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Archiver > CIVIL-WAR > 2003-05 > 1053118559


From: "Alice J. Gayley" <>
Subject: [CIVIL-WAR] Re: Grave Markers and Tombstones
Date: Fri, 16 May 2003 16:58:34 -0400
References: <200305161652.h4GGq9XA026848@lists5.rootsweb.com>


Renee,

You need to contact the U. S. Veterans to request a
marker or tombstone. With proper documentation (and your MA
record should suffice), they will provide it at no charge to
you. See http://www.cem.va.gov/hm.htm

If they do require additional info, you can rquest his
service from the National Archives.

Alice Gayley

> Hello Listers,
> One of my ancestors, John Harrington, fought in the Civil War and was
> killed May 25, 1863 during battle at Port Hudson, La. He was with A
> Company, Lee,Ma.31rst. He enlisted 10-4-61 and mustered in 11-20-61. An
> account of this is found in Berkshire Family History Association's
> "Berkshire Genealogist" Volume 19 #1 Winter 1998. The Ma. Archives sent
> me his muster in paperwork which confirms that
> info. Here is my story about John Harrington...Louisa Harrington, his
> mother, is buried in Lee's Fairmount Cemetery in a rather large family
> plot. I called Fairmount Cemetery and they looked up Louisa's plot on the
> computer and told me that the grave next to her says, "J." Harrington but
> it
> does not say "occupied" or "unoccupied" and all the other graves on the
> cemetery map have one of those notations and they can't
> explain why the "J" grave is not marked with a notation and they have no
> way of knowing if anybody is in this grave or not; no way of telling from
> the plot or the computer records whether the grave
> is occupied. Out of all of Louisa's family, John, from Lee's 31rst, is
> the only J not accounted for as I know where her husband Jonathan
> is buried as well as her son James. I have written to the government
> asking for a headstone or marker for John; as a civil war veteran he
> would be entitled to one but I need to prove that he is in that grave and
> that the body there is him. Exhuming him would be a gruesome
> and expensive task and how would anybody know 140 yrs. later if there was
> a body, if it is John? This has left me in a big dilemma.
> I wrote Port Hudson and the Curator told me that he looked into the
> matter for me and it is impossible to tell from their records if
> John was shipped home. A lot of those killed at Port Hudson were buried
> on the battlefield with very crude wood
> markers but they eroded and there ended up being more bodies than
> markers. The bodies were eventually moved to a
> gov't burial ground but because most markers were not there anymore they
> have no idea most of the identities of the soldiers. There
> is absolutely no way for me to know if John was ever shipped home. . The
> reason I asked if a veteran on this list could help me is this; on all
> the veteran's graves in Lee there is a bronze marker symbolizing that
> there is a veteran buried in that particular grave. When veteran's groups
> see the bronze marker they place a flag on that grave on Memorial and
> Veteran's Day. I can prove to a veteran's group in Lee that John did
> exist, fought for Lee's 31rst and was killed in battle. Because there is
> no way I can prove if he is in his grave should be irrelevant. The plot
> was reserved for him whether he made it home or not. I think that a
> bronze marker on the grave nxt. to his mother would be great. Whether he
> is physically
> in the grave or not, a flag there on the grave reserved for him would
> honor one of Lee's heroes and I would know he was remembered.
> If anybody reading this knows of an email address that this email could
> be forwarded to, such as to an officer of the American Legion or
> a veteran's group, please forward this on my behalf. Any help at all will
> be appreciated.. Thank you in advance for all of your help. Renne Blocker


--
Pennsylvania in the Civil War
http://www.pa-roots.com/~pacw/


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