Milo Freeland Grave
North Canaan
Jill Gibbons, Corinne Levy
Milo Freeland is credited with being the first African American to volunteer for the Union Army during the Civil War. He did this as a member of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, the subject of the film, Glory. His picture appears in the book, A Brave Black Regiment by Luis F. Emilio. Originally a resident of Sheffield, Massachusetts, Freeland died in 1883 while living in East Canaan. The stone that now marks his grave was placed in Hillside Cemetery, Route 44, East Canaan in 1996 following a rededication ceremony in his honor, and is located in Lot B8 to the rear of the cemetery, immediately to the right of the center driveway.