A ceremony dedicating new markers placed on graves of Civil War soldiers is scheduled for Sunday.
The dedication of 13 previously unmarked graves will be at 2 p.m. at Woodland-Old City Cemetery, 1000 E. McCarty St., in Jefferson City.
Eight of the graves are for soldiers who served in the 62nd U.S. Colored Infantry, a division that founded Lincoln University. The infantry, which saw few battles or skirmishes, was made up of men recruited in 1863 from across Missouri. More than 1,000 black recruits left slavery to go to recruiting offices from 1863-64. Their former owners were compensated $300 for each man they lost.
The Jefferson City Cemetery Resources Board is hosting the event, with participation from history researcher Michelle Brooks; Don Hentges, president of the Jefferson City Veterans’ Council; W.T. Edmonson, president of Juneteenth-Jefferson City; Essex Garner, professor of art at Lincoln University; and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1003 Honor Guard.