PORTSMOUTH — No, the folks who turned out to the 56th “Black Regiment” Monument Commemoration Ceremony on Sunday weren’t seeing double.

There was a good reason why David Cunningham, one of the historical battle reenactors who fired muskets at the start of the ceremony, looked just like the life-size image of the soldier that’s engraved in the monument: He served as the model.

Cunningham has participated in previous ceremonies here, but this year he was recognized by the organizers and was asked to stand in front of the monument for photographs. He graciously complied.

This year’s ceremony was also notable for the appearance of another battle reenactor, Jason Roomes, 

Roomes said he’s a direct ancestor of Caesar Rome, one of the 1st Regiment soldiers whose name is engraved on the monument. Caesar Rome was enslaved by George Rome, a rich Newport tax collector who owned a plantation in North Kingstown and supported the British troops. 

George Rome’s mansion was seized by the R.I. General Assembly in 1775 (as we other properties owned by loyalists) and he was arrested by Benjamin Franklin in 1776. However, he fled to England on a British Navy ship, and his escape allowed Caesar Rome to join the 1st Rhode Island Regiment.

The Newport County branch of the NAACP hosted the event, which honored the contingent of slaves, freedmen and Native Americans who valiantly stopped the advances of the Hessian forces at the site of the park on Aug. 29, 1778 — 245 years ago — during the Battle of Rhode Island.

The guest speaker was Peter Fay, a public historian and co-founder of the Newport Middle Passage Port Marker Project. In 2021, Fay uncovered the sale of slaves by the Town of Jamestown during the 18th century.

Justice William White of the Massachusetts Superior Court served as master of ceremonies, and the invocation and benediction was given by The Rev. Dr. Cynthia Smothers.

Jimmy Winters, president of the Newport County NAACP, led a moment of silence for Guy Weston, former longtime zoning officer for the City of Newport who died Aug. 25; as well as for the victims of the racially motivated killings in Jacksonville, Fla., on Saturday.

He paid tribute to members of the 1st Rhode Island Regiment for their courage in the name of freedom, even though that didn’t come to all of the slaves who served.

“We are standing on hallowed ground made so by the freed salves and the indigenous people who gave their blood, sweat and tears to make it so,” he said.