Transcripts For CSPAN3 Alexandria Virginias Freedmens Cemetery 20240714

People buried there. Tell me about the origins of the cemetery. When was it first created . 1864. Was first created in during the civil war a lot of africanamericans were running away from slavery. There were also some free blacks who were in alexandria. They were dying in large numbers. The land with top skated the land was confiscated. They were buried there. The cemetery goes from 1864 to 1868. That many people died. 17 to 1800 people died. Was inmentioned it disrepair for quite a number of years. About half a century. Tell me how it was discovered. The city purchased a gas station. They started to date and confirmed there was a cemetery. They looked at maps. First, they did not find a cemetery on the map. Built,e gas station was the map was changed. They had to go back to earlier maps. That is when they found out it was called the freed men cemetery. Tell me what artifacts existed at the cemetery when it was rediscovered. They did not exhume any bodies. They then a fight it was a cemetery, they left it that way it was. Later on after the project, the Woodrow Wilson project, they decided to make it into a memorial. How did you get involved . I was reading the washington post. They were talking about it. They said a new group of friends of the cemetery was forming. I contacted them. I joined them. I was part of the friends of the friedman cemetery. What was their work . Their work was to bring awareness to the cemetery and also raise money to get a historical marker. We got the historical marker. Then, we started advocating for it to be a memorial cemetery. Working with the city of alexandria, the mayor, council members, and congressman moran, and the developer, they were able to put aside 2 million for it to be a memorial cemetery. And you took on a search to find the descendents of those buried at the cemetery. Tell me about that search. After we accomplish what we wanted to with the friends of the cemetery, in 2008, the city asked me whether it was possible to find descendents. Genealogist. Sional i was like, this is genie heaven. People,le to locate 171 i was able to find their descendents. Can you tell me about any of the stories of the people who discovered their love ones where buried . Longley only two knew they were knew there was a cemetery. They were in their late 80s, early. 90s the rest of the phone number is did not. They were like, they were blown away. Those people were in alexandria during the civil war and it can document appeared and and it can be documented. Their emotions were off the charge off the charts. Thank you for speaking with us. Thank you very much. You are watching American History to be, 40 hours of programming on American History every weekend on cspan3. Follow us on twitter at cspan history for information on her schedule and to keep up with latest news. This year marks the 74th anniversary of the world war ii dday invasion of normandy, france. Stt, retired admiral james avridis and tweety roosevelt, great grandson of theodore theevelt discussed operations neptune and overlord. Tweed roosevelts uncle was part of the first grade at utah beach. His cousin, quentin was about the second, was part of the force that attacked omaha beach. Foundationl defense and the National War College Alumni Organization hosted the event. Dr. Billvening, i am parker, the president and ceo of the defense foundation. It is a pred it is a pleasure to have you here tonight. I would like to thank the National War College for cohosting this. Before we begin our program, i would like to mention a couple other distinguished people we have in the audience with us