They Too Answered the Clarion Call: Ontario County’s African American Civil War Soldiers
October 3, 2023, 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Black Union soldiers on a picket in Dutch Gap, VA. Courtesy Library of Congress.
The second program in this year's Historic Geneva Fall Lecture Series is "They Too Answered the Clarion Call: Ontario County’s African American Civil War Soldiers" presented by Marjory Allen Perez and based on her book Freedom: A Shared Sacrifice: New York’s African American Civil War Soldiers. The program will be at the Geneva History Museum on Tuesday, October 3 at 2 p.m.
When the American Civil War broke out in April 1861, volunteers were eager to join the fight, but not all volunteers were welcomed into the ranks. There was no place in the Union Army for African Americans. That all changed in January 1863, when the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, stating that African American men were to become soldiers in the regular army of the United States. This program will focus on the stories of the African American soldiers and their families who had ties to Geneva and the surrounding communities.
Marjory Allen Perez is an independent researcher, genealogist, and writer, and the author of Freedom: A Shared Sacrifice and Final Stop, Freedom: The Underground Railroad Experience in Wayne County, New York. As former County Historian and Director of Tourism Promotion in Wayne County, NY, she combined her interest in the study and preservation of local history with the commitment to develop a vibrant and inclusive tourism industry.
This program will be presented in person at the Geneva History Museum.
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