 Epitaphs for CW soldiers and participants
I ran across the epitaph of Jefferson Davis: "At rest. An American Soldier and Defender of the Constitution." This raised my curiosty about epitaphs of other CW soldiers and participants. The following is the result of a limited internet search on a few of the 600,000 + participants which lead to some real treasures and a few surprises--as an example, a gravestone erected in 2006! Headstones located in national cemeteries, for the most part, do not have epitaphs engraved on them, so there are familiar names not on this list. Please feel free to research additional epitaphs and add to the list! --BBF
This is the template:
Name
birth date
death date
Place of interment
Epitaph
Braxton Bragg (1)
b-Mar. 22, 1817
d-Sep. 27, 1876
Magnolia Cemetery
Mobile, Alabama
"Psalm 34th, 7th verse, "The angel of the Lord encamped Round about those that fear Him and delivereth them."
John Cabell Breckenridge (1)
b-Apr. 1, 1823
d-Jan. 8, 1914
Frankfort Cemetery
Frankfort, Kentucky
"A noble life devoted to honor and country."
Ambrose E. Burnside (1)
b-Mar. 23, 1824
d-Sep 13, 1881
Swam Point Cemetery
Providence, Rhode Island
"This is the Lord's doing. It is marvelous in our eyes."
Benjamin Franklin Butler (1)
b-Nov. 5, 1818
d-Jan. 11th, 1893
Hildreth Family Cemetery
Lowell, Massachusetts
"The true touchstone of civil liberty is not that all men are equal but that every man has the right to be the equal of every other man - if he can.
Luman Cadwell (1)
b-May 22, 1836
d-Jul. 8, 1925
Phelps Cemetery
Decorah, Iowa
"There is no death."
Phinias Cadwell (2)
[This is a revolutionary war hero. I included him because of this wonderful epitaph]
b-unknown
d-Feb. 11, 1857 age 99yrs, 11 days. Col. Revoutionary War 1757 - 1852
"--Oh, my country
How sure I love thee.
On my youth I fought for, sought and saw thy prosperity free all thy sons.
May thy freedom be universal and perpetual. I leave thee."
Joshua Chamberlain (3)
b-Sep. 8, 1825
d-Feb 24, 1914
Pine Grove Cemetery
Brunswick, Maine
[on a separate plaque]
"In great deeds, something abides.
On great fields, something stays.
Forms change and pass; bodies disappear.
But spirits linger to consecrate the ground
For the vision place of souls."
John Lincoln Clem (4)
b-1851
d-1932
Arlington National Cemetery
"The Drummer Boy at Chickamauga"
Jefferson Davis (5)
b-Jun 3, 1808
d-Dec, 6, 1889
Hollywood Cemetery
Richmond, Virginia
"At Rest
An American Soldier
And Defender of the
Constitution."
Jefferson Columbus Davis (1)
b-Mar 2nd, 1828
d- Nov. 30, 1879
Crown Hill Cemetery
Indianapolis, Indiana
"His memory is embalmed in
The history of his country."
Ulysses S. Grant (1)
b-Apr. 27, 1822
d-Jul. 23, 1885
General Grant National Memorial
Manhattan, New York
"Let us have peace"
Mrs. Rose N. Greenhow (6)
b-1814
d-Sep 30, 1864
Oakdale Cemetery
Wilmington, North Carolina'
[on the front of the headstone]
"A bearer of dispatches to the Confederate government."
[on the back of the headstone]
"Drowned off Fort Fisher, from the steamer Condor, while attempting to run the blockade Sep. 30.th, 1864"
Erected by the Ladies Memorial Association
Henry Wager Halleck (1)
b-Jan. 16, 1815
d-Jan 9, 1872
Green-Wood Cemetery
Brooklyn, New York
"The Lord is my strength and my song and is become my savior."
Thomas Jonathon (Stonewall) Jackson (1)
b-Jan 21, 1824
d-May 10, 1863
Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery
Lexington City, Virginia
"The remains of Stonewall Jackson hae been removed from this spot. And now repose under the monument in this cemetery. Erected to his memory by his loving countrymen."
William Loring (1)
b-Dec 4, 1818
d-Dec 30, 1885
Loring Park
Saint Augustine, Florida
"His courage in battle was conspicuous; His devotion to duty unfailing; His abiltiy recognized by three governments."
George Gordon Meade (1)
b-Dec. 31, 21815
d-Nov. 6, 1872
Laurel Hill Cemetery
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
"He did his work bravely and is at rest"
Montgomery Cunningham Meigs (4)
b-1816
d-1892
Arlington National Cemetery
"Soldier, Engineer, Architect, Scientist, Patriot"
Sterling Price (1)
b-Sep 14, 1808
d-Sep 28, 1867
Bellefontaine Cemetery
St. Louis, Missouri
"His quality of character was equaled only by his exalted patriotism"
Dred Scott (7)
b-1799
d- Sep 17, 1858
Calvary Cemetery and Mausoleum
St. Louis, Missouri
[on front of headstone]
"Freed from Salvery by his friend, Taylor Blow"
[on back of headstone]
"Subjet of the decision of the Supreme Court of the U.S. in 1857 Which denied citizenship to the negro, voided the Missouri Compromise Act. Became one of the events that resulted in the Civil War."
[on a separate plaque]
"In memory of a simple man who wanted to be free."
Dred Scott. Dedicated by the African Historical and Genealogical Research Society. Donated by the Eddie Randle and Sons Funeral Home.
Admiral Raphael Semmes (1)
b-Sep 27, 1809
d-Aug 30, 1877
The Catholic Cemetery
Mobile, Alabama
"Home is the Sailor; Home From the Sea
At Rest in the Soil he Loved."
"Requiescat In Pace"
William Seward (7)
b-May 16, 1801
d-Oct 10, 1872
Ft. Hill Cemetery
Cayuga, New York
"He was faithful"
William Tecumseh Sherman (1)
b-Feb 8, 1820
d-Feb 14, 1981
Calvery Cemetery and Mausoleum
St. Louis, Missouri
"Faithful and Honorable"
Franz Sigel (1)
b-Nov 18, 1824
d-Aug 21, 1902
Woodlawn Cemetery
Bronx, New York
"An American citizen and soldier"
James E. Studley (8)
b-unknown
d-Mar 25, 1864
Orleans Cemetery
Barnstable County, Massachusetts
"He died for his country'
Why should we deplore him
Why weep for the Soldier
Whose battles are o'er"
Stephen Swails (1)
b-Feb 23, 1832
d-May 17, 1900
Humane and Friendly Society Cemetery
Charleston, South Carolina
"Brave veteran, the seasons may come and go but thy name and (illegible) deeds shall beat in the hearts of your people forever."
"Erected by the people of South Carolina October 28th, 2006"
Harriet Tubman (Davis) (1)
b-Jan 29, 1820
d-Mar 10, 1913
Ft. Hill Cemetery
Auburn, New York
"Heroine of the Underground Railroad
Nurse and Scout in the Civil War
Born about 1820 in Maryland
Died March 10, 1913 at Auburn, New York
--Servant of God, well done--"
Erected by the Empire State Federation of Women Clubs July 5th, 1937
Stand Watie (1)
b-Mar 11, 1820
d-Feb 3, 1882
Polson Cemetery
Delaware County, Oklahoma
"Lest we forget"
Gideon Welles (9)
b-Jul 2, 1802
d-Feb 11, 1878
Cedar Hill Cemetery
Hartfort, Connecticut
[a lengthy resume of his life precedes this quote--BBF]
"...The bosom of devouring seas Entombs my mouldering dust. There life and all my active powers are in a moment lost. In kind remembrance of my love my friends will not refuse to weep. My hands would one have dry'd your tears. But now lied buried in the deep. Yet weep in hope my bones are safe wrap't in the unchain decree, The trump that wakes the dead on earth shall call me from the sea."
The Confederate Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery (4)
[on the north side of the memorial]
"Not for fame or sword
Not lured by ambition
Or goaded by necessity
But in simple obedience to duty, as they understood it.
These men suffered all
Sacrificed all
Dared all -- and died."
[on the south side of the memorial]
"To our dead heros
By the United Daughters of the Confederacy
Victrix-Causa-Deis-Placult
Sied-Vict-Catoni"
Translation:
"The glorious cause
Was pleasing to the gods, but
The lost cause to Cato"
[carved around the memorial]
"They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks."
The monument was dedicated June 4th, 1914
Tomb of the Unknowns of the Civil War (4)
September A.D. 1866
Arlington National Cemetery
"Beneath this stone
Repose the bones of two thousand one hundred and eleven unknown soldiers gathered after the war.
From the fields of Bull Run and the route to the Rappahannock, their remains could not be identified. But their names and deaths are recorded in the archives of their country; and it's grateful citizens.
Honor them as of their noble army of martyrs. May they rest in peace."
Lastly, my personal favorite (10)
Words by Morril Worcester
"Lay down your arms, close your ranks,
Rest in eternal peace. Rest easy, sleep well, my brothers. Know the line has held, your job is done, rest easy, sleep well. Others have taken up the line where you fell; the line has held. Peace, peace and farewell."
References:
1-Findagrave.com
2-WISSAR.org
3-Quincey Memorials, Inc.
4-Arlington National Cemetery
5-Last Words/Sanftleben.com
6-Trivia-Library.com
7-Wikipedia
8-Cape Cod Gravestones
9-Googlebooksearch.com / Gideon Welles
10-Washingtonpost.com  |
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