I’d like to add more to the Levi Miller investigation, but that is ongoing. So, in the meantime, I thought I’d launch a different study. Actually, I’d like to ask a question that evolves out of one of the comments I received yesterday about individual perspective of what it means to have gravesite ceremonies for Civil War soldiers.
I’ve mentioned before that I have eight ( 8 ) direct (meaning lineal, or all distant grandfathers) who all served in the Confederate army. I have so many distant uncles who served in gray, I can’t even name them all without looking back at my records (so they won’t be part of this study).
Three (Charles Robert Hilliard, James Harvey Mayes, Henry K. Emerson) served in Co. D, 7th Virginia Cavalry.
Two (Siram W. Offenbacker and Absalom Nauman) served in 2nd Co. M, 62nd Virginia Mounted Infantry.
One (Joseph Richards) served in W.H. Chapman’s Dixie Artillery and possibly (late in the war) the 35th Battalion Virginia Cavalry (incidentally, W.H. Chapman later became Mosby’s second-in-command)
Two (Thomas Eaton and Garnett Nicholson served in the 58th and 82nd Virginia Militia, respectively).
There may be a ninth (9) direct distant grandfather (William Davison) who served in a Kentucky unit. Yet, I can’t prove that the man in the unit with the same name as my ancestor were one in the same (I do know, however, that William had two brothers that served in a Union Infantry unit from Kentucky).
So, that said, if I were going to make a round trip in one day to all of the graves (I know the location of all but two) and put Confederate flags on these graves (they did serve in the Confederate army), would there be anything wrong with that? If so, why. If there wouldn’t be anything wrong with that, why?
I am interested in hearing different perspectives on the practice of placing flags on Confederate graves. I’ve mentioned some of my different feelings on this before, but this time, I’d like to hear what others think.
Cenantua's Blog 
Harry Smeltzer
September 30, 2008
Interesting question. Regardless of what one knows about these folks, it all comes down to the interpretation – today – of a person or group of people about whether or not the veteran would want such a thing done. Or even if that matters. Graves are not merely for the remembered, but for the rememberers – maybe moreso. Now, I got my master’s degree at Pitt. But if someone should come along one day and put a little Pitt flag on my grave, I’d be plenty PO’d, because my undergrad was Penn State. On the other hand, I’d be dead, so maybe it wouldn’t make a difference to me.
I have similar thoughts of re-enactors. Not so much folks who do demonstrations for illustrative purposes, but rather the ones who “play army” and say they are “honoring the boys”. Would the boys think so? I don’t know. Are these guys sacrificing, or are they doing it for themselves? Nothing wrong with it if they’re doing it for enjoyment, but at least be honest about it.
Reenactments, and these graveside ceremonies, are more about satisfying the wants of the living than about honoring the dead. At least, that’s what I suspect. I could be wrong.
cenantua
September 30, 2008
Harry, thanks for the comment.
I think first about what the veteran would want. After all, it’s not about us/the people conducting the honors, it’s about the soldier. Then again, what you said about Pitt and Penn State, that’s just a riot!
You also make some very good points about reenacting. I used to do it and then I started to become really frustrated with “comanders” that made us appear stupid in the public eye on the “battlefield.” It is a poor representation of the real war to the spectator who pays a lot of money to see the “battle.” I think there is more value in living histories (without the “battles”)… that is, as long as the reenactors give an accurate representation. Then again, I have yet to see a living history where a person reenacting as a Confederate soldier (or Union soldier for that matter) has taken me to the side and asked me if I could get him out of there (hmm, where are the conscripts these days?!)
Thanks again!