‘An African-American Civil War Soldier From Connecticut,’ April 14 At Booth Library

Although the movie Glory made the Massachusetts 54th African American Regiment famous, it was by no means the only such unit in the Civil War. Virtually all the northern states were recruiting African Americans by the middle of the war, and Connecticut was no exception.

Newtown Historical Society will visit the battlefields in the company of “William Webb: An African American Civil War Soldier from Connecticut,” on Monday, April 14, at 7:30 pm. Kevin Johnson will present the free program in the community room of C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main Street.

Private William Webb was an actual soldier, a native of Hartford. He was recruited in 1863 and served in the Twenty-Ninth (Colored) Regiment, Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, serving in several battles in Virginia. Kevin Johnson’s presentation of Webb is told from an emotional and exciting first-person perspective that vividly illustrates the struggle of the African Americans in the Colored Infantry during the Civil War.

He tells of Webb’s early life in Hartford, his recruitment and training, and the traumatic final battles of the Civil War. The presentation is based on extensive research in the collections of the Connecticut State Library and the Museum of Connecticut History in Hartford.

Connecticut’s 29th Regiment began with its first enlistment in August 1863, was fully formed by January 1864, and was mustered into national service by March. After receiving muskets, the regiment was deployed to South Carolina, and later to Virginia.

The unit saw action in several skirmishes before being assigned to relieve troops already in the trenches before Petersburg. After a month of fierce fighting, the 29th was itself relieved, and was involved in several more small actions throughout Virginia. In December 1864, the unit was reorganized into the African American 25th Corps, and continued to fight in Virginia.

Within a week after the war ended in April 1865, the 25th Corps was assigned to POW guard duty in Maryland, and later was sent to Texas on mop-up duties against holdout Confederate bands. By late November 1865, the 25th arrived back in Connecticut to be paid out and discharged after their extensive, honorable, and active service.

Kevin Johnson is an employee of the State Library’s History and Genealogical Unit. He has been presenting the William Webb program for more than nine years, and has given more than 320 presentations.

All Newtown Historical Society programs are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served following the presentation.

For further information, call the historical society at 426-5937.