Historical marker honoring the 61st U.S. Colored Infantry Regiment at Madison Co. Courthouse
JACKSON, TN (WNBJ) - The historical marker for the 61st U.S. Colored Infantry was unveiled at the Madison County Courthouse recently.
The historical marker says over 155 years ago, more than a hundred African Americans from Madison county volunteered at the county courthouse to fight in the Civil War.
The Madison County Courthouse served as a recruiting station for the Union Army.
The organization says those who served were not only fighting for their country, but also for their freedom.
The president of the Jackson-Madison County NAACP branch believes the marker is a great start to recognizing the bravery and the sacrifices made by those who were enslaved.
“Even though they were enslaved and because of their actions, we are all a little bit better off for doing that. This statue, this monument, represents hope, it represents going forward, to create a society and community that embraces our history," said Harrell Carter, the President of the Jackson-Madison County NAACP branch.
The NAACP says they plan to continue honoring those heroes who were members of the 61st U.S. Colored Infantry.
They want to further their research to find more names of men in both A and B companies associated with the infantry regiment.
