Troy in Miami County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Riverside's Black Civil War Burials
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Ohio's Black Civil War Soldier's
"For the grave hath eloquence-lectures teach in silence louder than Divines can preach."
Inscription.
Riverside's Black Civil War Burials
Riverside Cemetery opened in 1867, two years after the Civil War ended. More than 20 Black Civil War soldiers are buried in the cemetery, the majority laid to rest in the Soldier's Circle. Although the service of Black soldiers had challenged the prevailing racism, the circle created to honor Civil War veterans remained segregated into Black and White sections. Black Civil War soldiers buried in Riverside include: Thomas Asbury, Clemon Burn(e)s, Daniel Clark, George Clifford, Eli Copeland, Hannibal Cox, William Gibson, John Hall, Beverly Harris, Henderson Hill, William Hunt, Daniel James, Nicholas Johnson, Robert Johnson, Edward Latcher, Joseph Moton, Samuel Spain, George Stewart, Thomas Stewart, Enoch Stoglin, Henry Vickers, Benjamin White, Isaac White, Robert Wicker, Dennis Wilkenson, and two unknown soldiers.
Ohio's Black Civil War Soldier's
Black soldiers played a major role in the Civil War and more than 5,000 free Black Ohioans served in Union forces. While prejudice marginalized the Black man's ability to serve early in the war, an 1862 Act of Congress authorized their admission into the Union Army and Navy. President Abraham Lincoln's 1863 Emancipation Proclamation welcomed all freed men to join the fight. About 3,000 Black Ohioans joined the 54th and 55th Massachusetts (Colored) Volunteers - the first all - Black regiments raised in the North. Although offered $13 per month, the new recruits had to wait eighteen months to receive equal pay. In June 1863, Ohio's Governor David Tod authorized a regiment of Black soldiers. The 127th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI), the state's first Black regiment, became known as the 5th U.S. Colored Troops (USCT).
Erected 2024 by William G. Pomeroy Foundation, The Troy Foundation, City Of Troy, Ohio History Connection. (Marker Number 37-55.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1863.
Location. 40° 2.956′ N, 84° 12.181′ W. Marker is in Troy, Ohio, in Miami County. It can be reached from the intersection of Riverside Drive and Adams Street, on the right when traveling north. Located in Riverside Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 101 Riverside Dr, Troy OH 45373, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Dayton Metro, in the Miami Valley, and in the Till Plains. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Troy Civil War Monument (here, next to this marker); Buffalo Soldiers Memorial (about 700 feet away,
measured in a direct line); Veterans Memorial (about 700 feet away); Troy Veterans Memorial (about 700 feet away); Assembly Barn in the Park (approx. Ό mile away); Troy Airfield Directional Marker (approx. 0.3 miles away); You Are On The Buckeye Trail (approx. 0.4 miles away); Rose Hill Cemetery 1849 (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Troy.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 12, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 8, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 138 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 8, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.


