Saturday, May 28, 2005
Eight other black Civil War soldiers were honored Saturday.
By AMBER HYLAND
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Descendants of Civil War soldiers and other community members waited for the unveiling of the black Civil War soldier's name on The Man On The Monument in downtown Youngstown with one thought in mind -- "it's about time."
Private Jacob Nixon Robinson was honored as the first black Civil War soldier to be listed among the names of white soldiers Saturday, "taking his rightful place" on the monument as Claire Maluso, Federal Plaza director, said.
Stefon Jones, a historian who worked on the project, said "Jacob waited 135 years for this. Welcome home, solider. You're home."
Project's inspiration
Anthony Feldes, a Youngstown area resident who is active in veterans activities, said he always "had a pack of rocks in his shoes" that made him look up at the monument, knowing that the names of black soldiers were not there.
He discovered this in 1969 when his girlfriend at the time took him to the monument downtown.
When Feldes "found out there were no black names on the monument, God said, 'Not so,'" Jones said. "God's agenda is different from man's agenda."
Feldes and Jones worked together, along with Tom Anderson, a community activist, to put Robinson's name on the monument.
Jones said he remembered when he was 12 years old, his grandfather pulled on his shirt sleeve.
"It's about time you learn about your history," his grandfather said to him.
Jones said he then developed a "pit bull mentality" meaning that he was like a pit bull who latched on to what it wanted until it was satisfied.
"I have two sons, and I am proud of both of them, but this one is stubborn," said Joyce Love about her son and his work on the project.
"Today I am satisfied," Jones said. "Today I can let go."
Heritage remembered
Adrian Russ, a student at The Rayen School, delivered a speech about the importance of black heritage at the ceremony.
Russ said 242,000 freed black slaves from the North fought in the Civil War to win freedom for their brothers and sisters in the South.
He added that there is no greater love than those who will lay down their lives for each other, encouraging the audience to see the importance of the fight against racial discrimination today.
Descendants of black Civil War soldiers were also present for the event.
Wanda Washington stepped to a podium in Central Square and spoke of her great-grandfather, George Peter Logan, who fought in the Civil War.
"I will never look at this monument in the same way again because now I have a connection to it," she said.
Washington said people should visit the graves of 25 black Civil War soldiers at Oak Hill Cemetery.
"Every time you go there, my great-grandfather will know that you passed by," she said. "He's going to wave to you."
Soldiers honored
Robinson was born in Pennsylvania in 1830 and died July 23, 1864 at Fort Monroe, Va., of camp fever. A laborer by trade, Jacob and his brother, Paul R. Robinson, enlisted with the 5th United States Colored Troop (USCT) Company A from Mahoning County, according to military records.
"Jacob Robinson is a symbol, not only to the other veterans whose names aren't on the monument, but to those names that aren't on monuments across the states," Jones said. "Wherever you are from, look at your Civil War monument to see if there are names of black soldiers. And I hope God gives you the same passion and pit bull mentality I have."
Eight other black Civil War soldiers were also honored with Robinson. They were: Pvt. Samuel Scott, 5th USCT. Co. A. Ohio; Pvt. Benjamin F. Scott, 5th USCT Co. A. Ohio; Sgt. Mathew Johnson, 55th Massachusetts; James Johnson, 55th Massachusetts; Thomas D. Johnson, 127th USCT. Pa. Co. A.; 1st Sgt. George Peter Logan, 44th USCT. Co. C. Tenn.; Amos Lacy, 42nd USCT. Co. K. Tenn. and Pvt. Paul R. Robinson, 5th USCT Co. A. Ohio.