Introduction
Final resting place of
Joseph Laundree (1823-1863)
Co. F, 5th Vermont Infantry
Galvin Cemetery, Ripton, Vt.
Photo courtesy of Edward RaymondOne reader's comment:
My eye is drawn first to the weather beaten and earth-sodden rotted logs. One small one standing nervously loose, and resting on the one above. The one above is longer and is stretching itself high to try and last through another long Vermont winter. In the background, I see the long twigs of the trees of different shapes and sizes, shut-down for the winter months, covering the whole middle length of the picture. Also, I see the bits of green grass mixed in with brown dead grass peeping up from the snow; and the beautiful 'woodsy, sun-less sky' with the scene of forest behind the monument. Then there is a new, fresh, American flag, stuck in the snow which leans the opposite way from the dead logs. It seems as if that flag is trying all by its self to keep the whole group together. But the greatest image in the whole picture is the wonderful tombstone of Joe Laundree, age 20 years�. who died for his country with thousands of others who are buried in similar old lonely, surreal Vermont graveyards. It makes us think Joe is calling to us: "..... I still stand here. Leaning over, yes.... but my stone still stand here -- a monument to me, a dead Vermont Civil War soldier." The whole photograph in its entirety speaks for Joe Laundree in words, "Remember me."
Did your ancestor fall in battle, and you don't know where he is buried, perhaps as an unknown at one of the national cemeteries, or still on the battlefield? Perhaps you would like to do something like Tom and Earl Dunn and Peggy Decoteau Auger did for their ancestor who fell at the Wilderness. Please visit The Dedication and Consecration of the John Dunn Memorial.
As of 15 June 2009, the majority of information for soldiers' burials is based on input from the Vermont Commandery of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Graves Registry Program (13,000+), led by Passed Commander Floyd Blodgett, or from individuals, including Richard Barry (3,000+), Tom Boudreau (620), Bob Hackett (215), Alan Lathrop (186), Erik Hinckley (159), Mr. Bryce (158), Marge Howe (136), Rodney Sawyer (100) have all made significant contributions, as well as well as a number of others too numerous to name individually.
Offsite, see the United States Veterans Cemeteries, and the Vermont Old Cemeteries Association.
There are some discrepencies, soldiers listed as buried in National Cemeteries, and listed as being buried in their hometown cemeteries. Except for cases of mistaken identity, this project assumes the soldier is buried in the National Cemetery and the hometown stone is simply a memorial, technically a cenotaph (empty grave), although not always noted as such.
NOTE: Dyer's Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, published in 1908, listed 325,230 soldiers buried in National Cemeteries, of whom 148,833 are not identified. It is therefore probable that we will not find the final resting place of a number of Vermont soldiers killed in action or mortally wounded.
The form below serves several functions. It will allow you to include information on you and your Civil War ancestor for our Descendants Listings, the Cemeteries, and our Where Did They Go? database, an attempt to track the migration patters of Civil War soldiers after the war.
NOTE: This is not an automated database; the information you provide is e-mailed to the Webmaster who then enters it into a database and updates the online files. It may take a few days before your submission actually appears on the web-site. We appreciate your patience.
Please take a few minutes to fill in and submit this form to assist in our endeavors.
Civil War Era National Cemeteries (Veterans Administration)
Addresses and phone numbers
for the National Cemeteries included in this listing.
Does your ancestor's tombstone indicate his Civil War service? Does it have a marker or flagholder showing his service? Carroll and Thelma Belanger found Leonard Leach's tombstone, in Eden, Vermont (see photo, right). It is marked, but in bad need of a cleaning. Next time they return to Vermont, they're going to clean it up. What is the condition of your ancestor's final resting place? If you aren't able to visit and find out, please consider contacting a local veterans association, and see if they would be willing to clean it up, and help maintain this American heroes memorial!
