Image, Right- Reenactors Glenn McConnell & George Hughes at Defense Table
The Recreated Civil War Court Martial of Sgt. William Walker held January 18, raised One Thousand Forty Dollars and Fifteen Cents ($1040.15) to be donated to the fund to erect an African American History Memorial on the Statehouse grounds in Columbia, SC.
The event held at the College of Charleston's Avery Center for African American Studies recreated the Court Martial of a former slave and Sgt. In the 3rd. South Carolina Volunteers (U.S. Colored) who was tried for leading a mutiny at Hilton Head South Carolina on November 19, 1863. Sgt. Walker was alleged to have led the men of his company to the tent of their commander where they stacked their arms and informed him they "would not do duty any longer for $7 per month" about half of what white soldiers in the Federal Army were being paid.
Members of the 54th. Massachusetts, an African American Civil War Reenacting regiment, worked with Federal and Confederate Civil War reenactors (uniformed as federal officers) to recreate the historic trial. State Senator Glenn McConnell appeared as counsel for the Defense. Charleston Police Chief and reenactor, Reuben Greenberg testified as prosecution witness Sussex Brown. The court included Marine Corps JAG Officers, active and retired, who sat as judges. Approximately 140 people attended the recreated trial which was based on the original trial records and army regulations. An Internet web site is online regarding the recreation and historic trial at http://www.awod.com/gallery/probono/cwchas/walkertr.html
According to lawyer and reenactor William Hamilton, who appeared as the Judge Advocate and prosecutor, the trial was an important example of the long and continuing cooperation between the groups involved, "Confederate and Federal Reenactors, African Americans and Whites have all been working on this project for over six months, gathering the historic documents, rehearsing, donating time, equipment and ideas to make this project a success and raise some of the money needed to construct the African American History Monument in Columbia. In this time of controversy over the heritage of the Civil War, it is a positive example of what cooperation and good will can accomplish."
Reenactment groups supporting the project included The 54th. Massachusetts; The 27th. South Carolina; The 1st. S.C. Cavalry; The 47th. New York; and Hampton's Legion.
Plans to hold the Walker court martial again in the future elsewhere in South Carolina are in the works and a Confederate Court martial is also being developed. Interested persons may contact William Hamilton at (803) 722-6812 or email hamilton@awod.com.