Mike Kramer, Peoria Journal Star
·4 min read
A group of Black Union Army soldiers from Tazewell County who fought in the American Civil War were honored Wednesday when the county dedicated a stone monument and new historical marker at the Tazewell County Courthouse in Pekin.
Tazewell County honored the historic 29th Colored Infantry Regiment as part of its Juneteenth observance, where the stone was unveiled and dedicated. The Illinois State Historical Society, the Tazewell County Board, and the office of John Ackerman, the Tazewell County Clerk and Recorder of Deeds, sponsored the historical marker. Amazon and Abel Monument Company donated the stone monument.
"This historical marker ... is so important because of the 29th of Illinois," said William Furry, director of the Illinois State Historical Society. "It's the only marker to them in the state, and they were the largest regiment of colored troops in the nation."
Background: Union soldier gave central Illinois a special connection to 'Juneteenth'
The ceremony also paid tribute to Pekin native and former U.S. Sen. Everett Dirksen's connection to Juneteenth through his work with the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. He was helping draft the bill that would become the Civil Rights Act of 1964 precisely a century after 12 local men enlisted in the 29th, according to Dirksen Congressional Center executive director Tiffany White.
"Exactly 60 years ago today, thanks to the leadership of Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen, Congress passed the most significant piece of legislation of the 20th century: the Civil Rights Act of 1964," she added.
Local soldiers part of liberation of Galveston
In April 1864, 12 Black Tazewell County residents enlisted in the Union Army. Eleven were assigned to the 29th Colored Infantry Regiment, according to Ackerman, while George W. Lee of Pekin was reassigned to the Massachusetts 55th Colored Infantry Regiment.
"When our men of the 29th enlisted in the Civil War, their ages ranged from 18-years-old, up to the oldest one, who reported his age as 39 as he stepped forward to fight," said Pekin historian Jared Olar.
Five local members of the 29th went on to participate in the liberation of Galveston, Texas — the last stronghold of slavery in the United States.
That event occurred on June 19, 1865, and inspired Juneteenth.
What is the 29th Colored Infantry Regiment?
The 29th Colored Infantry was formed in Quincy, Illinois, in April 1964 and was Illinois’ only Black regiment during the Civil War, wrote Olar.
Eight of the Tazewell County residents were from Pekin. Among them was William Henry Costley, son of Nance Legins-Costley, the first slave legally freed by then-attorney Abraham Lincoln. The other three Tazewell County residents who served in the 29th Colored Infantry were from Elm Grove Township, according to Ackerman.
Peoria history: First slave freed by Abraham Lincoln, a Pekin woman, is now buried under Peoria pavement
Where did the 29th infantry fight in the Civil War?
The regiment was initially ordered to Annapolis, Maryland, in May 1864 and was then deployed to Alexandria, Virginia, according to The National Park Service. In June 1865, the unit was moved first to White House, Virginia, then to Petersburg, Virginia.
From June 1864 until April 1865, the 29th Colored Infantry participated in siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond. Moved to Texas in May 1865, the regiment served there before being mustered out Nov. 6, 1865.
The unit sustained a total of 234 casualties during the Civil War. Three officers and 43 enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded in combat, and 188 enlisted men died of illnesses. Olar wrote that 29th Colored Infantry Regiment sharpshooter Thomas Shipman of Pekin was killed in the line of duty during the Appomattox Campaign in March 1865. The oldest Tazewell County member, Morgan Day of Elm Grove, died of dysentery in New Orleans in September 1865.
Who from Tazewell County was in the 29th Colored Infantry Regiment?
A full list of the Tazewell County residents who served in the 29th Colored Infantry, according to local historian Jared Olar. The five members present at the first Juneteenth are marked with an asterisk.
William Henry Costley – Pekin*
Edward Lewis - Pekin
William Henry Ashby – Pekin*
Marshall Ashby – Pekin*
Nathan Ashby – Pekin*
William J. Ashby - Pekin
Thomas Shipman - Pekin
George H. Hall - Pekin
Wilson Price - Elm Grove Township
Thomas M. Tumbleson - Elm Grove Township*
Morgan Day – Elm Grove Township
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Tazewell County Juneteenth Observance: Black Civil War regiment honored in Pekin
