Full Text of HR0311 101st General Assembly
HR0311 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | HR0311 | | LRB101 12157 ALS 59754 r |
|
| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, It is important to remember and honor those who | 3 | | have served the United States of America and the State of | 4 | | Illinois; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Private Martin Pedee was a brave man who fought | 6 | | for his freedom, the freedom of others, and for his country, | 7 | | overcoming great prejudice and obstacles along the way; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, Private Pedee was born on a planation that | 9 | | stretched across the border between the two Carolinas in the | 10 | | mid 1840s; as a teenager, he joined the 35th United States | 11 | | Colored Infantry and remained in the service for another nine | 12 | | years, serving as one of the famous "Buffalo Soldiers" out west | 13 | | in the 25th, 38th, and 40th United States Infantry; and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, Following his discharge from the service, Private | 15 | | Pedee came to Vermilion County and lived near Danville, where | 16 | | he worked as a farmer; he then moved to Catlin, where he worked | 17 | | as a barber, was a member of the municipal band, and served as | 18 | | an elected official; and
| 19 | | WHEREAS, Private Pedee was the first African-American | 20 | | Police Magistrate to be elected in the State of Illinois, and | 21 | | that election made local, State, and nationwide news; he was |
| | | HR0311 | - 2 - | LRB101 12157 ALS 59754 r |
|
| 1 | | also one of the first African-Americans to serve as a notary | 2 | | public and justice of the peace in the State of Illinois; and
| 3 | | WHEREAS, Private Pedee encountered insurmountable | 4 | | challenges in his life, yet he rose to each one with | 5 | | determination and dignity; he went from being born an enslaved | 6 | | person to becoming an elected official; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, Saturday, April 20, 2019 will be a day of | 8 | | remembrance, inspiration, and patriotism, as a marble military | 9 | | tombstone will be dedicated to Private Martin Pedee; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, The Soldier's Circle at Oak Ridge Cemetery on the | 11 | | west side of Catlin will be the site of a Dedication Ceremony, | 12 | | presented by the Ward Hill Lamon Civil War Roundtable, the | 13 | | Illiana Civil War Historical Society, and the Martin Pedee | 14 | | Celebration Committee; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, A Civil War era replica 34-star American flag will | 16 | | be flying on the Soldier's Circle flagpole; an Honor Guard | 17 | | consisting of Civil War Living History presenters and American | 18 | | Legion members will fire a 21-gun salute in honor of Private | 19 | | Pedee and another volley in honor of all soldiers buried in the | 20 | | cemetery; and
| 21 | | WHEREAS, This is the first of several military stone |
| | | HR0311 | - 3 - | LRB101 12157 ALS 59754 r |
|
| 1 | | dedications planned by the Civil War Roundtable and Historical | 2 | | Society for the year; therefore, be it
| 3 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 4 | | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 5 | | we honor and remember fallen solider Martin Pedee for his | 6 | | service to our country and to our State; and be it further
| 7 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 8 | | presented to the family of Private Martin Pedee as an | 9 | | expression of our esteem and respect.
|
|