Charles S. Tatten
ANSONIA – The Valley MLK Committee is inviting the public to attend ‘Juneteenth: A Freedom Celebration,’ scheduled for 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 17 at Veterans Memorial Park next to Ansonia City Hall at 253 Main St.
The event will feature music, spoken-word poetry, readings from Ansonia High School students, and an update on efforts to find a spot in the City of Derby to create a mural to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
In addition, the City of Ansonia will honor Charles S. Tatten, who, in addition to being the city’s first Black police officer, held the rank of First Sergeant in the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry Regiment during the Civil War.
Mayor David Cassetti is expected to present a proclamation in Tatten’s honor.
Daniel Bosques, chairman of the Ansonia Historical Commission, researched Tatten’s life and contributions to history. Bosques told the Ansonia Board of Aldermen last month that Tatten was present in Galveston, Texas, the birthplace of what became the Juneteenth federal holiday. Tatten was also Native American.
Juneteenth marks the time period in U.S. history when the last enslaved Black Americans learned they were no longer slaves. Click here for a background story from The Associated Press.
Juneteenth became an official federal holiday in June 2021. Even though President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation became official on January 1, 1863, it wasn’t until June 19, 1865 that Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved were now free.
Bosques said Tatten was sent with a special military contingent that announced the emancipation of slaves in Galveston. Bosques also said Tatten was in Richmond, Virginia upon the surrender of the Confederate Army.
Bosques said much of the information he gathered about Tatten’s service has been chronicled by John Pfeiffer, a Connecticut archaeologist and anthropologist, who has done over 30 years of research on the history of African and Native American communities throughout Connecticut.
His military experience landed Tatten a job as Ansonia’s first Black police officer. He was on the job for 19 years (1891 to 1910).
The following is an excerpt of Tatten’s obituary that appeared in the former Evening Sentinel regarding his career as a patrol officer.
“Mr. Tatten was highly esteemed in the community. He was a man of sterling integrity. As a police officer, he could always be depended upon to do his full duty. He was appointed to the force by the late Mayor A. H. Bartholemew and by sheer merit, won himself the respect of every man on the police force.”
Tatten was a resident of Ansonia for more than 30 years until his death at age 73 on July 20, 1918.
