SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — A monument to black soldiers who fought in the Union Army during the Civil War was in place at a western Ohio cemetery for Memorial Day.
The United States Colored Troops monument at Ferncliff Cemetery in Springfield bears the names of 139 men interred there. Dedication had been planned for Monday, but it has been postponed because of pandemic safety precautions. The city’s annual Memorial Day parade was canceled.
The tribute at the cemetery’s Grand Army of the Republican Mound was a joint project of the Ferncliff Cemetery Association and Gammon House Inc. Gammon House is a historic Springfield home that served as a stop on the Underground Railroad that helped freedom-seeking slaves.
The Springfield News Sun reports that the monument stands 5½ feet tall, weighs nearly 8,000 pounds and is made of Blue Ridge Granite. It contains each veteran’s name as well as the regiment, company and unit he served in.