Thanking fallen heroes: Black Civil War soldiers honored in Norfolk

Eliza Noe, The Virginian-Pilot
·3 min read

NORFOLK — A light drizzle fell Saturday morning over West Point Cemetery as about two dozen community members gathered to honor Black Civil War soldiers for Military Appreciation Month.

This marked the second year the soldiers were honored with a wreath-laying ceremony. With “Taps” playing in the graveyard, the wreath of white and blue flowers was placed in front of the cemetery’s monument to the Black soldiers just after 10 a.m.

The land holds a significant part of Norfolk’s Black history. The 14 acres serve as the final resting place for 58 soldiers and sailors who fought in the Civil War and Black military who served during the Spanish-American War.

According to previous reporting from The Virginian-Pilot, it is likely one of the South’s only monuments to Black Union soldiers

Nearby is the grave of James E. Fuller, the son of slaves who later became Norfolk’s first Black city councilman in the 1880s. Fuller, a Civil War veteran, led the effort to establish West Point Cemetery and the monument honoring the soldiers. He also helped found Norfolk’s first public school for Black people.

“As we gather here today, it is my sincerest hope that you leave here with a greater understanding and respect for the efforts of those that came before us,” said City Council member John “JP” Paige. “I hope that as you gain an understanding of why we have a civil today, to honor this success, you will be a conveyor of this important part of history.

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“We must be unified in our efforts to share history, and this unity must be intentional, relentless and durable. We must never forget that freedom has never been free for us, not for our people. Preserving this history of African Americans is just as important as preserving the history of all Americans.”

The Hampton Roads Uplift Foundation worked with the Lambda Omega and Gamma XI chapters of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. to host the ceremony. Ted Price, chair of the military affairs committee for the Lambda Omega chapter, said the city’s rich military history made the choice to honor the soldiers during Military Appreciation Month a no-brainer.

“We thought it was only a fitting thing to do, to honor them for their sacrifices,” Price said.

According to the city of Norfolk, it was one of the few major cities in the South where Black men could be recruited because the area had been re-occupied by Union forces. About 1,200 local African American soldiers served at the battles of Chaffin Farms, New Market Heights, Fair Oaks, Dutch Gap and the sieges of Petersburg and Richmond. Many were cited for bravery and awarded medals.

“As we all honor these great soldiers of the past, let us never forget their plight in times when they were not recognized as citizens of this country, but as tools and equitable property of a power of their era,” said Ron Moore, leader of the Lambda Omega chapter.

“We still have roads to travel, but not as terminal as these great soldiers once experienced. I thank you, my fallen heroes.”

Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com