African American Civil War Veterans

Pennsylvania Connections

Grand Review of Colored Troops, Harrisburg, November 1865
This is Charles A Robinson, and I'm writing to ask if you have any information on any record that may be available on the Harrisburg parade that was given to the colored troops on November 1865. I would like to know if any of my ancestors are on a roster of the men who actually marched in the parade, and if my great-great-great-grandfather John Chaplin was present there for the parade. I have this article that mention John as being a part of the committee of arrangers, but would like to know if he was actually there for the event.

I am presently still trying to pin point the Chapline slave owner that my ancestors derive their name from. There will be a contest given soon by Professor Henry Lewis Gates from the "African American Lives" PBS special. They will be selecting a normal family to participate in his sequel to the first series, which will be aired in February of next year. He will be using another eight celebrities and the winner of the contest, for which he will be setting up a web site in the future with the criteria for the contest, so I'm trying to close some gaps in my research.

Sincerely
Charles A Robinson