Greetings Ernie:
The only thing I can add is to check the local newspapers for articles right
before and right after May 30th to see if there is something regarding the
GAR decoration day services. Our newspapers were good at printing an article
with names of the civil war dead and the day's events, including the guest
speaker, etc. Maybe there would be something that would shed light on your
question. As for my area, I've not heard of such a tradition, but it would
stand to reason that the GAR would do something to commemorate their brethren
buried in our nation's battlefields.
Kyle D. Conrad
In a message dated 6/27/2007 8:58:57 P.M. Central Standard Time,
elasley(a)sigecom.net writes:
Hello List,
In Gibson County there are several "Unknown Soldier" grave markers
scattered around the county in various cemeteries. One suggestion
was that these were Civil War Unknowns, but two of the cemeteries did
not exist till much later than the Civil War. It was also doubtful
that an unknown soldier would be buried in a county so far from any
battlefield, so we attempted to determine the origin of these
graves. All we can determine is that at least two of them seemed to
have appeared in the 1920's. It has been suggested that these
were actually symbolic markers that were placed by the GAR or some
other veterans organization, and were used in Memorial Day ceremonies
to place a wreath on a symbolic "Unknown Soldier's Grave" to honor
all our Unknown, much like the ceremonies at the newly constructed
"Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier" in Arlington National Cemetery.
Are these common in other counties? In other States? Can anyone
shed any light on the origin of these markers?
************************************** See what's free at
http://www.aol.com.