On their return to Hartford, CT on November 24th, 1865, the 29th Connecticut Colored Regiment was met by Governor William Buckingham at Connecticut's Old State House. They were heroes, having been the first regiment to enter Richmond, VA, the burning capitol of the confederacy. The men saw President Abraham Lincoln arrive to tour the devastation. Also, a month prior to their arrival back in Connecticut, the citizens of Connecticut had voted down allowing black men to vote, so the men were a bit down on their return. Governor Buckingham gave a speech of encouragement to the men regarding not receiving their right to vote, but also celebrating their bravery during the war. A parade then occurred through the streets of Hartford, the route documented in the Hartford Courant of the day.

To honor the 160th anniversary of this historic parade, the Alex Breanne Corporation in collaboration with Connecticut's Old State House is organizing a memorial walk, following the exact footsteps of the soldiers during the Hartford parade of 1865. The walk will occur on Saturday November 22, 2025. Pre-walk ceremonies will begin at 9:30am, and the walk will begin at 10am. The route will begin at Connecticut's Old State House, 800 Main Street in Hartford, and end at the same spot. The full route is 3.1 miles (5k), but you can choose to walk only a portion, or hang out at Connecticut's Old State House to enjoy the museum.

Along with the memorial walk, participants will have access to a downloadable audio tour that will provide GPS-initiated historical facts of historic Hartford buildings and locations that the soldiers would have passed along the route.

This is a free event. Please join us in celebration of this historic event in Connecticut Civil War history. Register HERE.