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. INDIANA HISTORICAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION (Please make membership in one name only) Name _____________________________________ Address ___________________________ City _______________ State_______________ Zip_______________ Occupation ______ Membership Categories (Check One) D Student $10 (Under 26 years old) D Annual $30 d Sustaining $50 I wish to receive the following publications (please check all those that you wish to receive): ____ Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History, a popular history magazine. ____ Indiana Magazine of History, a scholarly journal ____ The Hoosier Genealogist, a family history publication ____ Black History News & Notes, a Hoosier African American history newsletter Signature_____________________________________________________ Date 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.

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