A New Memorial Headstone for Isaac J. Hill
Isaac J. Hill
A while back, I read a book called, “A Sketch of the 29th Regiment of Connecticut Colored Troops.“ It was written in 1866 by a man named Isaac J. Hill. The book is considered the definitive source for the experiences of the 29th Connecticut Colored Regiment. Many publications and documentaries have based their content on this book. Even Alexander Herritage Newton’s 1910 book, “Out of the Briars“ is based on Isaac's book, referencing Isaac many times, even writing many of Isaac's words and experiences verbatim.
Isaac was born in Selinsgrove, PA in 1826. He was one of 11 children of Isaac and Rachel Hill. Being poor, his father bound Isaac out to a Kentucky man when he was a young boy, only to be sent back to his parents when White Americans discovered he had learned to read. While back in Pennsylvania, Isaac would become a minister in 1852. (Hill, p.3)
With the start of the Civil War in 1861, Isaac was eager to help the plight of Black people, so he went out with the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry. The militia act of 1792 did not allow Black people to fight with state militias, so Isaac was not allowed to carry a weapon and fight, he could only act in support of the White soldiers. The 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry changed their designation to the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry shortly after organizing. In 1863, Isaac learned Connecticut was allowing Black men to fight, so he left the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry and raced to Connecticut to join the 29th Connecticut Colored Regiment, enlisting on January 6th, 1864. (Hill, p.3)
While serving with the 29th Connecticut Colored Regiment, Isaac would preach to his fellow soldiers while at war. (Hill, p.9, p.10, p.13, p.30) As part of the regiment, he was amongst the first soldiers to enter Richmond, Virginia as the Confederate Army fled their burning capitol. As President Abraham Lincoln triumphantly walked the streets of Richmond, Isaac saw a Black woman trying to get a look at the president. Isaac said to her, “Madame, there is the man that made you free.“ (Newton, p.65)
After the war, Isaac moved to Woodbury, New Jersey and published the first account of the 29th called, “A Sketch of the 29th Regiment of Connecticut Colored Troops.“ The book was written in 1866 and published in 1867. Isaac also became a regular itinerant preacher for the African Methodist Episcopal Church. In April of 1882, Isaac was appointed to the Millville, New Jersey AME Church. On giving his inaugural discourse, he fell in the pulpit with paralysis. Isaac died 6 months later on October 17th, 1882. (Morgan, p.208)
Isaac was buried in Red Bank Colored Cemetery in Woodbury, New Jersey. In 1962, a parking lot was built over the Red Bank Colored Cemetery. It is said that the bodies were moved down the road to Broad Street Cemetery. It's impossible to determine if they actual moved the bodies, but Isaac’s headstone was moved, as were many others. Those headstones were lined up against a fence at the back of the Broad Street Cemetery. Weathered and aged, Isaac’s name can hardly be read on the stone.
To correct this, I worked with the Presbyterian Church at Woodbury to complete the paperwork requesting a memorial headstone for Isaac J. Hill from the U.S. Office of Veterans Affairs. The V.A. approved the stone. The stone arrived and was installed by Cooper Monuments on February 26th, 2024. The cost of installation was $450 and was covered by the Alex Breanne Corporation.
Isaac J. Hill was dedicated to the delivery of his people out of slavery, went out with the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry at a time when Black men were not allowed to fight, raced to Connecticut to join the 29th Connecticut Colored Regiment when he heard he could fight for his people, and wrote the most coveted narrative representing the experiences of African American men within the 29th Connecticut Colored Regiment. Yet, his grave was lost, with no specific memorial acknowledging his service, nor that he ever existing. I always felt that someone so heroic should have a monument representing his contribution to this country. Learning that he was buried under a parking lot just didn't jive with me. Now, there's a place on this earth where he is honored. I feel so humbled to have been able to do this.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hill, Isaac J., A sketch of the 29th regiment of Connecticut colored troops. Baltimore: Daughtery, Maguire & Co., 1867.
Newton, Alexander H., Out of the Briars: An Autobiography and Sketch of the Twenty-Ninth Regiment, Connecticut Volunteers. Philadelphia: The A.M.E. Book Concern, 1910.
Morgan, Joseph H., Morgan's History of the New Jersey Conference of the A.M.E. Church, from 1872 to 1887 : and of the several churches, as far as possible, from date of organization, with biographical sketches of members of the conference. Camden: S. Chew, 1887.
