The Slaves To Soldiers Project

The Slaves To Soldiers Project was founded in 2016 to raise awareness about and honor the lives of almost 400 Black men from Williamson County, Tennessee who escaped slavery to fight for the Federal (Union) forces in the US Army and US Navy during the American Civil War.  The Project conducts research, provides educational programming, and raises funds for commemorative brick pavers in Williamson County's Veterans Park. None of this work would have been possible without the support, advice, and encouragement of the African American Heritage Society of Williamson County, County Historian Rick Warwick, local historian Thelma Battle, and the resources of the Williamson County Archives and the Special Collections Department of the Franklin Library - as well as countless other local and national historians and researchers.