A Juneteenth tribute to Middlesex County African-American Civil War soldiers and sailors was presented on Sunday, June 22, at Antioch Baptist Church in Saluda to honor more than 80 former enslaved Blacks who ran away from slave owners in Middlesex to fight for freedom in the Union army and navy.
Through research, mostly through Civil War pension records, the museum found names of more than 80 enslaved Middlesex people who fought on the Union side. A highlight of the event was when Arnetta Kidd, Barbara Wake Holmes, Hallie Holmes and Tyler Radabaugh read the names of all of the Middlesex County soldiers. During the reading, there was a stillness in the room as each name was read, but when Radabaugh read the last name, there was a standing ovation.
Edward Gantt, president of the 23rd regiment, United States Colored Troops Reenactors, told the group that by the end of the Civil War 10% of the Union Army and 25% of the U.S. Navy were composed of African-Americans.
Gantt spoke of African-American success stories that have been ignored in American history. “Everything good that has happened in America we (African-Americans) were there,” he said.
He said that it is so important that each generation of African-Americans tell the next generation about the sacrifices that their relatives have made for freedom. “It is not being told in the history books,” he said.
Middlesex County was a Confederate county and Union occupied throughout the war as the federal blockade of Chesapeake Bay lasted from the beginning of the war in 1861 to the end in 1865. Union troops were coming and going on land and sea and encouraging enslaved Blacks to join in the fight against the Confederacy.
Prior to the ceremony at Antioch, several wreaths were placed on graves of African-American Union soldiers and sailors. Samuel Mayo buried at Antioch Baptist, George H. Harris at Grafton Baptist Church in Hartfield and Joshua Dudley and Elijah Banks at First Baptist of Harmony Village near Locust Hill all had wreaths placed on their graves.
The Southside Rappahannock Baptist Association choir filled the church with joy and song — singing such old-time religious songs as “Go Down, Moses,” “Ride On King Jesus,” “Freedom Medley” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
The message was clear that freedom for Middlesex County enslaved people did not come easy or overnight, but through generational sacrifices that resulted in many county African-Americans taking up self-emancipation and arms for freedom by joining the Union army or navy.
