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Five federal tombstones mark
the USCT veterans' final resting place in Delaware City:
James Elbert, Joseph Byard, Lewis Taylor, William Crawford,
and Alexander Draper. Byard’s neighbor William Watson,
another Polktown USCT veteran, may be interred here. In
a nearby cemetery lies fellow soldier Joseph LeCount.
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Right here in Delaware City lies
an unheralded bit of American history – a lost cemetery
containing the remains of generations of African-Americans
from our area. This cemetery is the burial place of 5 members
of the US Colored Troops who served bravely served the Union
in the Civil War.
The Friends of the African Union
Church Cemetery was founded in 1996 by concerned citizens
to preserve and teach about this cemetery, owned by the
Mt. Salem UAME Church. After two decades, the restored cemetery
and memorial plaza opened to the public along the Delaware
City Canal Trail.
It is our mission to preserve
this place. We tell the story of the mostly forgotten people
who lived here, died, and were buried there.
Join us to learn about The African
Union Church Cemetery’s restoration and maintenance.
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Voices Long Forgotten
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The Friends have completed
our short film which tells the story of Polktown, its
restored African Union Church Cemetery, and a particular
United States Colored Troops soldier, Pvt. James H.
Elbert, who fought in the Civil War.
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Click here
to watch the video!
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Click here for
the more information
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Voices from the Past
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Voices from the Past is our
wonderful FREE traveling education program designed for
schools, community groups, and churches. The program shares
the story of the once-forgotten cemetery and the local United
States Colored Troops buried there. Living historian and
storyteller Willis Phelps brings to life Private James Elbert,
who served with the USCT during the Civil War and was nearly
executed for desertion only to be found innocent. Accompanied
by a facilitator that sets the stage for his presentation,
the program is tailored for school children or the general
public.
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Click here for details
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Voices Long Forgotten teaser
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The Friends are working on a
video to augment our Voices of the Past presentation. We have a 90-second teaser that
presents the cemetery, the soldiers, and Polktown.
Please check it out!
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Click here for
the video
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Bi-Monthly Meeting
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The Friends meet every the third
Thursday of every other month. We are meeting in-person this month. If you are interested in attending this
remote meeting see the link below.
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Click here for
details
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Newsletter
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Check out our Epitaph
newsletter for history of the cemetery, its neighborhood,
and its people, as well as progress reports about our renovations.
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Click
here to read it
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