BEREA, Ky. (WTVQ) – On Saturday, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Department of Kentucky, held a ceremony at Berea Cemetery in honor of the Civil War soldiers buried there.
In addition to a rifle and flag fly ceremony, there was also a marching band that played tap dancing and Civil War music.
Following a tradition established in 1892, the Memorial Day program will include speakers recounting the history of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), the Women’s Relief Corps and the roll call of the 65 soldiers whose final resting place is the cemetery of Berea.
Three interpretive markers were donated and dedicated to the 65 veterans and a tombstone also dedicated to the private Horace Yates, an African-American soldier.
All three interpretive markers were funded by private donations with additional resources provided by the following organizations: Madison County African American Veterans, KY African American Genealogy Group, Battle of Richmond, Berea Cemetery; Berea College, Madison County Historical Society, Sgt. Elijah P. Marrs Camp # 5, Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War.
The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization founded in 1866 and made up of veterans of the Union Army, Navy, and Marines who served in the Civil War. GAR linked veterans through their shared war experiences and was one of the first organizations to support black veterans’ suffrage, promote patriotic education, help make Memorial Day a celebration. national government, to lobby for regular veterans pensions and to support Republican political candidates.
Its heyday, at 410,000, was in 1890, a culmination of various commemoration and dedication ceremonies of Civil War monuments. The GAR has been replaced by the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.
Madison County was also home to three additional GAR positions: OP Johnson Post # 18 in Round Hill, TD Sedgewick Post # 130 in Richmond, and Marion Murphy # 161 in Kirksville.
The Women’s Relief Corps Auxiliary # 48 was made up of the wives, daughters and widows of these ex-combatants and provided compassionate care to ex-combatants and their families. Many descendants of these veterans still live in the area.