“We salute our ancestors, for had it not been for them and the Lord on our side, we would not be where we are today. Our research has shown that our descendants possibly lived in and around Ft Ward even before the Civil War. Certainly that they served in the War as United States Colored Troops in the Defenses of Washington, worked at the Episcopal High school which had been converted to a Hospital, were teamsters, ambulance drivers, loaded ships, trains, wagons, and played a major role in preserving the Union and ending slavery. In fact, it has been documented that there was an extensive presence of African American refugees in the area of the Fort and that African American men, women and children worked in support of the Union”.
Remarks by Frances Colbert Terrell before the Friends of Local History Collections, Alexandria, VA. Wednesday, June 9, 2010.
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