Honoring Union Soldiers Who Fought in the USCT

When Sgt. William H. Carney of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry charged into battle at Fort Wagner in 1863, he carried more than a rifle, he carried the American flag. Under relentless fire, Carney was wounded multiple times, yet refused to let the flag fall. As he reached safety, he reportedly said, “The old flag never touched the ground.”

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Carney’s bravery earned him the Medal of Honor, making him one of the first African American soldiers to receive the nation’s highest military award. His story is not unique, more than 180,000 Black men served in the Union Army, many risking everything for a country that had yet to grant them full citizenship.

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Their service was real. Their sacrifice was real. And now, in Hopkins County, Kentucky, their presence is permanently memorialized.

On a quiet courthouse lawn in Madisonville, Kentucky, something powerful now stands where absence once spoke louder than words.

For more than a century, one side of the Civil War story was told in bronze and stone, while the other was left untold. Union soldiers, including African American men who fought for the preservation of the United States and the end of slavery, had no monument bearing their likeness. That silence lasted 117 years.

Until now.

The completion and installation of the Union Soldier Statue marks a long-overdue moment of historical truth, remembrance, and the legacy of Black Union soldiers whose courage helped shape the nation.

Completing an Unfinished Promise in Hopkins County

In 1907, Hopkins County officials approved funding for two Civil War monuments — one Confederate and one Union — to be placed on opposite corners of the courthouse lawn. The Confederate monument was built. The Union monument was not.

That imbalance stood for generations.

Recognizing this historical omission, the Hopkins County Union Statue Committee took on the responsibility of doing what earlier generations didn't finish. Their effort culminated in the successful installation of a life-size bronze Union soldier statue, mounted on a black granite base, now standing proudly on the northwest lawn of the Old Courthouse.

The Confederate monument remains on the southwest lawn, and for the first time, both sides of Kentucky’s Civil War history are represented together, honestly and visibly.

Honoring the United States Colored Troops of Hopkins County

While the story of Sgt. William H. Carney helps us understand the bravery of Black Union soldiers on a national level, the Union Soldier Statue in Madisonville speaks directly to local sacrifice.

Engraved into the black granite base is a plaque that ensures the men of Hopkins County who served as United States Colored Troops (USCT) are never forgotten:

**“Also to honor the memory of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) from Hopkins County who served with courage for freedom and justice. Your allegiance to the Union and your devotion to duty played a crucial multifaceted role in the Civil War, contributing to the Union’s victory through combat, support roles, and as symbols of freedom and equality.

We must, we can, and we will be free.”**

These words are more than an inscription, they are a declaration. They acknowledge that African American soldiers were not only fighters on the battlefield, but also laborers, scouts, guards, and living symbols of a nation struggling toward its ideals. Their service helped secure Union victory and permanently altered the course of American history. By placing these words in stone and bronze, Hopkins County affirms that the courage of its Black soldiers is not secondary, symbolic, or footnoted, it is central.

Why This African American Union Soldier Statue Matters

Kentucky was a border state, divided in loyalty, yet deeply connected to both sides of the war. White and Black soldiers from Hopkins County fought for the Union. Until now, their stories were largely invisible in the public landscape.

The installed bronze statue changes that. It acknowledges:

• The service of African American Union soldiers
• The complex reality of a divided state
• The importance of telling the full story, not a partial one

Hopkins County is now believed to be the only county in Kentucky with both Union and Confederate monuments on the courthouse lawn, not as a statement of division, but of historical completeness.

From Vision to Bronze: A Community Achievement

The Union Soldier Statue was made possible through community support, private donations, and the stewardship of the Historical Society of Hopkins County, which served as the project’s nonprofit fiduciary. The completed monument includes the bronze sculpture, black granite base, transportation, and professional installation, all funded through local and regional support.

This was not simply a statue project.
It was a restoration of memory.

Creating Monuments That Tell the Whole Story

At Big Statues, we believe bronze monuments should do more than mark space ,they should speak truth, honor sacrifice, and endure for generations. The Hopkins County Union Soldier Statue stands as an example of how thoughtful design, skilled craftsmanship, and historical responsibility can come together in a single work of art.

If your community, organization, or institution is ready to commemorate history with honesty and permanence, our team is honored to help bring that vision into bronze.

Contact us today to learn more about custom bronze statues, monument design, and installation services.

Learn more about Union soldiers in the USCT

• Britannica – William H. Carney
• American Battlefield Trust – William Carney
• National Park Service – William H. Carney
• History.com – Carney as first Black Medal of Honor recipient

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