On Sunday, May 25, 2025, the historic Lincoln Cemetery in Gettysburg hosted its annual Memorial Day program, a solemn and moving tradition held by the Black community since the 1800s. The event drew an estimated 80 attendees, with 60 seated inside the cemetery and others standing or gathered along the fence line.
The program began with local children strewing flowers on the graves of soldiers as Jack Tobey delivered a stirring rendition of “The Vacant Chair,” setting a reverent tone for the afternoon. Tobey, who also performed “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” later in the program, serves as Manager of the Adams County Historical Society Museum & Gift Shop.
Adams County Historical Society and Beyond the Battle Museum President & CEO Andrew Dalton introduced Jean Green, who shared stories of several U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) interred at the cemetery. Green emphasized the importance of honoring ancestors and continuing traditions of remembrance. She highlighted a 1935 article titled Negro Veterans Paid Tribute in Address, Sunday, which quoted Dr. Edgar G. Brown’s tribute to Black soldiers:
“It is always a timely duty to pay our special tribute to those patriots of color—American citizens in the highest and noblest meaning of the words—who have fought for their country whenever the occasion arose.”
The Allied Veterans posted the colors and led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. Pastor Rich Smith of Gettysburg United Methodist Church offered the invocation, followed by remarks from guest speaker Kristina Heister, Superintendent of Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site. Heister acknowledged the lesser-known but vital legacy of Lincoln Cemetery and the role of the USCT in securing Union victory.
Closing the ceremony, Gettysburg College Associate Professor Scott Hancock offered a poignant reminder of the contributions of African Americans during the Civil War. He concluded with Paul Laurence Dunbar’s 1903 poem “The Unsung Heroes”:
“A song for the unsung heroes who stood the awful test,
When the humblest host that the land could boast went forth to meet the best;
A song for the unsung heroes who fell on the bloody sod,
Who fought their way from night to day and struggled up to God.”
The event concluded with the ceremonial Firing of the Volley and a special dual performance of Taps, including an echo rendition by Al Trapani.
The Lincoln Cemetery Project Association extends heartfelt thanks to all who participated in honoring the cemetery’s veterans and preserving this important tradition.
