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Archiver > SUVCW > 2007-10 > 1193493640


From: "Eric Peterson" <>
Subject: Re: [SUVCW] Union Gravestone Changed to ConfedrateGravestoneIllegally
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 10:00:40 -0400
References: <d1d.159d2efb.3453efa5@aol.com>


I couldn't say it better myself. We really need to be careful in our
research and get the whole picture. Doing my own family research I have been
able to dispel a lot of family mythology or stories that were told and
passed down and sounded good but the facts later told a much different
story.

One of my great-grandfather worked his way over from Germany on a tramp
steamer, or so I was told. I found his name on a passenger list as a toddler
being brought over by his parents along with several siblings. One of my
relatives must have thought the other story was more romantic.

One of my Union ancestors appears to have joined up for the money and
companionship, at least at first. His son was already in the Union army, he
was involved in litigation trying to collect from several dead beat
customers then he had to admit his wife to long term treatment at a hospital
in Madison Wisconsin. The bounty must have looked mighty attractive.
Although I wish it were otherwise, his first motivation may not have been
patriotism. He did serve honorably throughout the war, but took no part in
veterans organizations after the war even though his son was an officer in a
local GAR post.

Through proper research we can usually put together the correct story and
perhaps that veteran is not what he appears on the surface.

Eric
----- Original Message -----
From: <>
To: <>; <>
Sent: Friday, October 26, 2007 9:34 PM
Subject: Re: [SUVCW] Union Gravestone Changed to Confedrate
GravestoneIllegally


> Technically, according to pension standards, if one bore arms voluntarily
> against the US, they were not entitled to a pension. I think we can take
> part of
> our guidance from this in accurately marking the grave of a veteran with
> the
> appropriate headstone, but we should also take a great deal of care. How
> often do we assume that we know the true sentiments of a veteran, but in
> fact,
> we haven't a clue? Things are even more complicated when a veteran served
> on
> both sides? To the one applying for a headstone, I would tell them to look
> carefully at life after the war. Is there a pension application showing
> some
> sort of testimonial as to sentiment? Did the veteran participate in UCV or
> GAR
> activities (or neither)? Did he try to apply for a Confederate pension?
> Did
> he apply for a Southern Loyalist claim? Is there some trail of paper
> showing a
> consistent trend toward desertion (or was he captured with an otherwise
> flawless record)? There is a lot to consider, but if a headstone is to be
> ordered, it should reflect, to the very best of our knowledge, the true
> sentiments
> of the veteran. Just as an example, I know of several Confederate VA
> headstones placed in the 20th century that should have never been placed,
> based on the
> reluctance of the men to serve - especially when they were conscripted.
> One
> soldier was a member of the Stonewall Brigade for a grand total of 35
> days -
> he was dismissed because he was a shoemaker. To prevent being taken in by
> conscription hunters again, he headed North into Ohio and spent the rest
> of the
> war there.
>
> Popular memory of the war has severely impacted what may have actually
> been
> the real story over 140 years ago.
>
> Robert Moore
> Cdr
> Luray-Carlisle Reunion Camp #1881
> Luray, Va.
>
>
>
>
>
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