Archer Alexander
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After Archer Alexander reported what he had overheard to the Union Troops at the Peruque Fort, the entire county was in an uproar. He had risked his life to let them know that the Confederates were about to destroy the most important railroad crossing in Missouri. If captured, he would be tortured, whipped and probably…
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On September 24, 1863, St. Louis newspapers announced that the formerly enslaved man Archer Alexander was free. The Last Fugitive Slave was given his freedom by President Abraham Lincoln and the Union Army for his services to the Military. Earlier that same year, he had reported to Union troops stationed at Fort Peruque in St.…
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During the Civil War, after overhearing the area Confederates plotting, he risked his life to inform the Union soldiers at Fort Peruque of a plan to destroy the vital railroad bridge…
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As we celebrate Juneteenth on its 163rd anniversary, let us not forget all those who made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure it happened. No one should ever be allowed to overshadow our Nation’s history in any way, shape, or form. This history belongs to all of us, and as we celebrate, let’s remember those who…
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Archer Alexander was born near Lexington, in Rockbridge County Virginia. He was taken to Missouri in 1829, where he lived in St. Charles for 30 years. He fled on the Undergroud Railroad in 1863, with 16 others. He made his way to St. Louis where he gained his freedom on September 24, 1863 for his…
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Originally called the Freedom Memorial, the Emancipation Memorial, still stands today in Lincoln Park, in Washington, D.C. The Memorial to President Abraham Lincoln, dedicated on April 14, 1876, was the first memorial to Lincoln erected by the formerly enslaved in grateful appreciation for the Emancipation Proclamation. The enslaved man seen with Lincoln was a real…
