Re: burial place of George Washington Louthain
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In reply to:
burial place of George Washington Louthain
Sandra Horton 1/14/05
Finding burial places for CW soldiers killed in battle can be VERY difficult.Many thousands of them lie in unmarked graves on the battlefields of that war.Many others lie in graves whose markers read "Unknown."I would suggest that you first learn all you can about the circumstances of his death.This will at least allow you to make an intelligent guess where to look.
Now, ask yourself what is likely under the circumstances.If he was killed in a significant battle, especially if his side lost the battle, he was probably buried on the battlefield, in a shallow, hastily dug, unmarked grave.There were just too many bodies to handle any other way.If, on the other hand, he was wounded, and died of his wounds later, where did he die?If in a hospital, some hospitals established cemeteries right on the grounds, and he may be buried in one of those.Most such cemeteries were incorporated into the National Cemetery system after the war.Civil War burials in National Cemeteries, insofar as they are known, are listed in the Roll of Honor (mentioned previously as a source by some one else).
People then were much like people now, so don't overlook the possibility that his family may have retrieved his body and taken it home for burial.It happened, rather more frequently than you might think.I have also found cases where there's a headstone or monument with a deceased soldier's name on it in the family plot back home, even though I'm pretty sure he isn't buried there.People did THAT, too.I even have found one case of a guy who has TWO different grave markers in two different states.One in a national cemetery where he died, and another in the family plot back in Michigan.Take your pick!
One other source you might check is the on-line registry of National Cemetery burials, at http://www.cem.va.gov/http://www.cem.va.gov/It seems to contain some names not found in the Roll of Honor.
Good luck in your search.I hope I haven't painted too depressing a picture, but the fact is that if you actually find your man's burial place, you will be one of the lucky few.
Ken Ives