During the Civil War, over 80% of eligible Black men in Connecticut enlisted in 2 “Colored” infantry units.
On Wednesday — Juneteenth, honoring the final end of slavery in the US, when emancipation finally came for 250,000 people in Texas — the Saugatuck Congregational Church and Westport Museum for History & Culture honored those Black Connecticut soldiers.
There was a Westport connection. Their commander, Lt. Louis McDonough, is buried at the church’s Evergreen Cemetery.
McDonough and his men in the 29th Regiment were part of efforts to enforce the freedom of enslaved people in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865. That event led to the enactment of the national holiday, nearly 160 years later.
The men from Westport who were part of the 29th were Samuel Benson, Thomas Benson, James Burns, John Frye, Thomas Gregory, Frank Jackson, Joseph H. Jackson, William H. Jackson, William H. Johnson (1st), William H. Johnson (2nd), John Thompson, Charles C. Williams and Charles Yan Tross.
All were privates, except Lt. McDonough and musician Frank Jackson.
The Evergreen Cemetery memorial was unveiled by local veteran Sgt. First Class Buyile Rani, Connecticut Army National Guard (Retired). His participation was organized by Westport’s VFW Post 399/American Legion Post 63.
A young boy (front) added a light touch to Wednesday’s ceremony honoring Westport’s Black Civil War soldiers, at Evergreen Cemetery. From left: Sgt. 1st Class Buyile Rani; Saugatuck Church pastor Kari Nicewander; Dr. Vera Rhimes, Saugatuck Church council member; Westport Museum director Ramin Ganeshram; VFW quartermaster Lt. Cmdr. Phil Delgado. (Photo/Mark Mathias)
left-to-right IDs – SGT 1st Class Buyile Rani CT Army National Guard (Retired), Saugatuck Congregational Church Pastor Kari Nicewander, Vera P. Rhimes, Westport Museum Executive Director Ramin Ganeshram, LCDR Phil Delgado U.S. Navy (Retired)
VFW quartermaster Phil Delgado, Lt. Commander, US Navy (Retired) said, “The veteran community is honored to acknowledge the bravery and sacrifices of the 29th Infantry on Juneteenth. Dedicating a plaque serves as a reminder of the progress made in pursuit of justice and equality for all.”
Saugatuck Church Pastor Kari Nicewander offered a prayer. Saugatuck Church was a meeting place when the town of Westport was incorporated in 1835. The church is partnering with the Westport Museum to shine a light on local history, like Westport’s connection to Juneteenth.
The Museum also sponsored Black history walking tours, and screened the film “The 29th Connecticut Regiment and the Fight for Freedom.” Click below to see the video.
Hey, Dan – over 250,000 people were still enslaved in Texas, not 250. More were still enslaved in Delaware and other territories. Pretty significant difference. Enslavers marched enslaved people down to Texas to effectively “hide” them and continue the practice of using humans for free labor for nearly three years beyond Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.
My apologies for the typo. I knew it was 250,000 enslaved people. That is exponentially more heinous, for sure.
BRAVO ZULU!!! There is a national outfit that actually flies in Black Veterans to DC for the festivities each June 19th. Nice to see my ole church is part of Westport’s recognition. As for the Westport Museum, not so much. Since they dismantled the Sheffer room and keep our very own Professor Woog out of their loop of information, BLAH!!
Thank you! It was well worth the time to watch the video and I learned a great deal. Since we were transferred to Texas so long ago, I knew quite a bit about Juneteenth, but I hadn’t ever heard of the Connecticut connection! I know my family’s history in both the Revolutionary and Civil wars. Roots are so important. I am delighted to see these “roots” brought to the light. We still have a long way to go in shedding light on the issue of race in this country. I have family members in Evergreen Cemetary. I know they would be honored.
As a veteran I am honored by this video of the 29 Onnecticut Regiment
I think that “we” as a country have failed often to give credit where credit is due, especially to our servicemen and women of color. I don’t want to take away any honor or credit due to the men of the 29th Connecticut regiment. However, for someone who is interested looking into the 369th regiment of WWI is fascinating. They were called the Black Rattlers. France honored them and the U.S.A. mostly has ignored their sacrifice.