GOLDSBORO, N.C. — March 27 was a special day for Goldsboro. They celebrated a new marker located downtown, which is dedicated to a group known as the 135th United States Colored Troop. The troop was formed on this day in 1865. 

What You Need To Know

  • Downtown Goldsboro has a new marker celebrating the 135th United States Colored Troop

  •  The troop helped bring the civil war to an end

  •  A group known as the 135th Research Team helped bring this marker to fruition

The 135th Research Team, who helped bring this marker to life, said this moment is very special.

The secretary of the group, Lt. Col. Deborah Jones, says not many people are aware of the important work the troop did. She really got to know more about the troop after learning some interesting news unexpectedly. 

“I went to a program in the library during Black History Month, Wayne County Public Library, and they were talking about these U.S. colored troops, I was like, 'What? In Wayne County?' And there I saw the name of my relative,” Jones said. 

Jones said she didn’t know she was a descendant of one of these men, but this led her to finding out even more information. She said the men were former slaves who eventually served as volunteer pioneers. Their work allowed them to advance in an effort to help bring the Civil War to an end.

Once they got to Goldsboro, that's when they became the 135th USCT.

“Here you are one minute, an enslaved person, and then you’re doing this back breaking work and your clothes are all raggedy and tattered and then you get here, Goldboro, North Carolina, you sign on a piece a paper, a volunteer enlistment into the United States Army, you have become somebody and you get this shiny blue new uniform,” Jones said.

Jones says she and others are working to educate people on the history of the 135th USCT. One of their projects is the marker that’s showcased on Center Street. 

“I’m very proud to know that we had people that were participating in getting their freedom. It just wasn’t handed to them, they actually got in the fight and they did something about securing freedom," Jones said. "They’re the freedom seekers.”

Jones said it took a lot of work to bring this marker to fruition. 

March 27 marked the 158th anniversary of the formation of the 135th USCT.