--- On Tue, 3/25/08, LouisianaGenealogy Blogs <louisianagenealogyblogs@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Date: Tuesday, March 25, 2008, 9:16 AM > Dedication for unknown soldiers' graves Saturday > > > http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080325/NEWS01/803250330/1060/NEWS01 > > > March 25, 2008 > IF YOU GO > The dedication ceremony at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Minden > Cemetery, located on Bayou Avenue off of Pine Street, will > include a living history presentation. It is open to the > public. > > > From Staff Reports > > > MINDEN — In the back right corner of the old section of > the Minden Cemetery are the graves of more than 20 unknown > Civil War Confederate soldiers. > > This hallowed ground of 144 years has never been forgotten. > Even though the soldiers names may be lost forever to the > future, their lives are remembered for their bravery and > valor in April 1864, said Schelley Brown, organizer of a > dedication ceremony set for 1 p.m. Saturday. > > Sons of the Confederacy Camp members from El Dorado, > Shreveport, Claiborne, Ruston, Farmerville and West Monroe > are expected to participate, along with local members of > the United Daughters of the Confederacy. > > "This will be a wonderful time to show children what > history a cemetery holds and how important remembering the > past is for our future," Brown said. > > The soldiers more than likely were from the Walker Texas > Division and General Polinac's Division of Louisiana. > During the bloody and furious battles of Mansfield and > Pleasant Hill these men were wounded and brought to Minden > to be treated for their wounds. Both of these divisions had > been in Minden before, having wintered in or near Minden in > 1864. > > "Like so many Civil War soldiers many were lost and > never heard from again. They are somewhere across these > U.S. buried in unmarked graves or left to scatter to the > wind over 144 years ago. > > "Many a loved one would only hope that their dear > departed would have been laid to rest with the respect that > the long plot in the Minden Cemetery represents," she > said. > > The soldiers' remains are in what has become known as > the "Civil War Trench." It is estimated that > between 20 to 30 bodies lie buried along this concrete > line. > > One, Pvt. Thomas L. Anderson, was identified a few years > ago by his family through genealogy research. He has a > marker; the rest do not, Brown said. > > In 2007, the T.M. Scott Camp of Minden's Son's of > Confederate Veterans, representing direct descendants of > Civil War Confederate veterans, contacted Brown through > spokesman Barry Watson with a request to erect markers for > the unknown soldiers. > > The 21 stones were delivered earlier this year and > volunteers representing Camp members from Minden, Claiborne > Parish and El Dorado, Ark., came together a few weeks ago to > install them. > > Said Brown: "Having worked with the Sons of the > Confederacy and the Daughters of the Confederacy on several > occasion(s) during the annual Minden Cemetery Ghost Walk, I > was thrilled that they were taking this project under their > wing. I think this is a wonderful opportunity for the > community to come together and remember these soldiers in a > historic manner. "After 144 years, these men finally > have a headstone to show that they are there." > > > > Associated URLS > http://mindencemetery.blogspot.com/ > http://www.mansfieldbattlefield.org/ > http://louisianagenealogyblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/144-years-later-unknown-graves-to-be.html > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs ========================================================== Promoting awareness is the first step to preservation. ==========================================================The FreeLists-Louisiana Cemeteries mailing list Archives: //www.freelists.org/archives/louisianacemeteries Information: //www.freelists.org/list/louisianacemeteries Post: louisianacemeteries@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Unsub/Sub: louisianacemeteries-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx c. 2007 Louisiana Cemeteries ==========================================================