Pleasant Grove West in Chesapeake, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Seven Patriot Heroes
Homes and Last Resting Places
Three other USCT veterans are buried in the Northwest Bethel Baptist Church cemetery: Cook Wilson Nixon, Co. G, 155th Regiment New York Infantry, Under-Cook Pati Creekman, Co. D, 81st Regiment New York Infantry, and Pvt. Lewis Deford, Co. E, 10th USCT. Pvt. Adda Smith, Co. I, 10th USCT, is buried about 5 miles south of here in a cemetery at the intersection of St. Bride’s Rd. and Battlefield Blvd.
Although many blacks volunteered to fight for the Union and for freedom as soon as the war began, they were turned away until President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Lincoln authorized the raising of USCT regiments on May 22, 1863, under General Orders No. 143. At first relegated to non-combat duties, USCTs had to “fight for the right to fight.” Eventually, more than 200,000 African Americans, many of them formerly enslaved, served in the U.S. Army and Navy during the major campaigns and battles of the second half of the war. Sixteen black soldiers and four sailors received the Medal of Honor for valor in combat.
There is restricted public access to Bethel Baptist Church cemetery, please inquire at gate.
Erected by Virginia Civil War Trails.
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 Virginia Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1864.
Location. 36° 34.17′ N, 76° 14.759′ W. Marker is in Chesapeake, Virginia. It is in Pleasant Grove West. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Relay Road and Ballahack Road, on the left when traveling south. Located on the east lawn of the NSA Northwest Chapel. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3405 Relay Road, Chesapeake VA 23322, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. St. Bride's Church (approx. 3 miles away); Dividing Line (approx. 3.2 miles away in North Carolina); Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Cemetery (approx. 4.2 miles away); Moyock (approx. 5.1 miles away in North Carolina); The Cuffeytown Thirteen (approx. 6.2 miles away); Dismal Swamp Canal (approx. 7˝ miles away in North Carolina); Eastern North Carolina (approx. 7˝ miles away in North Carolina); Glencoe (approx. 7.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chesapeake.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 29, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,679 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 29, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.