NORTH YORK, Pa. (WHTM) — Even if you wouldn’t know it by looking at most of their gravestones, approximately 30 Civil War soldiers are laid to rest at Lebanon Cemetery in North York.
“After the Civil War and even up until the 1960s, cemeteries were largely segregated. So even though these folks fought for their country, they couldn’t be buried in a military cemetery,” Samantha Dorm, Co-founder of Friends of Lebanon Cemetery said.
One person buried here is Reverend Jesse S. Cowles, who fought with the 29th infantry out of Connecticut.
Reverend Jesse S. Cowles fought with the 29th Infantry out of Connecticut. He is buried at the Lebanon Cemetery in North York. Reverend Jesse S. Cowles fought with the 29th Infantry out of Connecticut. He is buried at the Lebanon Cemetery in North York. Clara Cowles, a women’s suffragist and daughter of Rev. Jesse Cowles is also buried at the Lebanon Cemetery in North York.
“After the war, he goes on to divinity school, he becomes a Reverend, and he’s here in York, in the 1890s.”
Cowles raised quite a family.
“Clara Cowles is his daughter, and she was a huge part of the women’s suffrage movement here,” Dorm said.
Some of us think of the Civil War as a war mostly fought between white people on two sides of whether there should be slavery or not. We think of union soldiers as mostly white men fighting for these ideals. There were Black men fighting too.
Dorm shared more stories of those buried at the cemetery.
“We also have the Reverend John H. Hector,“ she said. “He was injured while he was holding the reins of the horse for Ulysses S. Grant.”
Reverend John H. Hector was injured while he was holding the reins of the horse for Ulysses S. Grant. He is buried at the Lebanon Cemetery in North York. Reverend John H. Hector was injured while he was holding the reins of the horse for Ulysses S. Grant. He is buried at the Lebanon Cemetery in North York.
This wasn’t somebody just at the fringes of things. He was holding the reins of a horse that was carrying a future president.
All of them are buried at the cemetery. But there are also key places in York – where they lived.
“Both of these gentlemen were with the same church, which is now the Small Memorial A.M.E Zion Church that’s located in York City,” Dorm said
Hector’s home was located at 116 East King street in York City, which is still standing today. After Hector’s death, it was in the Green-book. Up until recently, it was also the location of the Parliament Arts Building.
“It was a place for colored travelers to have safe refuge in York City,” Dorm said.
Greenberry Robinson’s gravesite at the cemetery is even more modest.
“He was assigned to an all-white unit, which was the 87th infantry. He was their cook and their medic, and so, of course, during the war, he’s with them through all of these things. But in death, there’s segregation. So he is here at Lebanon Cemetery,” Dorm said.
Greenberry Robinson was assigned to an all-white unit in the 87th Infantry. He is buried at the Lebanon Cemetery in North York. Greenberry Robinson was assigned to an all-white unit in the 87th Infantry. He is buried at the Lebanon Cemetery in North York. Greenberry Robinson was assigned to an all-white unit in the 87th Infantry. He is buried at the Lebanon Cemetery in North York.
“Several members of the 87th infantry are less than a mile away at Prospect Hill Cemetery, but they couldn’t be buried together due to segregation.”
Robinson was buried together – though – with other local Black heroes.
“The very first Black police officer in York County, a gentleman with the last name of Diggs. He’s buried here to my left. this was in the late 1890s.”
Lewis H. Diggs was the York City Police Department’s first African American police officer. He is buried at the Lebanon Cemetery in North York. (Courtesy Jeffrey Kirkland/York African American Historical Society) Lewis H. Diggs was the York City Police Department’s first African American police officer. He is buried at the Lebanon Cemetery in North York. (Courtesy Jeffrey Kirkland/York African American Historical Society)
It’s hard to believe now but when Dorm started doing this work in 2019 she knew nothing of history.
“Now, to be able to know and learn so much about people that not only look like me, but in some cases are related to me, it’s just opened up this other world,” she said.
A world coming more alive – the longer it’s buried.
“We’re telling their stories,” Dorm said.
The stories of the Black York soldiers are also told in “They Also Fought: Volume 1: The Lives and Stories of Civil War Veterans of Lebanon Cemetery, York County, PA” which is available on Amazon and was recently published by the Friends of Lebanon Cemetery.
