Sgt. Ivy Ritchie- Part 5: About That Grave

Ivy's  body was later exhumed and reinterred  in Poplar Grove National Cemetery near Petersburg.  His tombstone read:  "J. Richie, Sgt. Co. H 14th N.Y. Inf. Died April  9, 1865."  Well, they got the sergeant part right, the 14th and the date of death right, but that was it

Close, but no cigar.  Someone made a mistake somewhere.

Since he first learned about Ivy Ritchie's life ten years ago, Albemarle businessman Jim Harwood, a Wake Forest history major and self-proclaimed history buff, has led  efforts to form the Ivy Ritchie Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

He says:  "Our unit is interested in the history of the Civil War.  We put Southern Crosses of Honor on the graves of those who served in that war.  We started with seven members and have grown to over  180 members today."

Oops.  --Old Secesh

Is There Room in Arlington National Cemetery and In Our Memories for Confederate Soldiers?-- Part 1

From, the June 26, 2017, Dallas News.

I have written extensively about these Confederates buried in Arlington National Cemetery in earlier blogs.  Just click on the Arlington National Cemetery label.

By Dan K. Thomasson.

This is an interesting article and you should go read the whole thing.

Arlington National Cemetery is running out of room.  They expect to be completely out of room near 2050.

Then, there is Section 16 in it which is set aside for Confederates.  "With today's full-out mania to wipe away visible Civil War history," it is surprising that they would be allowed to remain.

But one reason they are still there is that most Americans do not know 482 Confederates "are taking up room in this hallowed ground."

These Confederates have government-provided gravestones which come to a point at the top, to keep Confederate-haters from sitting on them, according to stories, but actually to distinguish these from the rounded tops of Union veterans.

I Like the "Full-Out Mania To Wipe Away Civil War History" Quote.  It Sure Is.   --Old Secesh

Emanuel AME Cemetery in Charleston, S.C., Is Home to a Confederate Soldier

From the July 8, 2016, 4 ABC News, Charleston, S.C., News.

Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., a historically black church where the horrible murders took place a year ago, is also home to the grave of a Confederate soldier.

His name was Louis B. Middleton and his grave has a First National Confederate Flag (not the battle flag) flying by it and the words "Confederate Soldier" on it.

Tall grass and weeds are by it.  Mr. Middleton was a cook in the Confederate Army.

--Old Secesh

There Are Still Bodies Buried on Gettysburg Battlefield-- Part 2: Just in Time for Halloween

Eventually, the bodies of Union soldiers were removed from their battlefield burial sites to the National Cemetery, dedicated in November 1863 with that famous speech.  Even a few Confederates were buried there as the markers on the original graves were becoming illegible.

All of the remaining soldiers buried on the battlefield are most likely Confederate.  Their families and states had to wait until after the war to do anything about recovering their dead.

After the battle, crews took only the larger bones of the more decomposed bodies, leaving the smaller ones.

Somewhere around 51,000 Americans, Union and Confederate, were casualties over that three-day period in 1963.  That would include killed, wounded and missing.  Union casualties: 3,155 killed, 14,531 wounded and 5,369 captured or missing.  Confederate casualties are harder to determine, but best figures indicate 4,708 killed, 12,693 wounded and 5,830 captured or missing., but some say the numbers were much more.

The day before the battle commenced, June 30th, was payday.

Today the bodies of over 6,000 veterans are buried at the Gettysburg National Cemetery.  These include veterans of the Civil War, Spanish-American, World War I, World War II, Korean and Vietnam.

--Old Secesh

Marking the Civil War Veteran Gravesites

From the May 5th Fresno (Ca) Bee (not sure what year, probably 2008)

Bill Melton of Porterville, California, has been identifying, gathering and collecting personal and family histories of Civil War veterans since 2003 when he saw a re-enactment in Fresno and got bitten by the bug.

He is part of the ongoing National Civil War Burial Survey.

When new markers are needed, the Veterans Administration pay for the marker and the local veterans organization pays to set up the stone. So far, Melton has identified 206 Civil War graves, 166 Union and 40 Confederate.

The grave site of Harrison White of New York is located in old Porterville Cemetery. He joined the Union Army in 1861 at the age of 23 as a private. He rose through the ranks to captain and commanded an all-black infantry unit in Mississippi. Only white men were able to be officers in black units.

Many of the black soldiers went on to become the famous Buffalo Soldiers.

He came to California in 1870.

From the March 27th Historic Happenings: A Visalia History blog.

Bill Melton had by then located 216 Confederate and Union veteran gravesites in Visalia, Three Rivers, Exeter, Farmersville, Porterville, Lindsay and Strathmore.

An Admirable Calling. --Old B-Runner

Union Veterans Finally Rejoin the Right Side

From the May 23, 2008, On Milwaukee "Fallen Civil War veteran finally rejoins Union side" by Andrew Wagner.

For over 100 years, the gravestones of William Ryan and Lewis Jolliot, buried in Calvary Cemetery both read they were in the Confederate Army. On May 24th, a ceremony was held to rededicate their markers as being members of the Union Army.

Jolliot was in Battery G, 2nd Missouri Light Artillery, US, died in 1885.
Ryan was in Co. C, 10th Tennessee, US, died in 1892.

Into the late 1800s, members of the Confederate military were allowed to be buried in federal cemeteries. Originally, both Union and Confederates got the same rounded-top headstones. In 1905, the Sons of Confederate Veterans lobbied the government for a separate designation on southern markers. According to legend, Confederate markers were ground to a point. Confederate veterans "didn't want no darn Yankees sitting on (their) headstones.

Paul Komlodi, a Registered Nurse at the Milwaukee VA Hospital began investigating Confederate soldiers buried in Milwaukee and discovered these two men were incorrectly identified because they were from border states.

A ceremony was organized by the Sons of Union Veterans in which two color guards will participate. A Confederate one will be at the grave sites first, but then will step back and be replaced by a Union one.

This will be at Calvary Cemetery, 5503 West Blue Mound Road in Milwaukee.

At Long Last. --Old B-Runner

Running the Blockade: Michigan Graves-- Iowa Flag-- 3rd Battle of Winchester Preserved

Some New News About an Old War.

1. MICHIGAN GRAVES-- The Nov. 18th Battle Creek (Mi) Enquirer reports that in Kentwood, a suburb of Battle Creek, historian Eloise Haven has identified 16 more Civil War veterans buried at Pine Hill Cemetery. She and her group of volunteers have been locating veterans in eight area cemeteries. Their efforts last year have raised the number of Civil war veterans buried at Oakhill Cemetery in Grand Rapids to more than 720.

They will not confirm a veteran until they have at least one piece of paperwork. Most of the ones buried at Pine Hill are from out-of-state, mostly New York. They are putting up GAR flag holders at the graves.

2. IOWA FLAG-- On Nov. 13th, WOI TV in Des Moines, Iowa, reported that a newly-preserved Iowa Civil War flag is being returned to display in the state capitol rotunda where it was from 1894 to 2004. There will be a ceremony for the 34-star US flag carried by the 15th Iowa.

3. 3RD BATTLE OF WINCHESTER PRESERVED-- The Nov. 13th Washington Times reports that a 209 acre section called the Middle Field of the 3rd Battle of Winchester, Virginia, will be preserved after $3.35 million was spent by the Shenandoah Valley battlefields Foundation, Civil War Preservation Trust, State of Virginia, and private individuals. This brings the total acres preserved to 575.

On September 19, 1864, the Union 19th Corps lost 40% of its men and every regimental commander was killed or wounded. A total of 54,000 fought here on both sides.

Now, You Know. --Old B-Runner

Locating Confederate Graves in Alabama

The Thomas Hubbard Hobbs Camp 768 SCV has spent the lasttwo years placing493 stones on the graves of every known Confederate veteran in Athens and Limestone County, Alabama.

Manyhours of research and physical searching have been involved. Some private cemeteries have changed hands and present owners are no longer taking care of them.

The camp has placed 150 pound footstones and a few headstones in 93 cemeteries so far.

They celebrated Confederate Memorial Day April 20th with a ceremony to dedicate and mark the last stone and a marker at the Hobbs Street entrance to the Athens City Cemetery.

They are sure that there are other unknown and unmarked Confederate graves so will continue their search.

No mention was made of how much money the'd spent, althought I'm sure it was considerable as nothing is cheap anymore, especially footstones.

(From May 26th Athens (Al) News Courier.)

That's the Old Confederate Spirit. -- B-Runner

Confederate Soldier Honored in Pennsylvania

Here is a refreshing bit of news in these days of attacks on our Confederate ancestors.

The May 3rd Times-Leader News, serving northeast Pennsylvania, had an article about a Confederate soldier buried in Wyoming, Pa., who was honored Saturday with a 21 gun salute, patriotic songs,a deposit of Southern soil, and a Confederate flag posted on his grave. Members of the Sons of Veterans Reserves dressed as Union soldiers for the ceremony.

His name is unknown. After the Battle of Gettysburg, captured Confederate soldiers were marched through northeast Pennsylvania on their way to prison at Syracuse. One prisoner died between Forty Fort and Wyoming and was buried at the cemetery of Wyoming.

This was a project of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and similar services were held in Georgia and Florida for Union soldiers.

And Yet, the Graves of Confederate Soldiers in Corpus Christi, Texas, Can Not Be Marked Because of Offending Some Church-Goers. Doesn't Make Much Sense. --Old Blockade-Runner