Norwich — A plaque, discovered in a vault in Norwich City Hall, which honors a Civil War regiment that was based in Norwich, will be dedicated at 3 p.m. Friday during a brief ceremony at Three Rivers Community College.

The plaque honors the 18th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, which was made up of men from New London, Windham and Tolland counties. The regiment, established in August 1862, participated in the battles of Winchester, New Market, and Piedmont, as well as 19 other engagements before being disbanded in June 1865. It served primarily in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

The city's Finance Department found the plaque while cleaning the vault about two years ago, around the same time the Sons of Union Veterans were working to revive their Norwich chapter, Sedgwick Camp #4. The group was the sponsor of the plaque in 1938 and requested it be returned to them so that they could put it on public display.

The plaque was originally intended to be on display at the former New London County Fairgrounds, where the regiment camped before leaving for war,but the 1938 hurricane and subsequent housing development prevented that, according to City Historian Dale Plummer.

It will now be placed in a prominent spot at Three Rivers, which is across from the old fairgrounds.