They are perhaps Lawrence County’s most-overlooked veterans.

Indeed, the very names of these men, not to mention the sacrifices they made in service to their country, have been practically forgotten by most local people.

Most of us probably learned in school that the Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves. But did you know that that is only part of the story?

In addition to paving the way for the liberation of hundreds of thousands of enslaved people as Union forces made their way across the South, the Emancipation Proclamation helped to supply a pressing wartime need for the Union: manpower.

The Proclamation made it possible for the Union to begin recruiting, training, and putting into service thousands of black combat troops. This gave Union forces crucial manpower at a critical juncture in the war.

At least ten African-American men from Lawrence County volunteered to serve in these new regiments of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) of the Union army between 1863 and 1865. Four of those men made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their country.

By war’s end, more than 180,000 black men from across the country would take up arms for the Union. Roughly 40,000 of those men died in uniform.

In the month of February and all through the year, I am proud to tell the stories of these ten local men who left Lawrence County to join the USCT. Please take a moment today to remember these men, and to reflect on their courage, sacrifice, and bravery.