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This historical marker stands near the location where the Black members of the Grand Army of Republic’s (GAR) James Beecher Post #22 once gathered to share their experiences pursuing freedom. 

Although they met separately from the white GAR post in New Bern, they engaged with their white comrades through the GAR’s interracial state and national organizations. These groups lobbied for veterans’ benefits, worked to memorialize Union soldiers and sailors, and hosted annual encampments. 

Allen Oden, a charter member of the Beecher Post, began life enslaved in Beaufort. Orphaned when his parents were sold, he enlisted as a free man in June 1863, joining what became the 36th U.S. Colored Troops. Serving with “Wild’s Africa Brigade,” his unit fought guerillas and freed the enslaved near Elizabeth City that December. Promoted to Sergeant, Oden guarded prisoners at Point Lookout Maryland, before leading troops at New Market Heights in 1864, laboring on the Dutch Gap Canal, and marching into Richmond in 1865. He completed his three-year enlistment at Brazos Santiago, Texas.

Along the way Oden learned to read and write before returning to North Carolina where he taught school, married Dicey Davis in 1868, and apprenticed as a shoemaker. Actively involved in St. Peter’s AME Zion Church and several fraternal societies, Oden joined the GAR where he served as the Beecher post’s commander from 1888 through 1892. In this role, he shared war stories with about 30 comrades, provided support for less fortunate veterans, and led Memorial Day observances at New Bern National and Greenwood cemeteries.  

Within the GAR’s interracial department, Oden served as major and judge advocate. He also served on a Craven County jury and was elected to the New Bern City Council. 

When he died in 1894, he left behind his shoemaker’s shop. His widow received a fifteen-dollar GAR burial benefit and a federal pension the GAR helped establish. You will find his grave in Greenwood Cemetery.  

Having helped win freedom and restore the nation, the Beecher Post reached its height in the 1890s, before inevitably passing from the scene, leaving us to form a more perfect Union. 

Acknowledgement

Barbara A. Gannon’s provides a thorough understanding of the complex relationships and context that shaped the GAR and its Black members. 

Know Before You Go

This tour stop intersects with the New Bern Historical Society’s .