Bill Text: IL HR0878 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Recognizes the brave men from Galesburg who joined the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment to help bring victory and, ultimately, the destruction of slavery throughout the country.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-08-14 - Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Dan Swanson [HR0878 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-HR0878-Introduced.html
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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
2 | WHEREAS, Following the Emancipation Proclamation in | ||||||
3 | January of 1863, President Abraham Lincoln called for the | ||||||
4 | raising of a Black regiment for the Union Army; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Massachusetts Governor John Andrew quickly | ||||||
6 | answered President Lincoln's call and began forming the 54th | ||||||
7 | Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, one of the first | ||||||
8 | Black regiments to serve in the U.S. Civil War; and
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9 | WHEREAS, Black men from across the state, country, and | ||||||
10 | even other nations traveled to Boston to join this historic | ||||||
11 | regiment; and
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12 | WHEREAS, The 54th Massachusetts helped inspire the | ||||||
13 | enlistment of more than 180,000 Black soldiers, a boost in | ||||||
14 | morale and manpower that President Lincoln recognized as | ||||||
15 | essential to the victory of the United States and the | ||||||
16 | destruction of slavery throughout the country; and
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17 | WHEREAS, Twelve of these brave African Americans who | ||||||
18 | answered the call and enlisted on April 26, 1863 with Company H | ||||||
19 | of the 54th Massachusetts hailed from the City of Galesburg; | ||||||
20 | and
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1 | WHEREAS, Sergeant Joseph Barquet, Corporal Samuel Wells, | ||||||
2 | Private Clay Welcome, Private Joseph White, Private Preston | ||||||
3 | Williams, Private Reuben Caldwell, Private John Davis, Private | ||||||
4 | John Dickinson, Private Hiram Garnet, Private George Hubbard, | ||||||
5 | Private Henry Kirk, and Private William Timms served bravely | ||||||
6 | with the 54th Massachusetts; and
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7 | WHEREAS, Sgt. Barquet, the most prominent of these figures | ||||||
8 | in Galesburg's history, is known for serving as chairman of | ||||||
9 | the Convention of 1866 to discuss civil rights, being a | ||||||
10 | staunch advocate for the desegregation of schools, and | ||||||
11 | delivering many speeches for equal rights for African | ||||||
12 | Americans, especially African American veterans; and
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13 | WHEREAS, While serving with the 54th Massachusetts, Pvt. | ||||||
14 | Kirk and Pvt. Dickinson were wounded and captured at the | ||||||
15 | Second Battle of Fort Wager in South Carolina in 1863; and
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16 | WHEREAS, Pvt. Kirk and Pvt. Dickinson were held captive in | ||||||
17 | Salisbury, North Carolina until March 4, 1865 when a prisoner | ||||||
18 | exchange of 8,684 Union soldiers took place, which included | ||||||
19 | 120 who were African American; and
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20 | WHEREAS, Despite six out of the 12 either being wounded or | ||||||
21 | captured, only one died while in service to their country, | ||||||
22 | Pvt. Williams, who died due to an accident while in |
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1 | Jacksonville, Florida; the rest of the brave men left the 54th | ||||||
2 | Massachusetts being discharged at the expiration of their | ||||||
3 | term; therefore, be it
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