Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 73, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 March 1914 — WAR REMINISCENCES [ARTICLE]

WAR REMINISCENCES

MARK FOR SOLDIERS’ GRAVES

United States Government Provider Tombstones Free and Pays Freight to Destination*.

The United States government has provided 600,000 markers for the graves of soldiers. From two marble quarries, one at Lee, Mass., and one at Rutland, Vt„ all these tombstones have been taken. Lee has furnished 300,000 markers in the last 35 years and ls turning out gravestones at the rate of 20,000 a year. Each marker is three feet long, one foot wide and four Inches thick and weighs 200 pounds. Just under the rounded top is outlined an inlaid shield and within this is cut the name, age, company, rank and regiment of the soldiers, sailor or marine whose grave it is to mark. The stones are shipped usually by the carload to certain distributing points named by the war department. For the New England states Boston Is the distributing place, New York for the middle states, Chicago for the middle west, while Denyer, San Francisco, Atlanta and Houston, Tex., are other points of shipment. Washington has received the greatest number of thpse' markers. Thousands have been set up in Arlington and other government cemeteries. Not only does the government furnish the tombstone free, but it pays the freight to its destination. All that has to be done when the stone has been delivered Is to have it carried to the grave from the freight office and set up. Many Grand Army posts look after this.

Hundreds of . stones have been supplied to mark the graves of women nurses who served in the Civil war. Nearly all 'the applications borne In the names of privates or sailors. Occasionally there is found the name of a line officer and there have been occasions when the grave of a staff officer has been marked. Two generals and perhaps half a dozen colonels are buried in cemeteries of the United States and have over their grave the small white stones provided by tha government.