By: Sandra Thompson
“…we have suffered to save the country, we ought to be remembered.”
Albert Bird, Company G, 15th Regiment US Colored Infantry
The Pvt Richard Taylor Camp of the Sons of Union Veterans will be sponsoring an exhibit featuring an African American soldier of the Civil War at the Alabama Veterans Museum and Archives in Athens, Alabama.
We are asking for donations to help fund this important addition to the museum.
The 106th United States Colored Infantry was the first of only two regiments of African American men organized and formed in Alabama. They mustered and were trained in Decatur in March 1864 and saw combat at the Battle of Athens on September 23, 1864, and the Battle of Sulphur Creek Trestle on September 24, 1864. Many of the men were captured at these battles and forced back into bondage. The regiment mustered out of service at Huntsville in April 1866.
The Sons of Union Veterans plans to pay homage to these brave men by erecting a life size representation of a 106th USCI soldier using a state-of-the-art lifelike mannequin, equipped with the finest museum-quality uniform and equipment. The exhibit will become the permanent property of the Alabama Veterans Museum and Archives.
Our exhibit will tell the untold story of the 106th USCI, and the 180,000 men of the United States Colored Troops who fought and bled for the Union and to end the institution of slavery.
Our goal for this project is $4,000. Any remaining funds from this effort will go towards the identification and care of the graves of Union soldiers in North Alabama.
The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and the Pvt Richard Taylor Camp of the SUVCW in Huntsville are 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations. All donations are tax deductible.
Donations can be made to the Taylor Camp’s Paypal account by accessing the link or scanning the QR code below.
You can learn more about The Sons of Union Veterans at: www.suvcw.org or more about the Pvt Richard Taylor Camp of the SUVCW at: https://taylorcamp53suvcw.webstarts.com. Alabama Veteran’s Museum and Archives at: http://www.alabamaveteransmuseum.com.
By: Sandra Thompson, Director, Alabama Veterans’ Museum
April 19, 2024
