Black History News & Notes

BLACK HISTORY NEWS & NOTES

NOVEMBER 1998 NUMBER 74 Civil War Commemorations: Honoring the Forgotten by Wilma L. Gibbs “Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letters, U. S., let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder and bullets in his pockets, and there is no power on earth which can deny that he has earned the right to citi zenship in the United States. ” Frederick Douglass

Six weeks after the surrender of Confederate forces at Appomattox, a huge two-day parade celebrated the Union victory and the end of the Civil War in Washington, D. C. Not one of the 166 units of the United States Colored Troops participated in the celebration. The Philadelphia Inquirer editorialized “Their time will The Civil War Memorial is located at 10th and U and Vermont streets in yet come.” This summer their time Washington, D.C. came when ceremonies were held for the first national Civil War monument dedicated to the black troops and from D.C. Congressional delegate, their white officers. Activities held Eleanor Holmes Norton. from 15-18 July included a Civil War Norton sponsored a bill that al Symposium for Descendants, Me lowed for the release of federal land morial Services at Arlington National to be used for the project. Lyndia Cemetery, a Freedom Ball and Sa Grant-Briggs was appointed as the lute to the Sculptor, a Re-Enactors’ project director. Paul S. Devrouax, Parade, and the unveiling of the Jr., of the architectural firm of Spirit of Freedom sculpture. Devrouax and Purnell and Ed Dunson of Dunson & Associates History of the Memorial were engaged to develop a design In 1992 plans for a Civil War me plan for the memorial. morial to honor the black regiments formally got underway with the in The Sculptor and His Work corporation of the Civil War Memo Ed Hamilton, who sculpted the rial Freedom Foundation. Frank Spirit of Freedom monument in trib Smith, Jr., chairman of the ute to the African Americans who foundation’s Board of Directors and fought during the Civil War, says that a member of the District of Colum public sculpture should bring about Spirit of Freedom Monument bia City Council, solicited support feelings, emotions, and the desire to

BHNN_1998-11_NO74 touch. He further states that it pro eral historical constructs to his credit vides food for thought, takes people including the Amistad Memorial in back to the setting, and allows for New Haven, Connecticut, and over healing. He hopes the Spirit piece life-size figures of Joe Louis, Booker represents what African American T. Washington, and Whitney M. soldiers and sailors did to honor their Young, Jr., commissioned by the city country. of Detroit, Hampton University, and Bom Edward Norton Hamilton, Jr. Kentucky State University, respec (1947--) in Cincinnati on Valentine’s tively. Day, the sculptor grew up in Louis In 1993, Hamilton and three other ville. He was raised in the city’s black finalists were interviewed by a Re business district where his father view Team that would choose the owned a tailoring shop and his mother sculptor for the project. The team was a barber. Being a visual person included an architectural committee, and an only child with “tons of stuff the D. C. Commission on the Arts & to play with and no conscious Humanities, and the Civil War Me thoughts of being a practicing artist,” morial Freedom Foundation. Consid he explored, tore up, and created ering how he wanted to accentuate things. In middle school, art teacher the architect’s design space and the ing to achieve universal representa Harriette O’Malley insisted that he qualities he wanted the soldiers and tions of soldiers and family mem had a gift that needed exploring. That sailors to emote, Hamilton presented bers. The back side of the monu gift was further developed at the Review Team with a small min ment represents family — a mother, Shawnee High School. He was iature to fit the proposed site. He got child, grandparents, and a father/sol- awarded a four-year scholarship to the job. dier going off to war. The front side the Art Center School, later the Lou The project was a challenge for of the monument contains three in isville School of Art. Hamilton, who says he had no pre fantry soldiers ready to guard and While teaching school he met conceived notions about Civil War protect the extended family or go off sculptor Barney Bright. He worked history. He did his research, learning into battle and one sailor command as an apprentice under Bright and about uniforms and equipment of ing the wheel. The completed his credits him with helping him to de Union soldiers. For the nine-foot, toric site will boast two semicircular velop as a sculptor. No stranger to 3,000 pounds bronze sculpture, he walls that will have stainless steel public sculpturing, Hamilton has sev used composites of photographs, try plaques containing the names of all

Black History News and Notes is a quarterly publication of the Indiana Historical Society Library. Intended in part to highlight the activities of the library’s Black History Program, it is issued during the months of February, May, August, and November. Essential to the Black History Program’s success is community involvement and commitment to the study of Indiana’s African-American heritage. Along with Black History News and Notes, membership also includes the quarterly Indiana Magazine of History, published at Indiana University; The Bridge, the Indiana Histori cal Society’s bi-monthly newsletter; and many of the special publications as they are issued —all for only $30.00 a year. To become a member or for further information, write the Indiana Historical Society, 315 West Ohio Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202 (317) 232-1882. Correspondence concerning Black History News and Notes should be addressed to Wilma L. Gibbs, Editor.

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2 Cemetery in Indianapolis teamed up to honor black Hoosiers who served with the 28th United States Colored Troops. (The Father Resource Pro gram teaches young, single men how to be good fathers.) At Crown Hill Cemetery in 1996 several members of the program decorated the graves with flags and raised the headstones of 250 men from the 28th. Though African Americans from Indiana served in segregated infantry, cav alry, light and heavy artillery, and engineer regiments throughout the country, the 28th was the lone black Indiana regiment. In September 1998, the 3rd annual program hon oring the soldiers was held at the cem etery. The audience included descen dants of black Civil War soldiers and hundreds of local schoolchildren. Local reenactors from black and white Civil War units were present. Andrew Bowman portrayed his grandfather, Andrew Jackson Smith, a member of the 55th Massachusetts, and Khabir Shareef characterized Major Martin R. Delany (104th USCT), the highest ranking black officer during the Civil War. Charles Poindexter portrayed Garland White. One of the few blacks to serve as a chaplain during the Civil War, White was assigned to the 28th USCT. There were several reenactors from white Indiana regiments including

Ed Hamilton with his work-in-progress. enlisted men and officers of the many of the activities leading up to USCT regiments. it. Early supporters of the Civil War The monument is located on a tri Memorial Freedom Foundation, they angular plot at 10th and U and Ver were on hand Wednesday, 15 July, mont streets in the Shaw neighbor when the monument was delivered hood in northwest Washington, D.C. to the memorial plaza, as they had The area was named to honor Rob been two years earlier when the site ert Gould Shaw, a white colonel, who was dedicated. The unveiling cer served as commander of the 54th emony took place on Saturday, 18 Massachusetts, one of the first acti July 1998, on the 135th anniversary vated regiments of the United States of the assault on Fort Wagner, a battle Colored Troops. that was dramatized in Glory, a popu lar Civil War film about the 54th Local Connections Massachusetts. Indianapolis resident and Indiana In conjunction with the honoring Historical Society Library Commit of all African American Civil War tee member Andrew Bowman and soldiers, in 1996, the Father Resource Andrew and Esther Bowman at the his wife, Esther, attended the unveil Program (sponsored by Wishard site o f the Civil War Memorial in ing ceremony in Washington and Memorial Hospital) and Crown Hill Washington, D.C.

3 available for researching the 166 units of the United States Colored Troops. The National Park Service, along with several partners (includ ing the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne) has developed the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Sys tem (CWSS). The computerized da tabase contains basic facts about ser vicemen who served in the Union and Confederate Armies; identifica tions and descriptions of 384 signifi cant battles of the war; references that identify the sources of the infor mation in the database; and sugges tions for where to find additional in formation. Most of the data is from documents maintained by the Na tional Archives and Records Admin istration. The internet address for the CWSS is http://www.itd.nps.gov/ cwss/. The first phase of the project was completed in conjunction with the African American Civil War Me morial Freedom Foundation (http:// www.afroamcivilwarmemorial.org/). The National Park Service (NPS) has placed the names of blacks that fought into a United States Colored Troops database. Allowing for du plication of names, NPS estimates that the database contains 235,000 names. Additional information about black troops can be found in local and state libraries, county and state archives, historical societies, special libraries and museums, and at the Andrew Bowman (Pvt. Andrew Jackson Smith), Khabir Shareef (Major Martin National Archives. Some useful R. Delany), and Charles Poindexter (Chaplain Garland White) at Crown sources for researching African Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis. American Civil War soldiers at the Indiana Historical Society follow. bugler Robert Guernsey and Stewart liam P. Fishback. On 24 April 1864, DeVane from the 42nd Indiana, the 28th left Indianapolis for Mary Sources at IHS for Researching Af Gerald Sullivan from the 19th Indi land where they became the 28th rican American Civil War History ana of Iron Brigade fame, and Scott United States Colored Infantry com Sholty representing the 14th Indiana. manded by Russell. The regiment pam Aptheker, Herbert. The Escaped slave and Union spy, engaged in several battles in Virginia E Negro in the Civil War. Harriette Tubman was portrayed by and ended its service in Texas. In 453 New York: International Portia Jackson from The Children’s July 1864, the 28th was one of a .A67 Publishers, 1938. Museum of Indianapolis. dozen black infantry regiments to 1938 fight at the Crater (Petersburg, Vir Background on the 28th USCT ginia). On 8 January 1866, two days The 28th United States Colored E Berlin, Ira, ed. Freedom: after its return to Indianapolis, the Troops was mustered into service on 185.2 A Documentary History 28th received public honors on the 20 December 1863 at Camp Fremont .F88 of Emancipation, 1861- southside of the courthouse square. in Indianapolis. Several companies, 1982 1867: The Black Military comprised of 518 men, were formed Researching the United States Col Experience. Cambridge, under the command of Captain ored Troops N.Y.: Cambridge Univer Charles L. Russell and attorney Wil There are numerous resources sity Press, 1982.

4 E Chester, Thomas Morris. F “Indiana’s 28th Regiment: rr Report of the Adjutant 540 Thomas Morris Chester, 521 Black Soldiers for the E General of the State of .N3 Black Civil War Corres- .J8 Union.” The Indiana His 506.2 Indiana. Vols. 3 and 7. In- C4 pondent: His Dispatches torian, February, 1994. 439 dianapolis: Samuel M. 1989 from the Virginia Front. (Published by the Indiana T4 Douglass, State Printer, Edited with a biographical Historical Bureau, this is 1865 1866. (Volume 3 lists the essay and notes by R. J. sue contains bibliogra v.3 officers of the 28th USCT M. Blackett. Baton Rouge: phies, timelines, copy of v.7 and includes a short Louisiana State University muster rolls, maps, stories, history of the regiment. Press, 1989. and activities for young Volume 7 gives a list of people interested in the enlisted men in the 28th rr Clark, George P. and 28th USCT). USCT by company, as well F Shirley E. Clark, “Heroes as black Hoosiers that 521 Carved in Ebony: Indiana’s fought in some non-Indiana E McPherson, James M. .148 Black Civil War Regiment, units during the Civil War.) 468 Ordeal by Fire: The Civil the 28th USCT.” Traces .M23 War and Reconstruction. E Stephens, George E. A of Indiana and Midwest 1982 New York: Knopf- distrib 513.5 Voice of Thunder: The ern History. Summer, uted by Random House, 54th Civil War Letters of 1995. 1982. .S74 George E. Stephens. Edited E Foner, Eric. Slavery, the 1997 by Donald Yacovone. Ur- bana: University of Illinois 178.6 Civil War, andReconstruc- UB .Moebs, Thomas Truxtun. Press, 1997. -N4 tion. Washington, D. C.: 418 Black Soldiers, Black no. 4 American Historical Asso .A47 Sailors, Black Ink: Re- rr Thombrough, Emma Lou. ciation, 1990. M64 search Guide on African- F Indiana in the Civil War 1994 Americans in U.S. Mili 526 Era: 1850-1880. India- E Forstchen, William Robert. tary History, 1526-1900. .H55 napolis: Indiana Historical 506.5 “The 28th United States Cheasapeake Bay, [Va.]: v. 3 Bureau and Indiana Histori 28th Colored Troops: Indiana’s Moebs Publishing Co., cal Society, 1965. .F6 African-Americans Go to 1994. 1996 War, 1863-1865.” Ph.D. rr Thombrough, Emma Lou. diss., West Lafayette, F The Negro in Indiana be- Internet North way, Mike. “The Ind.: Purdue University, 521 fore 1900: A Study of a Source Civil War Archive,” 1998 1994.Photocopy. Ann .138 Minority. Indiana Histori- (includes the United States v. 37 cal Collections Series, no. Arbor, Mich.: University Colored Troops regiments 37. Indianapolis: Indiana Microfilms International, with brief histories. From Historical Bureau, 1957. 1996. home page, go to File In E Voegeli, Victor Jacque. E Franklin, John Hope. dex, then to Regimental 185.9 Free but Not Equal: The 185 From Slavery to Freedom: Index, then to U. S. Col M6 Midwest and the Negro . F825 A History of Negro Ameri- ored Troops). 1969 during the Civil War. Chi 1988 cans. 6th edition. New cago: University of Chicago York: McGraw-Hill, 1988. URL: http://www.civilwararchive.com Press, 1969. E Glatthaar, Joseph T. Forged E The War of the Rebellion: 540 in Battle: The Civil War E Quarles, Benjamin. The 464 A Compilation of the Offi- .N3 Alliance of Black Soldiers 540 Negro in the Civil War. .U6 cial Records of the Union 1985 and Confederate Armies/ G53 and White Officers. New .N3 Boston: Little, Brown, prepared under the direction 1990 York: Free Press, 1990. Q3 1953. of the Secretary of War by 1953 Internet Hill, Walter B. “Entering Robert N. Scott. 128 vol Source the Civil War and Making umes. Washington, D.C.: a Difference: A Brief His rr “Reference Sources: Indi- Government Printing Of tory of the United States E ana and African American fice, 1880-1901. Harris Colored Troops,” ca. 1998 185.93 Participation during the burg, Pa.: National Histori (includes a historical over .14 Civil War.” Black History cal Society, distributed by view and a bibliographical B5 News & Notes, February Broadfoot Publishing Co., essay of the USCT). 1991. (Contains list of Historical Times Inc., specific printed and manu Morning House, 1985. URL: http://www.afroamcivilwar script sources at the Indi All photographs in this article cour memorial. org/text/archival-hist.htm ana Historical Society.) tesy of Andrew Bowman.

5 Our Underground Railroad Trip by Carol Becker and Erika Blinks Editor’s Note: This summer sev eral students grades 7 through 12 (all but one was from Indiana) and nine adults traveled throughout In diana, to Michigan, and on up to Canada to create an Underground Railroad adventure. The students, Indiana Junior Historical Society members, explored the cultural, po litical, and economic history relat ing to Indiana’s role with the Un derground Railroad. Students paid a nominal fee for the five-day expe rience that was supported by the In diana Historical Society. As a re sult o f the trip, an educator’s re source packet was developed with a grant from the John W. Anderson Foundation. The packet includes a video journal that students worked together to research, write, and pro duce. Teachers Stan Emerson, Jo Ann Fox, Greg Marine, Daniel McCaulley, and Dickie Stewart; Star of Indiana bus driver, Noah Young; and IHS staff members, Nancy Wolfe, Wilma L. Gibbs, and David Roberts worked with Pat Gillogly, Indiana Junior Historical Society assistant direc tor, to plan and facilitate the trip. During the past two summers, the Juniors have explored the dunes of northwest Indiana and Marengo Cave in southern Indiana. Next The Underground Railroad group cruising down the Ohio River on the summer’s trip will investigate Indi Star of Louisville. ana railroads. bany, located in southern Indiana. to the group. On day three, we vis Carol Becker is an 8th grader at Slaves would go there since the city ited the Levi Coffin Home in Foun First Lutheran School in Glencoe, bordered the Ohio River. In the tain City. Coffin was a Quaker who Minnesota. Erika Blinks is an 8th basement of the church, the slaves helped runaway slaves during the grader at New Augusta Public could be hidden. There was a small time he lived in antebellum Indiana. Academy, Pike Township in India door facing the river where the slaves We also went to the Union Literary napolis. entered. To get a sense of the vast Institute in Randolph County where On 6 July at 8:30 a.m., History ness of crossing a large body of wa many African American Hoosiers re Cruiser III met at the Indiana His ter, we took a cruise down the Ohio ceived an education before the Civil torical Society Building. We did sev River. We realized that slaves did War. Next we went to Fort Wayne eral icebreakers in order to get com not take such leisure trips. where we visited the Lincoln Mu fortable as a group. Before we knew At Earlham College, we learned seum and learned a lot about our 16th more than two people’s names, we that the internet can be a useful president. After leaving the museum, split up into small groups and dis source for gathering information we stayed at the Potawatomi Inn at cussed various narratives. They were about the Underground Railroad. We Pokagon State Park. During a night written by people who lived during logged onto websites, many of the hike, many of us took on the role of the time of slavery, some of them addresses were provided. We also got runaway slaves, and a few of us were owners of plantations. on search engines and found addi slave catchers. Leaving Indianapolis, we visited tional sites. Working in small clus On day four, we traveled to De Second Baptist Church in New Al ters, we later presented our findings troit to visit the Museum of African

6 American History. A docent gave us structure was erected on the same an overview of slavery beginning with site. The windows and ceilings were the Middle Passage. She talked ex handcarved by the church mem tensively about runaway slaves. This bers. We ate lunch and afterwards we helped put our trip in perspective. To witnessed a dramatic presentation by navigate our Underground Railroad Leslie McCurdy. The Spirit of adventure, we traveled on a tour bus Harriette Tubman was a re-enact along paved highways with the help ment of Tubman’s life. From the of maps and road signs. Runaway church, we traveled to the John Free slaves would have used moss on trees man Walls Historic Site. It is the ac and the star constellations to direct tual homestead of a former slave their paths. They would have had whose descendants own and oper many hardships to endure. ate the site. They entertained and in Our destination was Canada. After formed us tracing John Freeman visiting the Museum of African Walls and his family’s journey to American History, we crossed the Canada. Detroit River via the Ambassador We visited museums, historic Bridge, went through Customs, and sites, churches, educational institu arrived at the Sandwich Baptist tions, and state parks. We partici Church in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. pated in many interesting Under The orignial church was built in 1851. ground Railroad activities and did It was tom down, and the current historical research. Once when we Carol Becker preparing for the Underground Railroad trip. were on the tour bus, we wrote down on a piece of paper a description about the person sitting next to us. We included things such as the color of their eyes and hair, what size they were, and anything that would help people guess who the description fit. It was like making a Wanted sign for a runaway slave. The descriptions were read and the group guessed who the runaway was. The purpose of our trip was to broaden our knowledge about the Underground Railroad; to learn about Indiana through exploration and in vestigation; and to gain appreciation of the importance of historic sites as sociated with Indiana’s history. We developed a video. We all partici pated. Some people wrote introduc tions for the different sections, many videotaped; and others edited the fi nal copy. Still others made a scrap book using photographs and memo rabilia. Some of the group inter viewed tour guides and other individu als who knew much about the his tory of the Underground Railroad. We strongly suggest that all stu dents (4th through 12th grades) con sider joining the Indiana Junior His Adrienne Yanez, Nancy Ramirez, and Erika Blinks at the Museum of torical Society to explore the many African American History. opportunities that are available.

7 ings including education and culture, Oral Histories IHS Publications women’s history, history of cities and Wanted for Sale rural communities, biographies, and Indiana African American history “Students as Agents of Change,” The following publications can be sources. The book contains an index the Gary (Ind.) Community School mail ordered or picked up at the In and 47 illustrations. Corporation’s Technology Innovation diana Historical Society. To order, Challenge Grant project, is seeking contact Aimee Klein, Indiana Histori to create a database of oral histories cal Society publications sales coor IHRG Program dinator at (317) 233-0833 or 1 -800- of persons who were participants or The Indiana Historical Society and observers in the Civil Rights move IHS-1830. E-mail aklein @statelib. lib.in.us. Each bibliography is $2 plus the Indiana Humanities Council jointly ment in Gary. For purposes of the sponsor the Indiana Heritage Research $1 for postage and handling. For project, we are defining this period Grants program. Up to $2500 in match quantities over five, please call the as the 1940s through the 1960s, cul ing funds is available to support state minating with the National Black Historical Society for postage costs. The cost for IAAH is $14.95 ($6.95, and local history research projects. Political Convention in 1972, held at Awards are made to nonprofit organi West Side High School in Gary. members) for the paperback and $27.95 ($22.35, members) for the zations. Contributions of inkind ser Sixth-grade students will assist in vices, as well as cash resources, from the interview and database creation clothbound. Postage is $3.00 plus $1.00 for each additional copy. the sponsoring agencies qualify for process. The “Students as Agents of matching purposes. Funds may be used Change” project is particularly inter Guide to African American Printed Sources at the Indiana His for a range of research projects includ ested in persons who are willing to ing basic research, oral history collec allow their stories to be audio or vid torical Society (1997). The guide is a bibliography of books, pamphlets, tion and transcription, substantive ed eotaped. The stories need not be lim iting of historic documents, interpreta ited to those connected to major and periodicals divided into sixteen major subject areas. The items are tion and cataloguing of historical col news events of the time; indeed, the lections, translation of historic materi personal experiences and recollec arranged alphabetically by main en try (usually author or editor). There als in foreign languages, conservation tions of ordinary people are wel of old photographs and documents, and comed and encouraged. are descriptions of each subject area to help researchers determine the ra history research programs. Grant re If you or someone that you know tionale for the placement of titles. cipients must pledge to prepare two was a participant or witness to any This is a companion guide to Se public programs in connection with the of the activities, events, speeches, lected African American History research project. The schedule follows: etc.that impacted the governmental, Collections (1996), an annotated bib economic, and social fabric of Gary Prospectus Deadline 20 January 1999 liography of 92 manuscript collec during this unique period of history, (mandatory) tions at the Historical Society. Application Deadline 17 March 1999 please contact Leslie Green at (219) Indiana’s African-American Decision 30 April 1999 881-5508 or e-mail to lgreen@ Heritage: Essays from Black His surfnetinc.com and leave your name tory News & Notes (IAAH) is a com Project Director 17 May 1999 and number. pilation of sixteen articles previously Briefing published in the newsletter. The vol Project May Begin 1 June 1999 ume is arranged by five subject head Project Ends 31 May 2000

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