Note: Feeling a need to clarify my thoughts on some matters, as of 29 August 2008, I added something to the points that I have made in this post. See another post for additional details.
I’d be curious to see the V.A. headstone application stats. Specifically, I’d like to see how many Civil War headstones have been ordered within the last two decades. I’d also like to see how many of those were for Confederate soldiers. After all, the headstones almost seem to be popping up all over the place. I also wonder how many people are ordering headstones based on nothing more than the raw data in the service records. As I’ve pointed out before, Confederate service records are notoriously incomplete and, taken at face value, may be misleading. My specific concern is whether or not service was “willful.”
So, what’s the big deal? Let’s back-off from the topic of the Civil War for a minute and take a look at something else in order to allow room for comparison.
Whether or not someone enlisted or was drafted (let’s pick draftees from any of the war since WW2), as long as the service was honorable and it can be shown on record as such, the V.A. can grant a headstone. Willful service (most specifically regarding draftees) or not, they served the United States government, apparently with honor. There is nothing to show otherwise. That’s fine… unless that soldier, sailor, airman or Marine didn’t want that headstone because he/she specified that he did not and that he/she did not have a belief in what he/she was doing. The advantage, in the years since WW2 is that these stones have usually been requested within “real time.” Stones have been ordered by or at the request of people who knew the soldier best and probably understood better the motivation of the soldier, sailor, et al.
However, the rules made in the best interest of the veterans from the 20th century seem to inappropriately blanket-over and include soldiers in earlier American conflicts – the Civil War among them.
When considering the Civil War… the difference is… how many people today apply for headstones for soldiers they never knew… or better yet for soldiers who lived generations apart from the applicant? How can applicants today be so certain of motivations and the best interest of the dead so far removed? Ultimately, what is the motivation for ordering a stone – is it done to make themselves feel better or to really, I mean really, honor the dead?
The legislation works well for the V.A. as they really don’t have the resources or time to make sure that an application is legit. It is the responsibility of the person applying to handle the basic guidelines and it can only be hoped that the person applies for the headstone “intelligently” and “responsibly.” As I have posted before on my blog (one excellent example being the story of Washington John P. Cave and his headstone), this system of granting headstones to Civil War veterans has many flaws. Raw data from the military records reveal only part of the story (and sometimes misrepresent the facts – again, take the example of W.J.P. Cave). More importantly, historically, it opens the gate for leaving a legacy of misunderstanding for future generations as to the truth about people from the Civil War who rest under the stones. I’m not saying that all Confederate headstones ordered are out of whack, but I have identified some rather questionable ones out there. I think it parallels an earlier post that I wrote regarding “responsible Confederate flagging.
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Sue
August 4, 2008
That is a very good question – a real dilemma – because the question could be asked from the opposite direction as well – If you don’t know that the service was willful – you have no way of knowing it wasn’t ….
caswain01
August 14, 2008
The “rule” as I recall from my “here’s your benefits” briefing at the V.A. was a veteran was entitled to a headstone if honorably discharged, not convicted of a capital crime, AND without any marking or headstone currently on the grave. An exception has been made for those deceased since 1990, and a headstone can be ordered in addition to any private one in place. Thus if someone is now going back to request a Civil War Veteran headstone, beyond just proving service, they probably have to show no headstone is there now (and by extension prove that the veteran is actually buried there).
All said, if someone is getting over on the V.A. and receiving headstones they shouldn’t, well…. I don’t know if I am upset at the waste of tax dollars, or excited that someone FINALLY got the V.A. to do something other than shuffle paperwork!
judy
April 12, 2010
willful service
if you put yourself back almost 150 years ago when this nationwas still young and a conflick over states rights pulled a country almost apart. why would we not make sure every civil war soldier union and conferderate has a stone to make sure someone will honor them .
I am working on a headstone for a confederate soldier my great great grandfather was a captured confederate at vicksburg released had to swear a oath to the united states but on his confederate roll papers he is listed as a deserter he never had a stone he is buried in a field with a few family members
And today I found a picture of the cem that one of my 5 great grandfathers lay to rest his and his wifes stone was taken he is a rev. war solider served under washington this is in his pention records this is a man that fought to build a great nation of freedom do we not own these men the right of a headstone so someone will place flowers on there graves instead of memorial day being a day for a beer fest
WITH OUR TAX MONEY WASTED ON EVERY LITTLE THING
A HEAD STONE IS A SMALL PRICE TO PAY FOR THE FREEDOM THEY FOUGHT SO HARD TO GIVE US SHAME ON YOU
Robert Moore
April 12, 2010
I have no idea who you are, but I’m glad that you think you can drop in, probably read one blog post and judge me and my thoughts on what I say in that one post alone. On top of that, while I didn’t sacrifice my life, I did make plenty of sacrifices of my own in nearly 14 years in the Army and Navy combined… as did my father in 33 years in the Corps… and my grandfather in WW2… and so on, and so on. So, in truth, the shame is on you. Get a grip. Getting a stone for a veteran is great, but when it reaches into the Civil War era soldiers, it becomes a little more complicated. My concern is for the way that the system is being abused and too often misidentifies personal sentiments of some of those very people under the stones. I know of several men resting under stones praising their Confederate service when they did everything they could to avoid it… one even getting out of Virginia after he was discharged as exempt because he was a shoemaker. He didn’t buy into the Confederacy and probably wouldn’t think much of such a stone praising his service as a Confederate soldier being over his head. Gee… will you look at that! I even provided a hyperlink to the story about that person. If you actually took time to read some other posts (some of which I have linked herein), you would have seen this and other examples that I provide of stones in the wrong. By the way, watch this… your freedom to comment here is now compromised… I don’t appreciate digital yelling, not to mention comments that present personal insults.
jill
April 13, 2010
I’m no English major but that person’s post was hard to read and understand! Let us all use punctuation and capital letters!
I’m a lurker to your blog by way of cwmemory.
Thank you for your insightful posts.
History buff in Portsmouth, VA
Robert Moore
April 13, 2010
Thanks for reading, Jill!
cecilburt
September 20, 2011
I have made application for Confederate headstones for two brothers who died in the war. I am in the process of preserving and protecting the cemetery from farm animals. The markers will to be placed by the wives graves in a private cemetery. The ladies never remarried but raised eight children between them. Both brothers reenlisted twice so they must have wanted to be there. You will be glad to know that the VA has turned the application down three times as a cost saving measure. I strongly believe that if they died in battle or in a POW camp such as Elmira or Andersonville or lived on after the war, they are entitled to a stone provided by the Government if the family so chooses to honor their ancestors. Are we to forego the expence of a flag next? How much money are spending on the 911 memorial?
Robert Moore
September 21, 2011
“You will be glad to know”.
Actually, no, I wasn’t “glad to know”… and I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t suggest that you “think” you know my opinion regarding the difficulties in your project.
Please, apart from the service record, enlighten us with the service of these men… and why you are convinced that they embraced the cause so eagerly… not what you “think”, but what you know from items and documents that suggest you should think what you do.
I’m quite familiar with the problem that is behind ordering headstones… for those of whom you know nothing, other than what you see in a service record. See a more recent blog post about this very subject, here.
Incidentally, it would be rather remarkable if the two really did reenlist twice… as the typical first reenlistment of Confederates actually meant… for the war… and that meant even if it went beyond 1865.
Robert Moore
September 21, 2011
By the way. I do know several folks who have ordered headstones for Confederates, and are not encountering the issues that you mention. They are being approved and shipped.
Danny L. Calhoon
May 16, 2012
Interesting reading thank you. I didn’t care much for history when I was a child long long ago but, as I grow closer to the top of my family linage and more and more descendants that are much younger and don’t care to remember anything more than their email addresses and Facebook pages I am drawn to find when and where my family lies. Stone Gardens hold a particular fascination for me. I can’t comment on the content of your blog’s because I don’t know how my ancestors want to be remembered. My Dad recently passed away. He was a vet of the Korean conflict and as such we received a flag from the V.A. BUT I know he didn’t brag about being over there and most of his stories were about the Fräulein’s in Germany I know he wouldn’t want to be remembered as a vet and buried under a V.A. issued stone and if he were buried under that stone it WOULD be the vanity of my family members and not my Dads wish’s. Again thanks for the interesting read
Robert Moore
May 16, 2012
Thanks for stopping by and offering a thoughtful comment.
Helen Bernard Webster
November 30, 2012
I am a member of a United Daughter of Confederacy Chapter here in Charlottesville, VA which is the location of a Civil War graveyard that our Chapter has been taking care of since the War it’s self. We all have to help cut government costs. No problem. We get it. We are willing to pay for our own stones made by a local business. We are trying to find out if there is a Patent on the design of same. We know there is for the Union Stones as they were Government driven. Does any one know if there is a patent on the Confederate stones?