Hello Group... Read the very interesting article below from today's Kinston, N.C. FreePress. If you're within driving distance, plan to attend. U.S. Colored Troops meet brings scholars, historians to Kinston March 03,2005 Karen McConkey Staff Writer http://www.kinston.com/ The year was 1854. As the rumblings of the Civil War grew, slaves and free blacks knew the day would come when they must choose their battles. For many free and enslaved blacks, that battle was for freedom and emancipation. "Earning the Right to Citizenship" is this year's theme for an event organizers hope will help illuminate a lost chapter in Civil War history. A symposium for the U.S. Colored Troops will meet this weekend in Kinston, chief organizer Malcolm Beech said. "This is significant on several levels," Beech said. "This is a national organization that promotes the African-American participation in the Civil War." Historians and scholars know the impact these troops had in the ultimate Union victory. They hope someday to have American history books rewritten that include the contribution of Colored Troops during the Civil War. Beech said the weekend events tie closely to the 140th commemoration events of the Civil War that are slated here March 12 at the Richard Caswell Memorial State Historic site. "Because we have the Battle of Wyse Fork that was fought here on March 6, 1865 by Colored Troops, this really ties in with the commemorative ceremonies that are being held across the state," Beech said. Lenoir County and Kinston had residents who enlisted in the Union army and fought in the battle of Wyse Fork. Beech said the weekend events are also part of the Cultural Heritage Museum's efforts to support heritage tourism in Lenoir County. "We've gotten a lot of assistance from the Kinston Convention and Visitors Bureau as well as the Chamber of Commerce," Beech said. Chamber President Bruce Parson said his organization was honored to cosponsor the event, the first one Kinston has hosted. "It is a program to showcase the true history of the U.S. Colored Troops and this is a very significant part of Civil War history," Parson said. "This was a time in history we probably would prefer to forget, but a significant part of history and we need to know about it." The symposium kicks off at 6 p.m. with a reception at the Cultural Heritage Museum, 242 S. Queen St. The reception honors black Civil War heroes from North Carolina. Edwin Jones, a U.S. Colored Troops descendant and D. Stanton Biddle, president of the U.S. Colored Troops Institute, will speak. Frank Smith, president of the African American Civil War Museum in Washington, will lead off Saturday's events at the Hampton Inn. Other speakers include David Anderson, chairman of the Rochester Freedom Trail Commission; Lonnie Blizzard, historian; and authors Juanita Moss and John Gourdin. Re-enactors and USCT descendants are also part of Saturday's program that includes displays, exhibits and seminars. A wreath-laying will be held at Wyse Fork Civil War Battlefield at 10 a.m. on Sunday to honor fallen troops who fought at Wyse Fork on March 6, 1862. "Hopefully, people will go away with a little better perspective of the role played in the Civil War by the U.S. Colored Troops," Parson said. Karen McConkey can be reached at (252)527-3191, Ext. 232, or kmcconkey@freedomenc.com. If you go March 4 n Reception at Cultural Heritage Museum: 6 p.m., 242 S. Queen St. March 5 n Hampton Inn: 8:30 Welcome with keynote addresses n All day: History/Tourism seminars n Registration: $35 advance, $45 at door, includes lunch at Hampton Inn n Down East Carolina Hospitality Dinner: 7-9 p.m., Carraway's Restaurant. March 6 n Wreath-laying at Wyse Fork Battlefield, 10 a.m. with guest speakers, U.S. 70 East at British Road marker For more information call: (252)522-4660 ***************************************************************************** Feel free to report your visit back to us should you attend. Jewelle jewelle@coastalnet.com jewellebaker@cox.net Researching: (Main Capitalized) BAKER, Barrow, BEAMAN, BLOUNT, Bonner, Bours, Braxton, CANNON, Carraway, COX, Chester, Dail, ELLIS, Faircloth, Gardner, HANCOCK, HARDEE, Hardison, Harris, Harper, Harrington, Heath, Hollyman (all sp), JACKSON, Johnson, Jones, Letchworth, Manning, McGLOHON (all sp), McGOWAN, McKeel, Mills, Mitchell, Mumford, PHILLIPS, Price, Shaw, Smith, Sumrell, Stocks, Stokes, Tyson, Vandiford, Walls, Walston, Weeks, Wilkerson, WINGATE, Wetherington, Worthington, plus ++++ GenealogyPITT Co NC Friends In Research (Serving all Eastern/Coastal NC Counties) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/genpcncfir http://groups.yahoo.com/group/genpcncfir/messages eMail scan by NAV & certified Virus Free