing a call to free African American men to join the Union Army. In a speech, “Men of Color, To Arms!”, delivered in Rochester, New York on March 2, 1863, Douglass urged his fellow free men of color to fight for the end of slavery and for their freedom: "By every consideration which binds you to your enslaved fellow-countrymen, and the peace and welfare of your country; by every aspiration which you cherish for the freedom and equality of yourselves and your children; by all the ties of blood and identity which make us one with the brave black men now fighting our battles in Louisiana and in South Carolina, I urge you to fly to arms, and smite with death the power that would bury the government and your liberty in the same hopeless grave." On May 22, 1863, the U.S. War Department issued General Order No. 143, authorizing the creation of the Bureau of Colored Troops. By the end of the Civil War, over 200,000 men, including white officers, served in 175 regiments of the USCT, which made up ten percent of the Union army. The compiled military records of the men who served in the USCT can be found in the National Archives and Records Administration. Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Renée Ater Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 108 in. (274.32 cm) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource African American Monument (Vicksburg, Mississippi) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) African Americans--History Mississippi--Vicksburg United States Colored Troops United States--Mississippi--Vicksburg National Military Park Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource Located at the Vicksburg National Military Park, the monument depicts three bronze figures, two United States Colored Troops soldiers and a shirtless civilian field hand wearing suspenders, trousers, and a straw hat. The field hand and one of the soldiers support a second soldier, who has been wounded in the Vicksburg Campaign. The USCT soldiers played a key role in the Union victory at Milken's Bend on June 7, 1863. The statue rests on a black granite base inscribed with a text that honors their service. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sessums, J. Kim, 1958- Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph: <a href="https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=109350" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Historical Marker Database</a> and the National Park Service Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 14, 2004 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource State of Mississippi; City of Vicksburg Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource National Parks Service, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20240, United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Vicksburg National Military Park, 3201 Clay St, Vicksburg, Mississippi, 39183, United States Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on base: Commemorating the service of the 1st and 3rd Mississippi Infantry Regiments, African descent and all Mississippians of African descent who participated in the Vicksburg Campaign. Extent The size or duration of the resource. 108 in. (274.32 cm) Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze; Black African granite Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Alan Skerrett, Jr, ed. "Monuments to the United States Colored Troops (USCT) [African American Civil War Soldiers: The List." Jubilo! The Emancipation Century Blog, May 30, 2011. Accessed February 11, 2026. https://jubiloemancipationcentury.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/monuments-to-the-united-states-colored-troops-usct-the-list/. National Park Service. "African American Monument." Vicksburg National Military Park. Brochure. Accessed March 2, 2026. https://www.npshistory.com/publications/vick/brochures/african-american-monument.pdf. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater black granite bronze Civil War figurative inscription https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/07e8d06b42dcd635d7893f98e3be2c35.jpg da1b4a35945d5615d44c53f4cac75845 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource United States Colored Troops (USCT) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource Included in this thematic collection are seventeen memorials that honor the vital contributions of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) to the Union victory during the American Civil War. The first all-Black units formed unofficially in Louisiana (Louisiana Native Guard, 1862); South Carolina (First South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, 1862-63); and Kansas (First Kansas Colored Infantry, 1862-63). The first official authorization to employ African Americans in federal service was the Second Confiscation and Militia Act of July 17, 1862. The Confiscation Act allowed Union officers to free enslaved men and put them to work as army laborers. However, Abraham Lincoln did not fully authorize the use of Black men in combat until the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Beginning in late January 1863, Governor John A. Andrews of Massachusetts raised the first regiment of Black soldiers in the North, the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry. The abolitionist Frederick Douglass helped recruit men for the Massachusetts 54th, famously issuing a call to free African American men to join the Union Army. In a speech, “Men of Color, To Arms!”, delivered in Rochester, New York on March 2, 1863, Douglass urged his fellow free men of color to fight for the end of slavery and for their freedom: "By every consideration which binds you to your enslaved fellow-countrymen, and the peace and welfare of your country; by every aspiration which you cherish for the freedom and equality of yourselves and your children; by all the ties of blood and identity which make us one with the brave black men now fighting our battles in Louisiana and in South Carolina, I urge you to fly to arms, and smite with death the power that would bury the government and your liberty in the same hopeless grave." On May 22, 1863, the U.S. War Department issued General Order No. 143, authorizing the creation of the Bureau of Colored Troops. By the end of the Civil War, over 200,000 men, including white officers, served in 175 regiments of the USCT, which made up ten percent of the Union army. The compiled military records of the men who served in the USCT can be found in the National Archives and Records Administration. Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Renée Ater Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Black Soldiers Memorial (Danbury, Connecticut) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) African Americans--History Connecticut--Danbury Cemeteries--Connecticut United States Colored Troops Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource Located in Wooster Cemetery, the black granite memorial, which resembles the adjacent grave markers, is dedicated to Black soldiers who served in the 29th and 30th Colored Regiments. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource May 21, 2007 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Wooster Cemetery, 20 Ellsworth Ave, Danbury, Connecticut 06810, United States Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on the front of the memorial: Dedicated to the memory of the black soldiers of Greater Danbury who served in the 29th and 30th Regiments Conn. Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War 1861-1865. Above the inscription is an image of the Grand Army of the Republic medal. Inscription on the back of the memorial: 29th Conn Infantry Pvt James Adams • + Cpl Charles Aray • Pvt William Armstrong • Pvt William Avery • Cpl Allen Banks • Pvt Willis Banks • Pvt Joseph Barker • Cpl James Brewster • + Pvt Elbert Brown • Pvt Jerome Brown • Pvt Thomas Burr • Pvt Henry Butler • Cpl Joseph Butler • Sgt George Carpenter • Pvt John Carpenter • + Cpl Lewis Claggett • + Pvt John Colley • Pvt Hiram Cornell • Pvt Richard Deming • + Pvt Francis Dennis • Pvt Lewis Drake • Pvt Joseph Edwards • + Sgt James Evans • Pvt Henry Franklin • Pvt Sylvester Freeman • Pvt George Gaull • Cpl Isaac Gaull • Pvt Jeremiah Godfrey • Pvt George Green • Pvt John Hall • + Pvt Albert Halstead • Cpl George Halstead • + Pvt William Hammer • + Pvt James Hawley • Pvt Richard Heacock • Pvt Charles Jackson • Pvt Daniel Jackson • Cpl Henry Jackson • Pvt William Jackson• Pvt Cato Johnson • Pvt William Johnson • Pvt John Jones • + Pvt John Knapp • + Sgt William Morrison • Pvt Andrew Nash • + Pvt Theodore Nelson • Pvt Ezra Nichols • + Pvt Charles Overton • Sgt James Parker • Pvt Henry Pease • Pvt Chauncey Phillips • + Pvt Chester Phillips • Pvt Granville Phillips • Pvt Albert Pine • Cpl William Pine • Pvt Albert Prince • Pvt Henry Randolph • 1Sg Charles Richards • Pvt Matthew Rigby • Pvt John Scott • Pvt Tallman Simons • + Pvt John Smalley • Pvt Charles Smith • Cpl Martin Tallman • Cpl Charles Thomas • Cpl Edward Voorhies • Pvt John Watson • Pvt Robert West • Pvt John Weston • + Pvt Lafayette Williams 30th Conn Infantry Pvt Charles Clark • Pvt Granville Coy • + Cpl Mcalister Craig • Pvt Asa Franklin • + Pvt William Jemmison • Pvt Samuel Johnson • + Pvt Thomas Sherman • Pvt John Steadwell • Pvt John Wood 8th Conn Infantry + Pvt Philip Jacklin 2nd U.S.C.T. Pvt William Brooks 26th U.S.C.T. Pvt William Brown • Pvt George Dunbar • Pvt Milton Dunbar • Pvt Lewis Hines U.S. Navy Moses Blake • William Phillips • James Walter • George Washington 62nd NY Infantry Pvt Charles Dobbs + Died in Service to His Country Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Black granite Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Alan Skerrett, Jr, ed. "Monuments to the United States Colored Troops (USCT) [African American Civil War Soldiers: The List." Jubilo! The Emancipation Century Blog, May 30, 2011. Accessed February 11, 2026. https://jubiloemancipationcentury.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/monuments-to-the-united-states-colored-troops-usct-the-list/. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph: <a href="https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=248825" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Historical Marker Database</a> Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource City of Danbury; Wooster Cemetery Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource City of Danbury, 155 Deer Hill Avenue, Danbury, Connecticut, 06810, United States black granite Civil War inscription https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/66f9b1d701996888feaa58fe133bcef4.jpg e0045fe3e58d69c6475f722db769259d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource United States Colored Troops (USCT) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource Included in this thematic collection are seventeen memorials that honor the vital contributions of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) to the Union victory during the American Civil War. The first all-Black units formed unofficially in Louisiana (Louisiana Native Guard, 1862); South Carolina (First South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, 1862-63); and Kansas (First Kansas Colored Infantry, 1862-63). The first official authorization to employ African Americans in federal service was the Second Confiscation and Militia Act of July 17, 1862. The Confiscation Act allowed Union officers to free enslaved men and put them to work as army laborers. However, Abraham Lincoln did not fully authorize the use of Black men in combat until the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Beginning in late January 1863, Governor John A. Andrews of Massachusetts raised the first regiment of Black soldiers in the North, the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry. The abolitionist Frederick Douglass helped recruit men for the Massachusetts 54th, famously issuing a call to free African American men to join the Union Army. In a speech, “Men of Color, To Arms!”, delivered in Rochester, New York on March 2, 1863, Douglass urged his fellow free men of color to fight for the end of slavery and for their freedom: "By every consideration which binds you to your enslaved fellow-countrymen, and the peace and welfare of your country; by every aspiration which you cherish for the freedom and equality of yourselves and your children; by all the ties of blood and identity which make us one with the brave black men now fighting our battles in Louisiana and in South Carolina, I urge you to fly to arms, and smite with death the power that would bury the government and your liberty in the same hopeless grave." On May 22, 1863, the U.S. War Department issued General Order No. 143, authorizing the creation of the Bureau of Colored Troops. By the end of the Civil War, over 200,000 men, including white officers, served in 175 regiments of the USCT, which made up ten percent of the Union army. The compiled military records of the men who served in the USCT can be found in the National Archives and Records Administration. Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Renée Ater Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Colored Soldiers Monument (Frankfort, Kentucky) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) African Americans--History Cemeteries--Kentucky Kentucky--Frankfort United States Colored Troops Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The ten-foot limestone pillar was dedicated to 142 United States Colored Troop soldiers from Franklin County, Kentucky, who fought in the Civil War. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource July 4, 1924 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Women’s Relief Corps No. 8 of the Grand Army of the Republic Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Green Hill Cemetery, Frankfort, Kentucky, 40601, United States Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on the front of the limestone pillar: Erected by Woman's Relief Corp No. 8 *G. A. R.* July 1924 In Memory of the Colored Soldiers Franklin Co., KY Who Fought in the Civil War 1861-1865 The other three sides of the monument list the names of 142 African American soldiers. Extent The size or duration of the resource. 120 in. (304.8 cm) Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Limestone Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Talbott, Tim. "Kentucky African American Civil War Memorial." Kentucky Historical Society. Accessed January 23, 2019. https://explorekyhistory.ky.gov/items/show/191. Alan Skerrett, Jr, ed. "Monuments to the United States Colored Troops (USCT) [African American Civil War Soldiers: The List." Jubilo! The Emancipation Century Blog, May 30, 2011. Accessed February 11, 2026. https://jubiloemancipationcentury.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/monuments-to-the-united-states-colored-troops-usct-the-list/. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Alternative Title An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific. Kentucky African American Civil War Memorial Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colored_Soldiers_Monument_in_Frankfort#/media/File:Colored_Soldiers_Monument_in_Frankfort_1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wikipedia</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource State of Kentucky, Frankfort, Kentucky, 40601, United States Civil War columns inscription names https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/694c3f9bb6adb28056360aa5529a9a6d.jpg f62c0b945df2ad6ace3df80a9d6bf072 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource United States Colored Troops (USCT) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource Included in this thematic collection are seventeen memorials that honor the vital contributions of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) to the Union victory during the American Civil War. The first all-Black units formed unofficially in Louisiana (Louisiana Native Guard, 1862); South Carolina (First South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, 1862-63); and Kansas (First Kansas Colored Infantry, 1862-63). The first official authorization to employ African Americans in federal service was the Second Confiscation and Militia Act of July 17, 1862. The Confiscation Act allowed Union officers to free enslaved men and put them to work as army laborers. However, Abraham Lincoln did not fully authorize the use of Black men in combat until the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Beginning in late January 1863, Governor John A. Andrews of Massachusetts raised the first regiment of Black soldiers in the North, the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry. The abolitionist Frederick Douglass helped recruit men for the Massachusetts 54th, famously issuing a call to free African American men to join the Union Army. In a speech, “Men of Color, To Arms!”, delivered in Rochester, New York on March 2, 1863, Douglass urged his fellow free men of color to fight for the end of slavery and for their freedom: "By every consideration which binds you to your enslaved fellow-countrymen, and the peace and welfare of your country; by every aspiration which you cherish for the freedom and equality of yourselves and your children; by all the ties of blood and identity which make us one with the brave black men now fighting our battles in Louisiana and in South Carolina, I urge you to fly to arms, and smite with death the power that would bury the government and your liberty in the same hopeless grave." On May 22, 1863, the U.S. War Department issued General Order No. 143, authorizing the creation of the Bureau of Colored Troops. By the end of the Civil War, over 200,000 men, including white officers, served in 175 regiments of the USCT, which made up ten percent of the Union army. The compiled military records of the men who served in the USCT can be found in the National Archives and Records Administration. Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Renée Ater Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Colored Union Soldiers Monument (Hertford, North Carolina) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) African Americans--History North Carolina--Hertford United States Colored Troops Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The memorial consists of obelisk resting on a square plinth. It is engraved with text on two sides and is accompanied by a North Carolina Civil War Trails marker and informational placard. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource First Baptist Church; United Daughters of Union Veterans Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Academy Green, King and Hyde Park Streets, Hertford, North Carolina, 27944, United States Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on the front: In Memory Of the Colored Union Soldiers Who Faught in the War of 1861-1865 Inscription on the rear: Erected by the United Daughters of Veterans Informational placard, North Carolina Civil War Trails: News of the bombardment of Fort Sumter inspired many African American men to enlist in the U.S. armed forces, but federal law prohibited their service. Frederick Douglass and other black leaders urged changes to allow black enlistments. By mid-1862, as the numbers of white volunteers diminished, the needs of the U.S. Army grew, and the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation became imminent, more voices called for black recruitment. The Proclamation, issued on January 1, 1863, formally authorized African American military service. By the end of the war, about 180,000 blacks – including some from Perquimans County – had borne arms in the U.S. Army (almost 10 percent of total enlistments) and about 19,000 had served in the U.S. Navy. To remember the county’s African American Union soldiers, women of the black community, many of them the wives and widows of those men, erected one of the few such monuments in the nation on Academy Green in 1910. Coordinated by First Baptist Church and the United Daughters of Union Veterans, the monument is inscribed “In Memory of the Colored Union Soldiers Who Fought in the War of 1861-1865.” Academy Green was the location of the county’s first black school, library, and church (present-day First Baptist Church), which freed-men formed in a bush shelter in 1866. The congregation later built a church across the street. They Answered the Call Three of the men whom this monument commemorates are buried in Perquimans County. Sgt. John Gordon served in Co. A 1st U.S.C.T., organized in Washington, D.C., in May-June 1863. The regiment fought in Virginia (Wilson’s Wharf, The Crater, New Market Heights) and North Carolina (Fort Fisher). It also participated in Gen. Edward A. Wild’s eastern N.C. expedition in Dec. 1863 and burned a Confederate camp near Hertford. It mustered out on Sept. 29, 1865. Pvt. John Sharp enlisted in Co. B. 37th U.S.C.T. at age 19 on Jan. 21, 1864, in Plymouth, N.C. His regiment fought at New Market Heights and Fort Fisher and mustered out on Feb. 11, 1867. Pvt. Arthur Mixon served in Co. G, 40th U.S.C.T., organized in Aug. 1864 in Tennessee, where it guarded railroads and bridges. It mustered out in Oct. 1865. Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. "Colored Union Soldiers Monument, Hertford." Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina. Accessed January 22, 2019. https://docsouth.unc.edu/commland/monument/117/. Alan Skerrett, Jr, ed. "Monuments to the United States Colored Troops (USCT) [African American Civil War Soldiers: The List." Jubilo! The Emancipation Century Blog, May 30, 2011. Accessed February 11, 2026. https://jubiloemancipationcentury.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/monuments-to-the-united-states-colored-troops-usct-the-list/. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Granite Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph: <a href="http://ncblackheritagetour.com/historic_site/colored-union-soldiers-monument/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">African American Experience</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Town of Hertford North Carolina, 114 West Grubb Street, Hertford, North Carolina, 27944, United States Civil War granite inscription obelisk https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/4141b44a2df2509c538f3be1c2713f58.jpg 065c72063c66816d07961c107c409324 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/69d33b60765894075203e5d9fe779f19.jpg 1ff5950ea22e283b91222741b2f177f3 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource United States Colored Troops (USCT) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource Included in this thematic collection are seventeen memorials that honor the vital contributions of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) to the Union victory during the American Civil War. The first all-Black units formed unofficially in Louisiana (Louisiana Native Guard, 1862); South Carolina (First South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, 1862-63); and Kansas (First Kansas Colored Infantry, 1862-63). The first official authorization to employ African Americans in federal service was the Second Confiscation and Militia Act of July 17, 1862. The Confiscation Act allowed Union officers to free enslaved men and put them to work as army laborers. However, Abraham Lincoln did not fully authorize the use of Black men in combat until the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Beginning in late January 1863, Governor John A. Andrews of Massachusetts raised the first regiment of Black soldiers in the North, the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry. The abolitionist Frederick Douglass helped recruit men for the Massachusetts 54th, famously issuing a call to free African American men to join the Union Army. In a speech, “Men of Color, To Arms!”, delivered in Rochester, New York on March 2, 1863, Douglass urged his fellow free men of color to fight for the end of slavery and for their freedom: "By every consideration which binds you to your enslaved fellow-countrymen, and the peace and welfare of your country; by every aspiration which you cherish for the freedom and equality of yourselves and your children; by all the ties of blood and identity which make us one with the brave black men now fighting our battles in Louisiana and in South Carolina, I urge you to fly to arms, and smite with death the power that would bury the government and your liberty in the same hopeless grave." On May 22, 1863, the U.S. War Department issued General Order No. 143, authorizing the creation of the Bureau of Colored Troops. By the end of the Civil War, over 200,000 men, including white officers, served in 175 regiments of the USCT, which made up ten percent of the Union army. The compiled military records of the men who served in the USCT can be found in the National Archives and Records Administration. Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Renée Ater Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource In Memory of More Than 400 Prominent United States Colored Troops from Kent County (Chestertown, Maryland) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) African Americans--History Maryland--Chestertown Public sculpture United States Colored Troops Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The black granite obelisk is dedicated to the memory of more than 400 United States Colored Troops from Kent County, Maryland, who served in the Union Army during the Civil War. In front of the obelisk is a stone bench with an additional engraving. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource May 31, 1999 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource American Legion Parker-White Post 143 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Memorial Park, High Street at North Cross Street, Chestertown, Maryland, 21620, United States Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on obelisk: In Memory of more than 400 prominent United States Colored Troops from Kent County, Maryland who bravely displayed extraordinary acts of heroism as they faithfully served their country with courage & honor in an attempt to gain freedom & equality in their preservation of the Union during the Civil War (1861-1865). Like an eagle that flies in the sky above, always protecting the land we love. Monument erected by American Legion Parker-White Post 143 Chestertown, Maryland Inscription on the base of the bench in front of the monument: In Memory of Kent County Colored Volunteers Who Served in the Civil War, 1861-1865 Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. HMdb.org. "In Memory of More Than 400 Prominent United States Colored Troops from Kent County." Historical Marker Database. Accessed January 21, 2019. https://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=5414. Alan Skerrett, Jr, ed. "Monuments to the United States Colored Troops (USCT) [African American Civil War Soldiers: The List." Jubilo! The Emancipation Century Blog, May 30, 2011. Accessed February 11, 2026. https://jubiloemancipationcentury.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/monuments-to-the-united-states-colored-troops-usct-the-list/. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Black granite Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph: <a href="https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=5414" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Historical Marker Database</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource City of Chestertown, 118 North Cross Street, Chestertown, Maryland, 21620, United States black granite Civil War inscription obelisk https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/bfcb9976c9c0761669377d142582942e.jpeg 4d564b214d93252107816cabb6b9c16a Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource United States Colored Troops (USCT) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource Included in this thematic collection are seventeen memorials that honor the vital contributions of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) to the Union victory during the American Civil War. The first all-Black units formed unofficially in Louisiana (Louisiana Native Guard, 1862); South Carolina (First South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, 1862-63); and Kansas (First Kansas Colored Infantry, 1862-63). The first official authorization to employ African Americans in federal service was the Second Confiscation and Militia Act of July 17, 1862. The Confiscation Act allowed Union officers to free enslaved men and put them to work as army laborers. However, Abraham Lincoln did not fully authorize the use of Black men in combat until the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Beginning in late January 1863, Governor John A. Andrews of Massachusetts raised the first regiment of Black soldiers in the North, the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry. The abolitionist Frederick Douglass helped recruit men for the Massachusetts 54th, famously issuing a call to free African American men to join the Union Army. In a speech, “Men of Color, To Arms!”, delivered in Rochester, New York on March 2, 1863, Douglass urged his fellow free men of color to fight for the end of slavery and for their freedom: "By every consideration which binds you to your enslaved fellow-countrymen, and the peace and welfare of your country; by every aspiration which you cherish for the freedom and equality of yourselves and your children; by all the ties of blood and identity which make us one with the brave black men now fighting our battles in Louisiana and in South Carolina, I urge you to fly to arms, and smite with death the power that would bury the government and your liberty in the same hopeless grave." On May 22, 1863, the U.S. War Department issued General Order No. 143, authorizing the creation of the Bureau of Colored Troops. By the end of the Civil War, over 200,000 men, including white officers, served in 175 regiments of the USCT, which made up ten percent of the Union army. The compiled military records of the men who served in the USCT can be found in the National Archives and Records Administration. Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Renée Ater Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 132 x 168 in. (335.28 x 426.72 cm) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Memorial to Robert Gould Shaw and the Massachusetts Fifty-fourth Infantry Regiment (Boston, Massachusetts) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) African Americans--History Massachusetts--Boston Public art Public sculpture United States Colored Troops Subject (Name) Shaw, Robert Gould, 1837-1863 Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The memorial commemorates Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and members of the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry Regiment, the first African American regiment to be formed in the North during the American Civil War. Shaw, the regiment’s leader, is shown on horseback in control of his horse and staring forward. Cast in bas relief, three rows of Black infantrymen of various ages stride forward in unison behind him. This scene depicts the Massachusetts 54th Regiment parade march down Beacon Street in Boston on May 28, 1863, as they left the city for Beaufort, South Carolina. On July 18, 1863, nearly 250 of the Massachusetts 54th Regiment were killed, wounded, or captured at the Battle of Fort Wagner located on Morris Island in Charleston Harbor including the death of Shaw. Sargeant William H. Carney received a Medal of Honor for his courageous actions during the fight, the first African American to receive the medal. The Massachusetts 54th Regiment and the Battle of Fort Wagner were the subject of the epic Civil War film, Glory (1989). Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Saint-Gaudens, Augustus, 1848-1907 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource May 31, 1897 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource McKim, Mead & White (architectural pedestal); Shaw Family; Governor John Andrew; 1865 Memorial Committe: Charles Sumner, Rev. Leonard Grimes, Joshua Bowen Smith, Edward Atkinson, Robert E. Apthorp, Francis W. Bird, Charles W. Slack, Henry P. Kidder, Charles R. Codman, Henry W. Longfellow, James L. Little, William L. Clapp Jr., Charles Beck, William G. Weld, Royal E. Robbins, Edward W. Kingsley, George B. Loring, Alanson W. Beard, Solomon Stebbins, and Robert K. Darrah; 1876 Memorial Committee: Edward Atkinson, John Murray Forbes, Henry Lee Jr., and Martin P. Kennard Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource National Park Service, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20240, United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Boston Common, Beacon and Park Streets, Boston, Massachusetts, 02133, United States Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on the relief: Omnia Relinquit Servare Rempublicam [He relinquished everything to save/preserve the Republic] Inscription on the pedestal: Robert Gould Shaw Colonel of the Fifty-Fourth Regiment of Massachusetts  Born in Boston 10 October MDCCCXXXVII Killed While Leading the Assault on Fort Wagner South Carolina 18 July MDCCCLXIII Right in the van, on the red rampart's slippery swell With heart that beat a charge he fell Foeward as fits a man; but the high soul burns on to light men's feet where death for noble ends makes dying sweet. [lines from James Russell Lowell's poem "Memoriae Positum"] Inscription on granite back between the two fasces: To the Fifty-Fourth of Massachusetts Regiment Infantry The White Officers taking life and honor in their hands cast in their lot with men of a despised race unproven in war and risked death as inciters of servile insurrection if taken prisoners besides encountering all the common perils of camp march and battle. The Black rank and file volunteered when disaster clouded the Union Cause. Served without pay for eighteen months till given that of white troops. Faced threatened enslavement if captured. We're brave in action. Patient under heavy and dangerous labors. And cheerful amid hardships and privations. Together they gave to the nation and the world undying proof that Americans of African descent possess the pride, courage and devotion of the patriot soldier. One hundred and eighty thousand such Americans enlisted under the Union Flag in MDCCCLXIII-MDCCCLXV. [Charles W. Eliot, President, Harvard University] Inscriptions on the back above the five laurel wreaths: Cabot Jackson Russel, Captain • William Harris Simpkins, Captain • Edward Lewis Stevens, 1st Lieutenant • David Reid, 1st Lieutenant • Frederick Hedge Webster, 2nd Lieutenant [Names of the five officers killed from the Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts} Inscription on back below the laurel wreaths: I know not my commander where in all human history to any given thousand men in arms there has been committed a work at once so proud, so precious, so full of hope and glory as the work committed to you. [Governor John Andrew, extract from speech given at the depart of the Fifty-Fourth Massachuestts Regiment in Boston 1863] Inscription on brick base at back: The Memory of the Just is Blessed Henry Albert • Thomas R. Ampey • Thomas Bowman • William Brady • Abraham Brown • James H. Buchanan • Henry F. Burghardt • Elisha Burkett • Jason Champin • Andrew Clark • Lewis Clark • Henry Craig • Albert Evans • William S. Everson • Samuel Ford • Richard M. Foster • Charles S. Gamrell • Lewis C. Green • John Hall • William Henry Harrison II • Edward Hines • Benjamin Hogan • Charles M. Holloway • George Jackson • James P. Johnson • John H. Johnson • Daniel A. Kelley • Henry King • Cyrus Krunkleton • Augustus Lewis • Thomas Lloyd • William Lloyd • Lewis J. Locard • Francis Lowe • Robert McJohnson • John Miller • James H. Mills • William H. Morris • Charles E. Nelson • Stephen Newton • Harrison Pierce • Cornelius Price • Thomas Peter Riggs • David R. Roper • Anthony Schenck • Thomas Sheldon • William J. Smith • Samuel Sufshay • John Tanner • William Thomas • Charles Van Allen • George Vanderpool • Cornelius Watson • Edward Williams • Franklin Willis • Joseph D. Wilson • William Wilson • John W. Winslow —Inscribed MCMLXXXII [Names of those soldiers from the Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts Regiment who died during the assault on Fort Wagner. Names added in 1982.] Extent The size or duration of the resource. 132 x 168 in. (335.28 x 426.72 cm) Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze; Milford pink granite Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Greenough, Sarah and Nancy Anderson. Tell It With Pride: The 54th Massachusetts Regiment and Augusts Saint-Gaudens' Shaw Memorial. Yale University Press, 2013. Alan Skerrett, Jr, ed. "Monuments to the United States Colored Troops (USCT) [African American Civil War Soldiers: The List." Jubilo! The Emancipation Century Blog, May 30, 2011. Accessed February 11, 2026. https://jubiloemancipationcentury.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/monuments-to-the-united-states-colored-troops-usct-the-list/. Blight, David W. "The Shaw Memorial in the Landscape of Civil War Memory." In Hope & Glory: Essays on the Legacy of the Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts Regiment, eds. Martin H. Blatt, Thomas J. Brown, and Donald Yacovone, 79-93. University of Massachusetts Press, 2001. Grover, Kathryn. To Heal the Wounded Nation's Life: African Americans and the Robert Gould Shaw/54th Regiment Memorial. Special History Study, Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park. National Park Service, 2021. Accessed February 11, 2026. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/668698. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph: National Park Service Has Version A related resource that is a version, edition, or adaptation of the described resource. A gold patinated plaster cast (1900) is on view at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, on loan from the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish, New Hampshire. A bronze cast (1997) is on display at the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish, New Hampshire. bas-relief bronze Civil War figurative granite inscription marble https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/d4dbce60899b4fc20122a8ae82ebe46a.JPG 65361dae76cb37f23fdd85cd69a6c29e https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/560cfd3225954cb3b87e93efe88545de.JPG 08a4033ec882f80fbfa5450f7e00768e https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/5289baabf728d2eb3e3988b18fbd9bff.JPG 9be4f3542847d539d2ac8c4544a84f63 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/6258a1efa74542c3911d9a274a0e49c8.JPG f9651c5fc8b85e73f5ec5afcc4a6218e Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource United States Colored Troops (USCT) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource Included in this thematic collection are seventeen memorials that honor the vital contributions of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) to the Union victory during the American Civil War. The first all-Black units formed unofficially in Louisiana (Louisiana Native Guard, 1862); South Carolina (First South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, 1862-63); and Kansas (First Kansas Colored Infantry, 1862-63). The first official authorization to employ African Americans in federal service was the Second Confiscation and Militia Act of July 17, 1862. The Confiscation Act allowed Union officers to free enslaved men and put them to work as army laborers. However, Abraham Lincoln did not fully authorize the use of Black men in combat until the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Beginning in late January 1863, Governor John A. Andrews of Massachusetts raised the first regiment of Black soldiers in the North, the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry. The abolitionist Frederick Douglass helped recruit men for the Massachusetts 54th, famously issuing a call to free African American men to join the Union Army. In a speech, “Men of Color, To Arms!”, delivered in Rochester, New York on March 2, 1863, Douglass urged his fellow free men of color to fight for the end of slavery and for their freedom: "By every consideration which binds you to your enslaved fellow-countrymen, and the peace and welfare of your country; by every aspiration which you cherish for the freedom and equality of yourselves and your children; by all the ties of blood and identity which make us one with the brave black men now fighting our battles in Louisiana and in South Carolina, I urge you to fly to arms, and smite with death the power that would bury the government and your liberty in the same hopeless grave." On May 22, 1863, the U.S. War Department issued General Order No. 143, authorizing the creation of the Bureau of Colored Troops. By the end of the Civil War, over 200,000 men, including white officers, served in 175 regiments of the USCT, which made up ten percent of the Union army. The compiled military records of the men who served in the USCT can be found in the National Archives and Records Administration. Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Renée Ater Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Memorial to the 2nd Regiment Infantry, U.S. Colored Troops (Fort Myers, Florida) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) African Americans--History Florida--Fort Myers Public art Public sculpture United States Colored Troops Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The over life-sized work depicts a sergeant in the United States Colored Troops 2nd Regiment standing in front of an open gate within a wall. The soldier is framed by two granite plaques mounted on each wall. The plaque on the left is a description of the important contribution of the 2nd Regiment during the Civil War. The plaque on the right contains a poem, written by D.J. Wilkins. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Wilkins, D. J., 1945-2021 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photographs by Renée Ater Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource November 11, 1998 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fort Myers Beautification Advisory Board; City of Fort Myers, Florida Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource City of Fort Myers, 2200 Second Street, Fort Myers, Florida, 33901, United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Centennial Park, 2000 W First St, Fort Myers, FL 33901, United States Alternative Title An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific. Clayton Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on left plaque: This Memorial is dedicated to The 2nd Regiment Infantry, U.S. Colored Troops and Companies D and I which served at The Battle of Fort Myers. On July 20, 1861, U.S. Army Officer Major French wrote to U.S. Naval Officer McKean, "I have information that a schooner fitted out as a slaver is in the Caloosahatchee River. Her appointments, I am told, are full...." On February 20, 1865, Confederates of the 1st Battalion, Florida Special Cavalry attacked Fort Myers. The attack erupted into a cannon duel with the 2nd USCT in charge of artillery. The New York Times reported: "The colored soldiers [at Fort Myers] were in the thick of the fight. Unconscious of danger,their constant cry was to 'get at them'...." At nightfall, the Confederate force withdrew. A Confederate participant later recalled: "It was seen that nothing was accomplished." The Battle of Fort Myers marked the final action of the 2nd USCT in South Florida. Companies D and I left Fort Myers in March of 1865. Fort Myers was then decommissioned. USCT Troops freed and enlisted over 1,000 of the enslaved in Florida during the Civil War." Inscription on right plaque: In Freedom Cover Me The war between the states it's called to make us all one people one man's bullet is another man's death in this God makes us equal. The men who died in the fight today all knew this was the start of some new age yet undefined of which we're all a part. This Union Flag I stand beneath is what's protecting me from a life of moral death a life in slavery. When muskets fire if I should fall in freedom cover me with these stars from this flag like leaves from God's great tree. - Clayton Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze; Granite; Concrete Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Calligan, Tara. "An About-Face: A Monument Honoring Black Union Soldiers is Re-Turned to Face Centennial Park in Downtown Fort Myers." WGCU PBS and NPR for Southwest Florida, July 31, 2022. Accessed February 11, 2026. https://www.wgcu.org/2022-07-29/about-face-a-monument-honoring-black-union-soldiers-turns-towards-centennial-park. Alan Skerrett, Jr, ed. "Monuments to the United States Colored Troops (USCT) [African American Civil War Soldiers: The List." Jubilo! The Emancipation Century Blog, May 30, 2011. Accessed February 11, 2026. https://jubiloemancipationcentury.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/monuments-to-the-united-states-colored-troops-usct-the-list/. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater bronze Civil War concrete figurative granite inscription poetry https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/9ffbbe57b8ff58336d70a1eaae58679e.jpg f6467947ec45b2a9e58a984bad247900 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource United States Colored Troops (USCT) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource Included in this thematic collection are seventeen memorials that honor the vital contributions of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) to the Union victory during the American Civil War. The first all-Black units formed unofficially in Louisiana (Louisiana Native Guard, 1862); South Carolina (First South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, 1862-63); and Kansas (First Kansas Colored Infantry, 1862-63). The first official authorization to employ African Americans in federal service was the Second Confiscation and Militia Act of July 17, 1862. The Confiscation Act allowed Union officers to free enslaved men and put them to work as army laborers. However, Abraham Lincoln did not fully authorize the use of Black men in combat until the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Beginning in late January 1863, Governor John A. Andrews of Massachusetts raised the first regiment of Black soldiers in the North, the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry. The abolitionist Frederick Douglass helped recruit men for the Massachusetts 54th, famously issuing a call to free African American men to join the Union Army. In a speech, “Men of Color, To Arms!”, delivered in Rochester, New York on March 2, 1863, Douglass urged his fellow free men of color to fight for the end of slavery and for their freedom: "By every consideration which binds you to your enslaved fellow-countrymen, and the peace and welfare of your country; by every aspiration which you cherish for the freedom and equality of yourselves and your children; by all the ties of blood and identity which make us one with the brave black men now fighting our battles in Louisiana and in South Carolina, I urge you to fly to arms, and smite with death the power that would bury the government and your liberty in the same hopeless grave." On May 22, 1863, the U.S. War Department issued General Order No. 143, authorizing the creation of the Bureau of Colored Troops. By the end of the Civil War, over 200,000 men, including white officers, served in 175 regiments of the USCT, which made up ten percent of the Union army. The compiled military records of the men who served in the USCT can be found in the National Archives and Records Administration. Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Renée Ater Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Monument to the 26th Regiment United States Colored Infantry (Ithaca, New York) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) African Americans--History New York--Ithaca Public sculpture United States Colored Troops Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource Polished black granite in the shape of an upright headstone with an arched top, is dedicated to the memory of the twenty-six men of the 26th Regiment Infantry U.S. Colored Troops who enlisted between 1863 and 1864 at the St. James A.M.E. Zion Church, Ithaca, New York. The work includes an etched image of two United States Colored Troops soldiers, as well as the names of men who enlisted. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant St. James A.M.E. Zion Church, 116 Cleveland Avenue, Ithaca, New York, 14850, United States Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Alan Skerrett, Jr, ed. "Monuments to the United States Colored Troops (USCT) [African American Civil War Soldiers: The List." Jubilo! The Emancipation Century Blog, May 30, 2011. Accessed February 11, 2026. https://jubiloemancipationcentury.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/monuments-to-the-united-states-colored-troops-usct-the-list/. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Black granite Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on front of the black granite: Dedicated to the 26 Soldiers of the 26th Regiment United States Colored Infantry Who Enlisted Between Dec. 3, 1863 and Feb. 18, 1864 At St. James A.M.E. Zion Church, Ithaca, NY To Fight for God and Liberty. Henry W. Adams • Henry Allen • Morgan E. Dennis • Isaac Desmond • Sylvester T. Dorsey • Henry L. Green • Jacob Guess • George W. Guinn • Daniel Johnson • Jacob Johnson • George E. Jones • Thomas McChesney • George A. Richardson • John R. Ross • Henry Selby • Charles S. Shaw • Alonzo Smith • Henry Smith • James E. L. Smith • John Smith • John F. Smith • Joseph B. Smith • Edward Sorrell • John Sorrell • John Tyler • Zacharial Tyler Organized at Riker's Island, New York Harbor, Feb. 27, 1864. Ordered to Dept. of the South, April, 1864. Served at Beaufort, SC. The Unit was discharged at Brownsville, Texas on Aug. 18, 1865. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marker_dedicated_to_the_26th_Regiment_of_the_U.S._Colored_Infantry_in_the_Civil_War.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wikimedia Commons</a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2009 black granite Civil War inscription names