A new historical marker was unveiled on the morning of Juneteenth at the Warren County Courthouse. The marker honors Peter Crosby, a formerly enslaved Mississipian and Union veteran who went on to become Warren County’s first Black sheriff in 1873.

During the event, Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace spoke about the many difficulties Crosby faced in his position.

“I don’t care at what moment during his tenure you look at, I promise you, every day was a challenge,” Pace said. “Every day was a challenge, and he obviously met that challenge. To have him honored here on this courthouse lawn, I think, is long overdue.”

One year after he was elected, Crosby was forced to resign and jailed by a mob of Whites.

The new historical marker reads: “At the suggestion of the governor, a Black posse assembled to reinstate Crosby, but on December 7, 1874, many of them were killed by the White League in what became known as the Vicksburg Massacre.”

An estimated 150 to 300 Black people were killed in the Vicksburg Massacre. After being reinstated, Crosby was shot in the face in 1875 in an assassination attempt, but was still able to finish his term as sheriff.

Retired Brig. Gen. and Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Mississippi Valley Division Robert Crear also spoke at the unveiling.

“Peter Crosby was a giant, but he was typical of so many others that we just don’t know about. Because during the Civil War, during the Siege of Vicksburg, nine U.S. colored troop regiments were recruited right here in Vicksburg,” Crear said. “He was a member of the 5th Heavy Artillery Regiment. And those folks were soldiers. They had dreams that they could serve their country, put on that uniform, you know, fight under that flag, and get that freedom that they had never had or had never experienced. And that was their dream.”

Brother Rogers from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History also spoke. He said the marker sheds light on a part of history that is often swept under the rug.

“This marker is particularly important. There are over 1,700 historical markers in the state of Mississippi. The number of markers that talk about Reconstruction you can count on one hand. Reconstruction is the most overlooked, underappreciated era in American History and in Mississippi history,” Rogers said. “Thank you to the committee for applying for a marker about an important story in Reconstruction.”