Document # 020. The Vicksburg Post July 12th, 1998 - Note July 12th, 1998
Along the Campaign Trail
A Copy of this Newspaper is in my Possession

A Photo; Grave Markers; Ms. Nelma Crutcher was one of the Civil War enthusiasts who participated at soldier’s Rest in Cedar Hill Cemetery to erect Seventy - Seven Grave Markers Saturday afternoon. Grave Markers Planted for Seventy - Seven Confederates; Names were Found on Burial List in the Old Court House Museum; by Paul Pupura. A piece of George Martin’s Heritage is carved in Stone. - A 245 point slab of Marble to be exact. Mr. Martin ventured from his home in Sequim, Washington, to Vicksburg this weekend to view the Grave Marker for his Great Grand Uncle, Private Isaac Martin, who fought Union Forces here in 1863. “I know nothing about him except that he was here,” said Martin, 65, a retired Nuclear Engineer. . A member of the 43rd Tennessee Volunteer Infantry, Isaac Martin had one of Seventy - Two Markers planted hee Saturday and celebrated in about Thirty - Five who traveled form Tennessee, Alabama, and Arkansas, hey braved threatening storms for a brief evening ceremony at Cedar Hill Cemetery’s Soldier’s Rest, complete with Confederate Re - Enactors. For Nelma Crutcher, of Dickson, Tennessee, Martin’s trip had purpose, “It’s to give the families of these Seventy - Seven - Seven a place to come and honor their dead,” Ms. Crutcher said. “That’s what its all about.” Ms. Crutcher played a key role in ensuring the Grave Markers were obtained for the Confederates who died during or shortly after the Union Campaign to take Vicksbug during the Summer of 1863. “This is a Memorial to all Seventy - Seven of these men and what they did ,” she said. “These are Markers for men who will never be forgotten.” (Please see Markers, Page # A - 11.) Markers (Continued from Page # A - 1.) About 5,000 Soldiers are believed to be buried in Soldier’s rest, - Yet about 3,500 remain unidentified, white were buried, “Cypress Grave Markers were erected over Mass Graves, lasts of the dead were kept by a Union Officer and later a Burial Association. But the Cypress rotted, and the lists were lost, leaving no indication of who is buried in the Rolling Hills of North Vicksburg, Over the years names will surface, which accounts for the 1,500 Markers now planted in the Cemetery. In December 1996, Old Court House Museum Employee Jeff Giambrone found a Burial list with the Names. “I never would have throught that it would have come to this when I was poking thorugh the Old Court House Records,” Giambrone said, “It’s been a long time, but these boys are fiannlly getting tgheir dur,” “Because most were from Tennessee the List was turned over to Mrs. Crutchers, a Past President of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, Tennessee Davison, Starting in May, 1997, she verified the Military Record of Seventy - One of the men and used the information to apply to the Department of Veterans Affairs which supplied the Markers. “We owe her a great deal of gratitude,: Old Court House Museum Director and Curator Gordon Cotton said during the Ceremony. Wayne McMaster, Commander of the Sons of Confederate Veterans Local Post said he and others finished planting the Markers at 9;00 A.m. Saturday. “We know a lot more about setting Stones than we did the day before Yesterday,” he said, Mr. Martin said his Great - Grand - Father and Three Great Uncles where stationed in Warren County in 1863, is sac Martin was the only One to remain hee, He died on May 26th, 1863,” “He probably died of disease because there was nothing going on at that time,” he said, the Others survived. He said the Four were stationed at a regimental camp at withal today is believed to be the site of the Rainbow Casino off Warrenton Road (In South Vicksburg.) “I’m really impressed with these people.” Mr. Martin said after the Ceremony. “I’m really happy to see this.”