Saturday, June 22, 2019

Lafayette County Juneteenth Foundation Hosts Commeration Service for U.S.C.T.

COMMEMORATION SERVICE FOR UNITED STATES COLORED TROOPS 
(U.S.C.T.), UNION SOLDIERS





The Lafayette County Juneteenth Foundation will be honoring three United States Colored Troop (U.S.C.T) Union Army veterans who are buried in the Mount Muncie Cemetery which is south on Shelby Road in Higginsville, MO. We will be honoring these soldiers on June 14, 2019 at 3 pm during a special commemoration service. Dr. Joahn Hall of the Howard A. Hall Foundation and the Buffalo Six Ranch in Richmond, MO will be assisting by providing a riderless horse tribute.

All of the soldiers were born enslaved and died as free men. We honor them for their sacrifices to end slavery, America's horrific institution.

“...Sing a song full of faith that the dark past has taught us, sing a song full of hope that the present has brought us; facing the rising sun of our new day begun, let us march on till victory is won...”
(excerpt from song titled “Lift Every Voice” by J. Rosamond Johnson and James Weldon Johnson).

Joseph Johnson was born ca. 1842 died on November 16, 1914. He was born in Virginia and he died in Lafayette County, MO. Johnson was married to Winnie Johnson and he worked as a janitor. No other information about his parents is known.

Joseph was a member of the 13th Regiment Heavy Artillery. This regiment organized at Camp Nelson, KY, on June 13, 1864. It was attached to the Military District of Kentucky, Department of the Ohio, to February, 1865, and to the Department of Kentucky, to November 1865. The regiment served in garrison duty at Camp Nelson, Smithland, Lexington and other places in Kentucky until November 1865. It mustered out on November 18, 1865.
SOURCE: civilwararchive.com



Perry Parker was born ca. 1842 and the date of his death is unknown. He was married to Eliza Parker. Perry worked as a farmer. The names of children were Minnie, Lawson, Frances, Nedore, Rebekkah, and Houston. Eliza died in 1927 in Higginsville, MO and is buried in the Mount Muncie Cemetery and was a widow at the time of her death. In a February 11, 1910 article in the Higginsville Advance, listed that the body of Frances Jones, Negro which was brought from Centerville, IA., Thursday was buried in the Negro cemetery here Saturday. The funeral was at the home of her mother. Eliza Parker.

“Perry Parker was a slave owned by Daniel Parker. In November of 1863, at the age of 22, he enlisted at Lexington, MO in the Union army. He was immediately sent to Benton Barracks in St. Louis and became part of the 62nd USC Inf. The company was organized as Co. “D” in the 1st Colored MO Volunteers on Dec. 9, 1863. On January 22, 1864 the company left Benton Barracks on for New Orleans, LA on a steamboat. The boat sank at St. James Parrish, but all on board survived. The unit arrived at Port Hudson, MS on Feb. 14, 1864 where they were stationed until Oct. 5, 1864 when they were ordered to Brazos, Texas. This unit saw active duty in what is widely believed to be the last battle in the Civil War at Palmetto Ranch, TX. After the war the company did various duties in Texas until March of 1866 when they were mustered out of the service. Perry’s unit, the 62nd MO USC Inf., is credited with creating Lincoln University in Jefferson City. These men donated part of their pay to leave a legacy of learning that is still in operation today.”



Charles Smith was born ca. 1844. and died on January 21, 1926. He was born in Virginia and died in Hgginsivlle, MO. He was a widower at the time of his death and worked as a janitor. Arthur Smith was an informant on the death certificate. Charles Smith's father was Manuel Workcuff who was born in Viriginia.

Smith was a slave owned by David Smith in Cooper County, MO. At the age of 18 he enlisted in the Union army. He was mustered into the 83rd Regimental Infantry at Fort Scott, KS in July of 1863. The 83rd infantry was organized from the famous 2nd Kansas Colored Infantry who had been the first colored troops to engage in battle in the Civil War at Island Mound, MO. Up until that time it had been believed that colored troops were incapable of combat duties. They had served primarily in support, such as escorts, guards, and maintenance. The 83rd would distinguish themselves yet again in battle at Jenkins Ferry and the entire Camden Arkansas campaign. They were also the first colored unit to charge and overtake rebel forces in a battle at Camden AK. This unit returned to Fort Smith and was later mustered out on in the fall of 1865 at Leavenworth, Kansas. The regiment lost 2 officers, 32 enlisted men were killed and mortally wounded, and 211 enlisted men died of disease.” Sources: www.civilwararchive.com and www.kansasguardmuseum.org.”
Excerpts are from the Mount Muncie Cemetery: A History & Burial Registry, Higginsville, Missouri, 2009 written by Kay Russell and Linda G. Smith.








Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Mount Muncie Cemetery Meet & Greet

2019 Meet and greet









Friday, May 24, 2019


 Spent time cleaning a USCT veteran’s tombstone.



                                                     After
                                                     
                                                     

Thursday, May 23, 2019

Preparing for Decoration Day 2019

Mount Muncie Cemetery committee members are out today at the cemetery getting ready for decoration day. They raised the
flag and placed flags on veterans tombstones.The crew was Elder William Thompson, Alice Elmore, and Arron Haynes.

Saturday, May 18, 2019

The Mount Muncie Cemetery was founded in 1900 by a group of African-American men. There was a need for organizing a cemetery for black people to have a final resting place. The cemetery is located south on Shelby Road in Higginsville, MO.  

The members of the Mount Muncie Cemetery Association look forward to welcoming and assisting visitors at the cemetery over the Memorial Day holiday, also known as “Decoration Day.” Those dates include Thursday, May 23 through Monday, May 27, 2019.

The Mount Muncie Cemetery Association members are as follows: Elder William Thompson, chairperson, Fred Smith, vice chairperson, Alice Elmore, secretary, Arron Haynes, Joyce Haynes, Linda G. Smith (treasurers), Ralph Collins, Reverend Wilbur L. Conway, Earl Elmore, and Reverend Glenn Elmore.

For more information, contact Elder William Thompson at 816-778-5409.