6/3/2023 | Cuivre River State Park | Troy, MO
All but a handful of soldiers of the 1st Missouri Infantry of African Descent, later the 62nd U.S. Colored Troops, who survived the Civil War had some degree of literacy. Fighting in the last battle of the war – the Battle of Palmito Ranch – might have been their greatest military accomplishment, but they made an immense impact in their Missouri communities as preachers, teachers, farmers and political leaders. They also influenced the future of all Black Missourians by founding Lincoln Institute in Jefferson City in 1866.
These men trusted Richard Baxter Foster, a white lieutenant in the 62nd, with their dreams and their significant contributions. Foster was a schoolteacher who rode with John Brown in Kansas before the war and returned there to found several pioneer Congregationalist churches after establishing the school.
Another notable figure from the 62nd is Sgt. Major John Jeffries, who earned the highest non-commissioned rank among the unit’s soldiers. Jeffries was among Lincoln Institutes’ first students, and then an early instructor. He then moved to Rolla to establish a school there and then opened his own business. He is the epitome of the 62nd USCT’s story.
Meet these individuals who were freed from slavery by military service and returned from war to build their communities, including Lincoln County and the surrounding area.
Please join us as we welcome historian Michelle Brooks for a presentation about the 62nd U.S. Colored Troops. Brooks has been studying the local history of Jefferson City and Lincoln University for more than 20 years, first as a reporter for the Jefferson City News Tribune and now as a published author. The presentation will take place at the visitor center at 6 p.m. It is free and open to the public.
For more information about this event, call the park office at 636-528-7247.
Presentation Time: 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Associated activities
- Interpretive Programs