JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) — Dozens gathered on Memorial Day to honor an often-untold history of the African American soldiers buried at the Evergreen Cemetery on James Island.
Descendants, community members, leaders and officials paid homage to Decoration Day, the original name of what the U.S. celebrates as Memorial Day and what was initially created to honor Union veterans by decorating war graves with flowers. The ceremony included a historical reflection, a roll call of known Union soldiers and a monument dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony honoring Black soldiers buried at the cemetery.
Located just 8.4 miles from Fort Sumter, another historical landmark of the Civil War, the historical cemetery dates back to as early as 1906 and contains over 350 burials, many of whom are veterans and formerly enslaved individuals…