Monument Unveiling
| U.S. Colored Regiments Memorial Monument Unveiling Ceremony & Windsor Freedom Trail 30th Anniversary Celebration On Saturday, May 9, 2026 The Windsor Freedom Trail Committee is hosting a U.S. Colored Regiments Memorial Monument Unveiling Ceremony in honor of the courage, service, and legacy of African American soldiers and sailors who volunteered to serve during the Civil War with known connections to Windsor, CT. This monument will also be a new site on the Connecticut Freedom Trail and the Windsor Freedom Trail. The ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 9, 2026, from 11:00am -11:45am at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 122 East Street in Windsor. The U.S. Colored Regiments Memorial Monument unveiling will also be the highlight of the Windsor Freedom Trail’s 30th Anniversary, celebrating three decades of preserving and sharing Windsor's African American history. A 30th Anniversary Reception will immediately follow the unveiling ceremony from 12:00noon – 1:30pm at the Windsor Town Hall Ludlow Room, 275 Broad Street. The American Civil War began on April 12, 1861, but African American men were initially barred from serving. Despite this, many pushed for the right to fight for the Union, freedom, and citizenship. With the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and the creation of the United States Colored Troops (USCT), nearly 200,000 Black men ultimately volunteered to serve in the Army and Navy. These soldiers faced systemic racism, including segregation, unequal pay, and the threat of enslavement or death if captured. Still, they served with courage and distinction. Nineteen African American men with connections to Windsor were among the Civil War Volunteer Colored Regiments and are listed on the monument. The regiments they represented include the Connecticut 29th Colored Infantry Regiment, 31st United States Colored Troops, the 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry Regiment, the 14th Rhode Island Heavy Artillery Regiment-Colored, and in the U.S. Navy. Nine of the nineteen veterans’ burial sites are known to lie in two Windsor cemeteries; most in the rear sections—quiet reminders of sacrifices too long overlooked. In 2002, The Windsor Freedom Trail Committee initiated placing these African American Civil War Veterans burial sites in the Riverside Cemetery (and Palisado Cemetery) on the Connecticut Freedom Trail. Each September during Connecticut Freedom Trail Month, the Windsor Freedom Trail visits their graves and shares their stories with participants during the trail’s annual run and walking tours. However, since 2022 the Windsor Freedom Trail Committee desired to further commemorate the legacy of these men and started on a journey to install a monument at Windsor’s Veterans Memorial Cemetery. This United States Colored Regiments Memorial Monument at Windsor’s Veterans Memorial Cemetery is now becoming a reality on May 9, 2026. Part of the Windsor Freedom Trail’s mission is to provide Windsor residents and the greater community with educational programs and events to celebrate African American achievement, history, and heritage. “We are intentional about being true to our purpose,” said Pat Gardner. “Through this monument, the goal is to bring these veterans’ stories into fuller view and to honor their service in the cemetery where many of Windsor’s veterans are honored and laid to rest today. It also is intended to serve as an educational tool for schools, the community, and families seeking to possibly make connections for their family history research. We wanted to do our due diligence therefore, on the research portion of this project, we asked certified genealogy researcher, John Mills of Alex Breanne Corporation (non-profit) to assist and collaborate with us on researching the men and writing up bios and summaries of the regiments.” The research will be accessible on the day of the unveiling thanks to the support of Paula Pierce of HostingCT, who generously assisted the committee and donated her work to launch a new Windsor Freedom Trail website. Still, the plans for the Monument project would not have gone forth without funding support through the Town of Windsor - Community & Neighborhood Enhancement Program Grant and the generous donations from Windsor Federal Bank and Carmon Community Funeral Homes. The committee was also encouraged by the selfless support of so many others. Now, this monument will stand as a visible testament to the African American men who fought courageously for Union and freedom, who challenged a system of racial oppression by their very service, and whose legacy continues to call us to remembrance, gratitude, and justice. Please register by 5/5/2026 at: windsorfreedomtrailct.org if you plan to attend the 30th Anniversary reception following the ceremony. For questions, please send an email to: windsorfreedomtrailct@gmail.com. |