Sunday, September 29, from 2–3:30 PM
Travel back in time to join Abraham Lincoln and the 1st Minnesota Infantry to honor Civil War Veterans buried at Lakewood. On Sunday, September 29, from 2–3:30 PM, reenactors will lead a dedication ceremony honoring Civil War veterans who recently had markers placed on their graves.
Gary Carlberg, a volunteer historian with the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW), has led the effort to have markers placed on the thousands of unmarked graves of Union veterans across the state.
Many Civil War Veterans Were Buried in Unmarked Graves
At Lakewood, between 700 and 800 Union Civil War veterans are buried in unmarked graves. Gary explains that there are a few reasons why so many Civil War soldiers are buried at Lakewood. “The Minnesota Soldiers’ Home, established in 1887, was near Lakewood,” he says. “It housed many veterans who had nowhere else to go and when the soldiers passed away, many of them were brought to Lakewood. Back then, the government covered the cost of a burial plot, but not a grave marker.” In fact, it wasn’t until 1973 that the Department of Veterans Affairs began providing markers to eligible veterans.
Minnesota Encouraged Veterans to Move to the State
“The reason that so many veterans lived in Minnesota,” Gary continues, “is that the state worked to attract new residents, and veterans took advantage of an opportunity to acquire land.”
After the US-Dakota War of 1862, the federal government opened land previously reserved for the Dakota people. Under the Homestead Act, settlers could claim public land for a small fee, if a person agreed to live on the land and work it for five continuous years. Civil War veterans were granted a reduced residency requirement of only two years due to their service. As a result, many veterans were drawn to Minnesota’s fertile farmland.
Volunteers Drive the Effort
Gary’s passion for Civil War history was sparked as a child when a relative showed him a button from his great-great-grandfather’s Union Sack Coat. This interest has led him to work to ensure that every Civil War veteran is remembered with a proper marker. Now retired, Gary devotes up to 50 volunteer hours a week, meticulously researching and reaching out to families of Union Civil War veterans. Once the proper documents are gathered, applications are submitted to the VA requesting a marker.
The SUVCW collaborates with many cemeteries across the state. To date, Gary and the team have successfully secured more than 210 markers. Of those, 75 will be installed at Lakewood, beginning with the first veteran on the alphabetical list, Private William S. Abbott, who served in Company G of Wisconsin’s 2nd Infantry, through to Private Edward R. Brown, who served in Company C of Maine’s 20th Infantry.
Honoring Civil War Veterans
Because memorialization is core to our mission, Lakewood is partially waiving the cost to set the markers. Additional funds come from groups like local American Legions and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFWs).
Everyone is invited to attend this special ceremony which will take place near the Grand Army of the Republic monument. Along with the reenactors, the ceremony will feature the Living History Society, Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War and a fife and a drum player from the 1st Minnesota. Following the ceremony, everyone is invited to join Gary and other SUVCW volunteers on a guided tour of the graves of soldiers from the 1st and 2nd Minnesota Infantry regiments.
Thanks to the dedication and efforts of the SUVCW, working with Lakewood, along with Gary Carlberg, Matt Nyquist and M.E. — who will be acknowledged prior to the ceremony — the legacy of these Civil War veterans will never be forgotten.
Location
This event takes place in the GAR section. Click here for a GPS link to this location using Google Maps.
