THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 23, 1996 TAG: 9606190042
SECTION: REAL LIFE PAGE: K2 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: OBSCURE TOUR
LOCAL LANDMARKS THE TOUR BOOKS NEVER MENTION
SOURCE: BY CALVIN SANDERS JR.
LENGTH: 46 lines
HE STANDS on a concrete pedestal. His uniform is tailored to the contours of his body. He wears a cap, , a tightly buttoned tunic, ribbed stockings and a shoulder strap bearing the initials U.S.A. Standing next to a wooden stump, he holds a rifle. His nose is wide and flat. His hair is short and curled tightly. His eyes are fixed straight ahead, watching for an unseen enemy.
For 76 years, this African-American Union soldier has stood watch high above Norfolk's Elmwood Cemetery on East Princess Anne Road, overlooking the tombstones of African-American soldiers and sailors who served in the Civil War and the Spanish-American War.
James E. Fuller, a former slave who was a member of the city council, proposed the monument in 1886. No municipal funds were used to build the monument. It was built with private donations, which came largely from bake and dinner sales, raffles, concerts and other events. By 1920, enough funds had been raised to erect the monument in West Point Cemetery, a section of Elmwood Cemetery. The sculptor is not known.
Fuller, however, did not live to see the completion of his project. He died in 1909 and is buried in West Point Cemetery.
The statue is a replica of Sgt. William H. Carney, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism in the battle at Fort Wagner in South Carolina.
When the soldier carrying the Union flag was shot, Carney grasped the flag and led the charge on the fort. Carney, who was severely wounded in the battle, planted the flag inside the fort.
``There are only a few visitors to the monument,'' says Vincent Newby, director of Elmwood Cemetery. ``It is not very well known around Norfolk.''
Interest in the monument diminished until 1972 when the Rev. Joseph Green, now a Norfolk City Councilman , instituted a ``Heritage Day'' celebration at the statue with local church and civic groups.
The monument is showing its age. The soldier's cap is chipped and the details of his uniform are worn smooth. The cannonballs that were once at the base have been stolen. MEMO: Calvin Sanders Jr. lives in Virginia Beach and works for Virginia
Power. ILLUSTRATION: FILE PHOTO
The memorial is in a section of Norfolk's Elmwood Cemetery. by CNB