Civil War soldiers finally rest in peace
Discovered two years ago in graves unearthed at a construction site, the remains of 61 Civil War-era veterans and three civilians were reinterred at Southern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Sierra Vista, Ariz., May 16. The caskets were escorted along their route by American Legion Riders, the Arizona Highway Patrol, U.S. Border Patrol and other patriotic groups.
A memorial ceremony honored 22 California Volunteers who fought during the Civil War, and 39 regular Army troops who served at various times between 1866 and 1881. The remains included those of three Army Indian scouts and one unknown Civil War veteran from the U.S. Colored Troops.
Soldiers from nearby Fort Huachuca helped to carry the troops’ remains – in small, U.S. flag-draped coffins – to a ceremonial staging area. Arizona’s official balladeer, Dolan Ellis, sang “Amazing Grace,” and Joe Joaquin said a prayer in his native Indian language. The 4th Cavalry Regimental Band provided music for the memorial ceremony, which was hosted by the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.
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I am the grandson of one of the California 4th Volunteers from the Civil War period, the service in Arizona led my grandfather Joshua E Bailey to return to Arizona after the war, where he started a town called Safford in 1874 and a stagecoach stop and ranch called Bailey's Wells which was in oeration until 1927 when the stages stopped running Joshua sold out in 1899 and moved to Yuma where he bought the town dairy, which he sold to his nephew Cash Smith and then relocated to Diamondale, Michigan where he died in April 1900 at the age of 66.
The fact that the 4th Calvary was then stationed in the territory should not be over looked, it appears that the Calif Volunters and the regular Army Cavalry unit are 2 different units.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Civil War soldiers finally rest in peace
