Document Type
Text
Publication Date
3-2025
Abstract
The project’s aim is to consolidate military and pension records to identify and honor United States Colored Troops (USCT) by providing them headstones for their unmarked graves.
These soldiers fought for the Union in the Civil War in 1863 and 1864. They were almost always denied pensions during their lifetimes. One notable case is William Johnson, who was denied five times, only for his family to receive the pension posthumously.
We are working to establish a memorial site on the Jacksonville University campus. Currently, our main goal is to secure military headstones for these soldiers, many of whom were buried separately from white veterans due to segregation.
Through this work, we seek to enact justice and preserve the legacy of these forgotten heroes.
Recommended Citation
Merkley, Christian, "Marking Their Sacrifice: Headstones and History for USCT Veterans in Jacksonville, Florida" (2025). Dean's Leadership Council Library Research Prize. 8.
https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/dlc_research_prize/8
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Included in
African American Studies Commons, English Language and Literature Commons, United States History Commons
Comments
Winner (Graduate), Spring 2025 DLC Library Research Prize cycle.