I was reading Kevin Levin’s Substack Civil War Memory recently and I saw an article on college students cleaning up a cemetery in Connecticut where many African American Civil War veterans were buried. The students were from the Southern Connecticut State University which is a short distance away from the cemetery. The school is located in New Haven, Ct. The clean-up was organized by the Veterans’ Office and Department of History at the university and Professor Jason Smith. Not all of the volunteers were history majors. Business administration major Francisco Cortes is freshman who said the event had several meanings for him. He told the university’s newspaper that “I think this is a really important way of showing how much I appreciate the New Haven community, along with all the people who sacrificed their lives for this country.”
The cemetery is located where Osborn Ave. and Blake Street intersect. At the Blake St. entrance there is the “Grand Army Gate.” The Grand Army of the Republic was an integrated veterans organization made up entirely of former Union soldiers and sailors. The neighborhood is a working class area. I parked on the street and walked just a few dozen yards to where the graves are.
Below, you can see a photo put out by the school of students cleaning the grave stones.
While several articles about the cemetery say it holds Connecticut Black Civil War volunteers, and many of the graves identified show the interred as having been in Black regiments, other graves had veterans of white units. So, while most of the graves contained African American men, there were a few that likely contained whites.
The first tombstone I came across marks the grave of William Jackson of the 20th U.S. Colored Infantry. This regiment was organized in New York in 1864. Since it was organized in what is now New York City, Connecticut men from just a few miles away would join it. It served in Louisiana, Texas, and Florida during its service.
I then visited the grave of Lee Dawson of the 27th New York Volunteers. This regiment was organized by Col. Henry W. Slocum in May of 1861 and was not a Colored Regiment. The men came from Binghamton, Elmira, and other parts of the Southern Tier of New York.
There is a marker showing this is part of the local Freedom Trail.
James Brewster was a corporal in the 29th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. Like Massachusetts, Connecticut designated this all-Black solder regiment using the state’s name, rather than having the regiment designated as “United States Colored Infantry.” Brewster was a private who lived 55 years after the war ended.
Soon after the war ended, most white memory of the 29th Connecticut faded. However, by the 1980s there was a renewed interest in the unit and a series of monuments were built on the old parade ground in New Haven where the unit trained.
Joseph Newby was another soldier in the United States Colored Troops. He was in the 79th USCI. The 79th was not from near Connecticut. It was originally was named the 1st Regiment Kansas Volunteer Infantry (Colored). He served as a private.
Next is John Sipple, who also served in the 29th Connecticut. He was a private.
On November 13, 1863 two army officers proposed the creation of a regiment of Black men from Connecticut. 8,726 Black men lived in the state, according to the Census of 1860. By the end of the year, recruitment was underway and camps began to be set up near where the monument now stands. On March 4, 1864, the regiment was mustered in at Fair Haven. Because 1,200 men had volunteered for the 29th, too large for a regiment, some men were diverted into another “Colored” regiment, the 30th Connecticut. On March 19, 1864, the 29th marched through New Haven and got on a steamship to Maryland.
Although a significant number of men in the 29th Connecticut were born free, the men were concerned that they were written out of the history of the country. Alexander Newton, a soldier in the 29th, wrote after the war; “While it had always been said that this was a white man’s country, we were determined that the Black man should share in this honor of ownership.” [P. 29] He said that he and his fellow soldiers of the 29th would “contend in this conflict until the sound of clanking slave chains shall be heard no more…”
While the men marched with pride underneath their flag, one of the soldiers recalled that they were dissatisfied when they received their first pay. While white men received $13 per month, the Black troops were only paid $7. The soldier, I. J. Hill said that rather than accept the discriminatory pay, he would not accept any pay rather than let the Federal government “insult me.” After this protest, two days later they were told by General Saxton that the State of Connecticut would make up for the deficiency in the Federal pay and pay without discrimination out of state funds. Saxton told the men that; “You have the same muscle as white men, and the same courage to fight.” [Page 17]
On April 3, 1865, men of the 29th were among the first Union troops to enter Richmond. Soon after, the men of the regiment greeted Lincoln when he came down to the captured rebel capital.
William Thomas was in the Navy. There was a higher proportion of Black men in the Navy than in the Army. The Navy had recruited a limited number of Blacks in 1861 and 1862, and in 1863 it began to accept more. Roughly 20% of naval personnel were African American and they did not serve on segregated ships.
William Bond was in the 2nd USCI. This regiment was organized in Arlington, Virginia. Many of its members included former slaves seeking shelter in Washington, D.C. and its environs.
Edwin Yale was a private in the 162nd New York Infantry. The unit was a white regiment that was organized in New York City.
Corporal William Brewster was in the 31st United States Colored Infantry. I don’t know if he was related to Corporal James Brewster of the 29th Connecticut Volunteers whose grave is shown above. The 31 USCT was raised in New York, so there could be a connection.
Jacob White of the New York Volunteers is also lain to rest.
There were also men from other New England states like New Hampshireman Louis Meyers. He was in the 9th New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry. This white unit was raised in Concord, the capital of the state.
Next is Sergeant Joseph Murphy who is listed as both a member of the 31st USCT and as a Connecticut Volunteer. I am not sure if he was white serving with the unit or if he was African American.
The 31st was raised in Connecticut and it was trained in New Haven. It took part in the Battle of Cold Harbor and the Siege of Petersburg. It followed Lee’s retreat all the way up to Appomattox Courthouse.
Next is David Campbell, a private in the 22nd Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteers.
Another man from the 31st USCT is buried in the cemetery, Corporal Philip Johnson.
Next is Stephen Handy, from the 29th Connecticut.
And another from the 29th Connecticut named Edwin Freeman.
Sergeant Burnett Gregory lies next to his fellow Black soldiers.
And finally, John Black, the only soldier from Maine that I could find.
Note: All color photos in this post were taken by Patrick Young except as noted.
