A century later: Black Civil War soldiers to receive veteran headstones

Black Civil War soldiers to receive veteran headstones

A century after serving in the 39th United States Colored Infantry Regiment, two soldiers are to receive veteran headstones.

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs approved headstones for Private John Thomas Weedon and Private Henry Adolphus Weedon, which will be placed at their grave sites in Frederick, Maryland, at the Sunnyside New Life Community Church cemetery.

The two men, who are believed to be cousins, were part of the founders of the church in 1899.

If you look into the church’s cemetery, you will find the headstones of many of Weedon’s descendants who served in World War I, World War II and Vietnam.

Roxanne Weedon, a trustee of the church and John Thomas Weedon’s great, great, granddaughter, gave WTOP a tour of the church and cemetery.

“It’s pretty awesome to be able to walk across the same grounds where your forefathers came to church every Sunday,” Weedon said. “We still have descendants that go to church here every Sunday.”

Joe Wilson Jr. was also part of the tour. The former member of the 82nd Airborne Division conducted research and worked with Fabia Taylor, of the Delaware County Veterans Affairs Office of Ohio, to secure the headstones for the Civil War veterans.

“They’ve been neglected for over a century. The very least we could do is make sure that they have a proper headstone,” Wilson said. “Especially for Memorial Day, that these men are recognized for their sacrifices.”

Wilson shared that the 39th United States Colored Infantry Regiment was organized in March of 1864 in Baltimore, Maryland, and included the enlistment of mostly enslaved men.

The outfit saw action in Virginia and North Carolina and fought with distinction. The regiment had a casualty rate of 50%, and one-third of the entire regiment died during the war.

Weedon told WTOP she is thankful for what Wilson did for her ancestors and will tell her family at the church’s Memorial Day barbecue dinner sale on Saturday.

When asked what motivated him to help get the headstones for the two members of the 39th Regiment, Wilson answered, “It’s part of my duty.”