YORKTOWN — Momentum is building for a Revolutionary War memorial depicting three soldiers from a unit known as “the Black Regiment” who fought to the death in a surprise attack for the cause of freedom.

A $50,000 state grant and a new fundraising sign at Downing Park are moving the project closer to completion, and a conceptual design by an Oregon sculptor is winning positive reviews in the community and beyond.

“We wanted to make sure we were getting quality art, something that would work for a hundred years or more,” said lead organizer Michael Kahn. The winning design was chosen from more than 25 submissions. The monument depicts three soldiers, one black, one white and one of Indian ancestry, preparing for a final encounter with the enemy....