By Tribune Staff
FRANKLIN, TN — Brick pavers commemorating U.S. Colored Troops and a Black sailor during the Civil War are to be installed and dedicated on Memorial Day in conjunction with the Slaves To Soldiers Project.
The annual ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. Sunday, May 29, in Veterans Memorial Park at Five Points near the Williamson County Archives, 1320 W. Main St., where officers of the county’s Veterans Service Office will dedicate 16 pavers.
Beginning in 2018, the Slaves To Soldiers Project has identified more than 350 Black men from Williamson County who served in the Union army and navy during the Civil War. To date, the project has placed 50 pavers honoring those veterans. At this year’s program, pavers will be installed honoring 15 U.S. Colored Troops and one U.S. Navy serviceman with ties to Williamson County. The U.S. military was segregated until July 26, 1948.
Founded in 2016, the Slaves To Soldiers Project raises awareness about and offers respect for the service of the Black men from Williamson County who escaped slavery to fight the Confederacy in the U.S. military during 1861 through 1865. The project conducts research, provides educational programming and raises funds for commemorative brick pavers in Memorial Veterans Park. The cost to sponsor a paver is $65. The Slaves To Soldiers Project encourages individuals, families, civic groups, schools, and other organizations to sponsor the fee for one of Williamson County’s African American veterans from the Civil War. Visit SlavesToSoldiers.org for more information.
