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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, It is important to remember and honor those who | ||||||
| 3 | have served the United States of America and the State of | ||||||
| 4 | Illinois; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Private Martin Pedee was a brave man who fought | ||||||
| 6 | for his freedom, the freedom of others, and for his country, | ||||||
| 7 | overcoming great prejudice and obstacles along the way; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, Private Pedee was born on a planation that | ||||||
| 9 | stretched across the border between the two Carolinas in the | ||||||
| 10 | mid 1840s; as a teenager, he joined the 35th United States | ||||||
| 11 | Colored Infantry and remained in the service for another nine | ||||||
| 12 | years, serving as one of the famous "Buffalo Soldiers" out west | ||||||
| 13 | in the 25th, 38th, and 40th United States Infantry; and
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| 14 | WHEREAS, Following his discharge from the service, Private | ||||||
| 15 | Pedee came to Vermilion County and lived near Danville, where | ||||||
| 16 | he worked as a farmer; he then moved to Catlin, where he worked | ||||||
| 17 | as a barber, was a member of the municipal band, and served as | ||||||
| 18 | an elected official; and
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| 19 | WHEREAS, Private Pedee was the first African-American | ||||||
| 20 | Police Magistrate to be elected in the State of Illinois, and | ||||||
| 21 | that election made local, State, and nationwide news; he was | ||||||
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| 1 | also one of the first African-Americans to serve as a notary | ||||||
| 2 | public and justice of the peace in the State of Illinois; and
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| 3 | WHEREAS, Private Pedee encountered insurmountable | ||||||
| 4 | challenges in his life, yet he rose to each one with | ||||||
| 5 | determination and dignity; he went from being born an enslaved | ||||||
| 6 | person to becoming an elected official; and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, Saturday, April 20, 2019 will be a day of | ||||||
| 8 | remembrance, inspiration, and patriotism, as a marble military | ||||||
| 9 | tombstone will be dedicated to Private Martin Pedee; and
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| 10 | WHEREAS, The Soldier's Circle at Oak Ridge Cemetery on the | ||||||
| 11 | west side of Catlin will be the site of a Dedication Ceremony, | ||||||
| 12 | presented by the Ward Hill Lamon Civil War Roundtable, the | ||||||
| 13 | Illiana Civil War Historical Society, and the Martin Pedee | ||||||
| 14 | Celebration Committee; and
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| 15 | WHEREAS, A Civil War era replica 34-star American flag will | ||||||
| 16 | be flying on the Soldier's Circle flagpole; an Honor Guard | ||||||
| 17 | consisting of Civil War Living History presenters and American | ||||||
| 18 | Legion members will fire a 21-gun salute in honor of Private | ||||||
| 19 | Pedee and another volley in honor of all soldiers buried in the | ||||||
| 20 | cemetery; and
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| 21 | WHEREAS, This is the first of several military stone | ||||||
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| 1 | dedications planned by the Civil War Roundtable and Historical | ||||||
| 2 | Society for the year; therefore, be it
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| 3 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 4 | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 5 | we honor and remember fallen solider Martin Pedee for his | ||||||
| 6 | service to our country and to our State; and be it further
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| 7 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 8 | presented to the family of Private Martin Pedee as an | ||||||
| 9 | expression of our esteem and respect.
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