Pvt. Leverett Holden of the CT 29th at East Avon Cemetery
“You are the Pioneers of the Liberty of Your Race….”
Frederick Douglass’s speech to 29th & 39th CT before they departed to join the Civil War, January 28, 1864.
Rededication of Pvt. Holden’s gravesite with descendants of the 29th CT, February 2014
Pvt. Leverett Holden: A Freedom Seeker and Civil War Hero
Pvt. Leverett Holden was an African American soldier from Avon, Connecticut, who served in the 29th Connecticut Regiment Volunteer Infantry (Colored) during the Civil War. Born around 1825 in Vernon, CT, Holden worked as a farmer before enlisting in Company D on December 15, 1863. He was described as 5’8″ tall, with a “colored complexion,” black hair, and black eyes.
A Life of Labor and Advocacy
Before the war, Holden lived in Hartford with the Wadsworth family, likely as a servant or laborer. He may have been influenced by abolitionist James W.C. Pennington and possibly attended abolitionist events, such as Hartford’s 1856 celebration of the end of slavery.
After moving to Avon, CT, Holden worked various jobs, including cleaning bricks for the Avon Congregational Church chimney, cutting wood for a local business, and living in a small rental home on West Avon Road.
Military Service and Sacrifice
During the Civil War, Holden fought in multiple battles with the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry, a unit composed of Black soldiers fighting for the Union and freedom. In September 1864, after the Battle of Petersburg, VA, he was hospitalized at an X Corps Flying Hospital and later honorably discharged in November 1865 in New Haven, CT.
A Legacy That Endures
Holden passed away on October 10, 1877, and was buried in East Avon Cemetery, where his grave was originally segregated from others. His gravesite, the first visible upon entering the cemetery, was added to the Connecticut Freedom Trail in February 2023.
In summer 2024, a ground-penetrating radar survey, funded by the State Historic Preservation Office, will be conducted to confirm his burial. His name is inscribed on the 29th Regiment monument in Criscuolo Park, New Haven, and outside the African American Civil War Museum in Washington, D.C.
Holden is annually honored by the Avon Historical Society for his service, a lasting tribute to his courage, sacrifice, and commitment to freedom.
This site is open to the public.
