African American Civil War Veterans Honored in Matawan

For Charles Hendrickson, William A. Jamison, James H. Riley and William Sherno, the American Civil War was fought for far more than the preservation of the Union. The four men served in the United States Colored Troops (USCT), which were Union Army regiments designated for African American soldiers. With the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, a Union victory in the war meant the liberation of millions of African American slaves held in bondage throughout the Confederate States of America.

These four veterans, along with at least 65 others, are laid to rest in Matawan's Saint James African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Zion Church Cemetery, a historically black burial ground on Johnson Avenue. The religious community associated with this cemetery dates back to 1843, when Richard Little and his daughter Matilda Conover organized the first congregation at 102 Atlantic Avenue, a private residence. The congregation later built a church in 1851 that faced Atlantic Avenue, adjacent to the site of the cemetery. The fate of this original church is unknown, but a more modern church now stands directly behind the cemetery. Years of neglect led to the deterioration of most grave markers in the cemetery.

On Saturday, April 24th, Robert Meyer, an active member of the New Jersey Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and American Legion Matawan Post 176, organized and hosted a ceremony at Saint James A.M.E. Zion Church Cemetery to unveil a new flagpole and American flag. Amongst over 100 spectators in attendance were local officials and religious leaders, as well as members of several social, fraternal and service organizations with chapters and posts in the area.

Meyer, a respected local philanthropist and historic preservationist, first saw the need to install an American flag in this cemetery during a visit several years ago. "When I first visited the cemetery and realized that there are veterans buried there with no flag, I knew right away that I had to get to work on getting this done."

Thanks to the support from Thomas Roman of Quality 1st Basement Systems, Meyer was able to arrange for a flagpole to be donated and installed free of charge. This Cliffwood-based company is known throughout Matawan-Aberdeen for donating and installing flagpoles for veterans through their “A Hero Lives Here” program.

With the flagpole donation secured, Meyer set out to obtain approval for its installation in the cemetery. Saint James A.M.E. Zion Church Cemetery is currently overseen by Matawan Borough, and as such, the project required approval from the borough government. Fortunately, Meyer was able to navigate the bureaucratic process of obtaining approval to install the flagpole with the assistance of local history enthusiast and Matawan Borough Council President John Lazar. Upon learning about this project, Lazar rallied support for the cause from other Matawan officials, including Mayor Joseph Altomonte and Councilman Nick Reeve, and members of the Matawan Historic Sites Commission and Matawan Historical Society.

"I thought it was a tremendous idea and a very fitting way to honor these four forgotten African American Civil War heroes from Matawan. Mayor Altomonte and the rest of the Matawan Council all agreed that these men deserve to be honored so we were all happy to help," Lazar told Patch.

The new flagpole and flag complement the historical marker and monument that were previously installed in the cemetery in 2007. Matawan Borough Historian John "Al" Savolaine, who took an active role in designing and installing the marker and monument, was also on hand Saturday morning. "It is good to remember and acknowledge our ancestors who have contributed so much to making this a wonderful country. Since we do not know the exact location of the individuals buried here, the large single monument at the entrance to the cemetery, which was dedicated a few years ago, was intended to honor the entire group who are buried here."

Tom Burke, a local historian, author and documentarian who served as president of the New Jersey Civil Heritage Association, started caring for the forgotten graves in the cemetery 26 years ago. During Saturday’s ceremony, he explained to the crowd the importance of the African American troops, such as the four men buried in the cemetery, to the Union cause. "The inclusion of the USCT, United States Colored Troops, gave the Union forces vital reinforcements. By the wars end, nearly 10% of the Federal troops were Men of Color; this effort helped win the war!"

When asked how it felt to see the American flag flying over Saint James A.M.E. Zion Church Cemetery, Matawan Borough Council President Lazar captured the sentiment of all in attendance when he told Patch, "Today was a proud moment for all of Matawan. These men risked it all during our country’s darkest hour. They deserve to have an American flag flying proudly over them for all eternity. It was great to see so many different groups and generations of Matawan families represented. It was a beautiful day that was long overdue."