Full Text of HR0878 103rd General Assembly
HR0878 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY | | | HR0878 | | LRB103 42059 LAW 75283 r |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION | 2 | | WHEREAS, Following the Emancipation Proclamation in | 3 | | January of 1863, President Abraham Lincoln called for the | 4 | | raising of a Black regiment for the Union Army; and | 5 | | WHEREAS, Massachusetts Governor John Andrew quickly | 6 | | answered President Lincoln's call and began forming the 54th | 7 | | Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, one of the first | 8 | | Black regiments to serve in the U.S. Civil War; and | 9 | | WHEREAS, Black men from across the state, country, and | 10 | | even other nations traveled to Boston to join this historic | 11 | | regiment; and | 12 | | WHEREAS, The 54th Massachusetts helped inspire the | 13 | | enlistment of more than 180,000 Black soldiers, a boost in | 14 | | morale and manpower that President Lincoln recognized as | 15 | | essential to the victory of the United States and the | 16 | | destruction of slavery throughout the country; and | 17 | | WHEREAS, Twelve of these brave African Americans who | 18 | | answered the call and enlisted on April 26, 1863 with Company H | 19 | | of the 54th Massachusetts hailed from the City of Galesburg; | 20 | | and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Sergeant Joseph Barquet, Corporal Samuel Wells, | 2 | | Private Clay Welcome, Private Joseph White, Private Preston | 3 | | Williams, Private Reuben Caldwell, Private John Davis, Private | 4 | | John Dickinson, Private Hiram Garnet, Private George Hubbard, | 5 | | Private Henry Kirk, and Private William Timms served bravely | 6 | | with the 54th Massachusetts; and | 7 | | WHEREAS, Sgt. Barquet, the most prominent of these figures | 8 | | in Galesburg's history, is known for serving as chairman of | 9 | | the Convention of 1866 to discuss civil rights, being a | 10 | | staunch advocate for the desegregation of schools, and | 11 | | delivering many speeches for equal rights for African | 12 | | Americans, especially African American veterans; and | 13 | | WHEREAS, While serving with the 54th Massachusetts, Pvt. | 14 | | Kirk and Pvt. Dickinson were wounded and captured at the | 15 | | Second Battle of Fort Wager in South Carolina in 1863; and | 16 | | WHEREAS, Pvt. Kirk and Pvt. Dickinson were held captive in | 17 | | Salisbury, North Carolina until March 4, 1865 when a prisoner | 18 | | exchange of 8,684 Union soldiers took place, which included | 19 | | 120 who were African American; and | 20 | | WHEREAS, Despite six out of the 12 either being wounded or | 21 | | captured, only one died while in service to their country, | 22 | | Pvt. Williams, who died due to an accident while in |
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| 1 | | Jacksonville, Florida; the rest of the brave men left the 54th | 2 | | Massachusetts being discharged at the expiration of their | 3 | | term; therefore, be it | 4 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 5 | | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 6 | | we recognize the brave men from Galesburg who joined the 54th | 7 | | Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment to help bring | 8 | | victory and, ultimately, the destruction of slavery throughout | 9 | | the country. |
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