Saturday, May 6, 2017

Torrington Historical Society hosts John Brown Birthday Party

           Abolitionist John Brown was born in Torrington on May 9, 1800
and this year on  May 9, 2017, the Torrington Historical Society will host a party
to commemorate Brown’s birth.




Kevin Johnson pastor of AME Zion Church in Torrington and research assistant at the CT State Library will present his widely acclaimed and deeply moving performance of  William Webb, an African-American Civil War Soldier from Connecticut.
Private Webb was an actual soldier, a native of Hartford. He was recruited in 1863 and served in the Twenty-Ninth (Colored) Regiment, Connecticut Volunteer Infantry in several battles in Virginia. Johnson’s presentation of Webb is told from an emotional and exciting first-person perspective that vividly illustrates the struggle of the African-Americans in the Colored Infantry during the Civil War. He tells of his early life in Hartford, his recruitment and training, and the traumatic final battles of the Civil War. The presentation is based on extensive research in the collections of the Connecticut State Library and the Museum of Connecticut History at 231 Capitol Ave, opposite the State Capitol in Hartford.



The evening’s festivities will include a proclamation by Mayor Elinor Carbone, remarks by Mark McEachern, executive director of the Torrington Historical Society, Mark Linehan of the Torrington Trails Network and Torrington resident Conrad Sienkiewicz, co-ordinator of the event.

 Rounding out the program will be a drum circle led by Angaza Mwando of the AME Zion Church followed by birthday cake and coffee.

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