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To: Graewoulf
Does anyone happen to have a list of those buried in that "mound" in NC or know of one on line?

A Friend and fellow Reenactor is researching the 5th NCT (Infantry) for a book they are writing and would be interested I'm sure.

Several Years ago Haskell Marston Camp 56, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War in Yarmouth, Maine (of which I am the Chaplain) became aware of the grave of an unidentified Confederate Soldier up here in Durham, Maine.

Little is known about how he got here, so far from his Southern Home, but is seems that his body was shipped by mistake from the aftermath of some battle in the place of of a Maine Union Volunteer who had been killed.

This seems to have happened several times, and we have heard that there are up to 7 Confederates buried in Maine - one of them is in Gray, ME, where the Family of the Union Casualty buried the unknown Confederate in the Family plot.
When the mixup was corrected by the Government and they got the body of their Son delivered some time later, he was buried alongside his former foe, where they rest side by side to this day.
As long as the Family lived in Gray - well into the 19th Century, apparently - they saw to it that the Confederate's grave was tended to just the same as that of their lamented fallen "Yankee" and those of other departed Family Members.

The 15th Alabama CSA Reenacting Unit based in Maine sees to it that the "Stars and Bars" decorate his grave every Memorial Day, where it flys right beside the "Stars and Stripes" on the next grave over.

The last I knew they routinely held a short Military Memorial service to mark the occasion, and fire a volly in honor of the Southern Unknown.

As to the grave in Durham, a local stone carver found a piece of Georgia granite, researched period gravestones for CSA Veterans, and crafted a lovely replica which he generously donated to mark the grave of the unknown.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans, I believe, provided an appropriate marker / flag holder to hold the ANV Battle Flag, and we held a dedication cerimony where both the 3rd Maine with our Fife and Drum Corps and the 15th AL, along with a bunch of local residents participated.

The State SUVCW Chaplain led the Prayers - I think an SCV Chaplain participated as well; a couple of Dignitaries spoke; I played "Nearer My God To Thee" on tenor fife (Key of low "G").

Taps was played, the 15th AL fired the vollys, and the Field Music broke into "Dixie" as we marched out of the Cemetery.

And we see to it that a fresh "Dixie" is placed at the grave every Memorial Day.

They all deserve to be remembered.
6 posted on 05/10/2003 11:22:29 PM PDT by Uncle Jaque (Any day without incoming ordnance can't be all bad! {8^{D~)
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To: Uncle Jaque
Thanks for the in depth reply. It is refreshing to depart from our pithy, sound-bite mentality of this age.

We need to remember that the two Americas healed quickly, unlike so many other nations with their respective civil wars.

A tiny snippet of how we healed so quickly is provided by your reply as you detailed the care that a Maine family gave to the grave of the Confederate Soldier being equal to the graves of their family members. It was the honorable thing to do.

Perhaps we can put the divisive factions in our Nation in proper perspective by comparing the actions of the Maine family of the Post Civil War Era with how today a politically correct Maine family would probably behave in the same situation.
14 posted on 05/11/2003 7:55:44 PM PDT by Graewoulf
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To: Uncle Jaque
Thanks very much for your comments.
That is a very cool story, and I am glad you posted it. They do all deserve to be remembered.

As far as I know, the list of the soldiers buried here does not exist online, having just been revealed to the public on Saturday.
I do have the program from the event, which lists the names.

The bronze marker, however, goes an additional step and lists the unit and state information.
I did take a picture of the marker, but have not gotten it developed.

If you'd like, I will be happy to post that picture when I get it.
Alternately, I could have the back of the program scanned and post that.

Let me know.

Regards,
CD

16 posted on 05/12/2003 5:27:03 AM PDT by Constitution Day (I always like to keep my audience RIVETED.)
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