Wreath Laying Ceremony for Civil War Juneteenth Veteran at Riverhead Cemetery

The Society of the Grand Army of the Republic (SoGAR) will be honoring Mr. David Chippie, a Black Civil War veteran, with a wreath-laying ceremony at his gravesite. The event is set to take place on June 15, 2024, at the Riverhead Cemetery, Pulaski Street.

Mr. Chippie, born in Delaware around 1822, enlisted in Company F, 29th Colored Regiment, Connecticut, in 1863. He served as a private before being appointed as corporal. His regiment was the first to enter Richmond, Virginia, after the rebel capital fell and witnessed President Lincoln’s victorious tour of the city. His unit was stationed in Texas when Gen. Gordon Granger made the historic announcement, General Order No. 3, on June 19, 1865, the anniversary of which we now celebrate as Juneteenth.

After his discharge in 1865, Mr. Chippie moved to New York and worked as a cook in Long Island hotels. He passed away in Riverhead on Aug. 10, 1898.

The ceremony will include a brief program to honor Mr. Chippie’s service to our nation. The Co. K, 67th New York Infantry will serve as Honor Guard and the 6th New York Independent Battery will fire their cannon during the event. The event is free and open to all.

SoGAR is a historical, educational, and patriotic organization dedicated to advancing an understanding of the Civil War. It is responsible for the restoration of the Civil War Monument on Baker Street in Patchogue and for the placement of historic roadside markers for Civil War patriots Gen. Regis deTrobriand in Sayville and Gen. Nathaniel McLean in Bellport. For more information, visit the SoGAR website.