Civli War era grave accessory
May 16, 2010 11:15 AM Subscribe
Anyone know anything about this Civil War era gravestone decoration?
My friend is researching his family tree and this grave is from one of his ancestors. He wants to know what the little metal decoration stuck in the ground next to the headstone means. We think "USV" probably means "United States Veteran", but we just aren't sure. He thinks it might mean that she was married to a veteran, but I pointed out that it can't have been entirely unheard of for a woman to have been a veteran herself. My google-fu wasn't up to the task. Anything else you can think of about this picture would be helpful to my friend.
My friend is researching his family tree and this grave is from one of his ancestors. He wants to know what the little metal decoration stuck in the ground next to the headstone means. We think "USV" probably means "United States Veteran", but we just aren't sure. He thinks it might mean that she was married to a veteran, but I pointed out that it can't have been entirely unheard of for a woman to have been a veteran herself. My google-fu wasn't up to the task. Anything else you can think of about this picture would be helpful to my friend.
That he saw service with the United States Volunteer infantry regiments? Recruited to the US Army from confederate PoWs or foreign volunteers.
Though it appears the name continued to be used for later volunteer (as opposed to drafted) regiments, and if he was killed in action the latter may be more likely.
posted by biffa at 11:56 AM on May 16, 2010
Though it appears the name continued to be used for later volunteer (as opposed to drafted) regiments, and if he was killed in action the latter may be more likely.
posted by biffa at 11:56 AM on May 16, 2010
Yeah, it's probably US Volunteers, which started around the Civil War.
Those are usually referred to as 'flag holders', because they often have a loop or two in the back to hold up those little flags on dowels.
I don't have any particular proof that that's the right USV, but I do want to mention that that stake could have been placed at any time between the placement of that stone to, oh, say the 1950s, based on condition. Sometimes orgs will just go and stake or re-stake, and re-flag, a whole bunch of graves based on a list of names they have, usually around Memorial Day.
posted by cobaltnine at 11:59 AM on May 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
Those are usually referred to as 'flag holders', because they often have a loop or two in the back to hold up those little flags on dowels.
I don't have any particular proof that that's the right USV, but I do want to mention that that stake could have been placed at any time between the placement of that stone to, oh, say the 1950s, based on condition. Sometimes orgs will just go and stake or re-stake, and re-flag, a whole bunch of graves based on a list of names they have, usually around Memorial Day.
posted by cobaltnine at 11:59 AM on May 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
I believe it stands for US Veteran. I thought the Volunteer designation was added as a incentive during the big recruitment drives of late 63-64.
I've seen similar markers in New England- I think they are fairly old.
As a memorial USV sounds pretty equivocal considering the era. Perhaps ancestor was more of a bureaucratic type than marching through Georgia type?
Is it possible that the person died in the Spanish-American war rather than the Civil War?
posted by pentagoet at 12:05 PM on May 16, 2010
I've seen similar markers in New England- I think they are fairly old.
As a memorial USV sounds pretty equivocal considering the era. Perhaps ancestor was more of a bureaucratic type than marching through Georgia type?
Is it possible that the person died in the Spanish-American war rather than the Civil War?
posted by pentagoet at 12:05 PM on May 16, 2010
Response by poster: It's not obvious from the name, but just to be clear this person was a female.
posted by ambulocetus at 12:36 PM on May 16, 2010
posted by ambulocetus at 12:36 PM on May 16, 2010
USV could stand for a lot of things, and it does look like a flag holder.
But until someone can find the actual emblem and link it to a particular volunteer or veterans organization, we are just guessing. The first link looks very promising, but they don't show anything resembling that emblem. So it looks dubious.
And I can't find it either. It might pay off to ask at the cemetery management office about groups that have participated in Memorial Day and Veteran's Day ceremonies over the years.
posted by SLC Mom at 12:42 PM on May 16, 2010
But until someone can find the actual emblem and link it to a particular volunteer or veterans organization, we are just guessing. The first link looks very promising, but they don't show anything resembling that emblem. So it looks dubious.
And I can't find it either. It might pay off to ask at the cemetery management office about groups that have participated in Memorial Day and Veteran's Day ceremonies over the years.
posted by SLC Mom at 12:42 PM on May 16, 2010
Of note, perhaps, is that the flag holder is not obviously present in this 2006 photograph of the grave. It is also intriguing that the marker itself is engraved with a shield emblem.
My feeling is that the cemetery itself, if still privately managed, or a local genealogy org would be the best place to ask for answers. Does the cemetery have other graves with the shield emblem, or the USV flag holder?
Although there were numerous women active in the Civil War in support roles such as nursing, I find it unlikely that any would be honored as veterans or even "Volunteers" (a word which really meant soldiers in that context). On the other hand, this type of gravestone was commonly used for veterans, particularly who died in action. But in those cases, the rank and unit would be included, and it appears that the design was Congressionally authorized for Union Army members, making it unlikely to be a courtesy usage for a spouse.
It is a bit of a mystery. Let us know what you find out!
posted by dhartung at 1:32 PM on May 16, 2010
My feeling is that the cemetery itself, if still privately managed, or a local genealogy org would be the best place to ask for answers. Does the cemetery have other graves with the shield emblem, or the USV flag holder?
Although there were numerous women active in the Civil War in support roles such as nursing, I find it unlikely that any would be honored as veterans or even "Volunteers" (a word which really meant soldiers in that context). On the other hand, this type of gravestone was commonly used for veterans, particularly who died in action. But in those cases, the rank and unit would be included, and it appears that the design was Congressionally authorized for Union Army members, making it unlikely to be a courtesy usage for a spouse.
It is a bit of a mystery. Let us know what you find out!
posted by dhartung at 1:32 PM on May 16, 2010
[Flagged for admin hope re: "Civli". You know, for the Googlers.]
posted by dhartung at 1:33 PM on May 16, 2010
posted by dhartung at 1:33 PM on May 16, 2010
United Volunteer Service
they have thrift stores everywhere.
posted by hortense at 4:58 PM on May 16, 2010
they have thrift stores everywhere.
posted by hortense at 4:58 PM on May 16, 2010
My theory is that whomever paid for the tombstone was offered a "Civil War Shield" monument at a discount by the memorial company or funeral home and many years later a service organization placed a marker on the plot in the mistaken belief that the interred was a veteran...
posted by cinemafiend at 5:09 PM on May 16, 2010
posted by cinemafiend at 5:09 PM on May 16, 2010
Response by poster: I like your hypothesis, cinemafiend. As soon as I talk to my friend I will update. Thanks everybody.
posted by ambulocetus at 6:44 PM on May 16, 2010
posted by ambulocetus at 6:44 PM on May 16, 2010
It looks as though the stone was cleaned sometime between 2006 and 2009, which would indicate some type of cemetary refurbishment. I think that cinemafiend has a point -- the grave was marked with a shield monument at some point and it got a flag-holder placed in the last round of cemetary refurbishment. Or perhaps the USV/cemetary marked all CW era graves for Independence Day?
It's unclear whether the cemetary was new or established when the original burial took place, and it's entirely possible that the current stone is not the original stone. (Many of the CW era gravestones at our local cemetaries have been replaced due to wear and weathering, some more than once as they're often made out of soft stone.)
posted by jlkr at 7:08 PM on May 16, 2010
It's unclear whether the cemetary was new or established when the original burial took place, and it's entirely possible that the current stone is not the original stone. (Many of the CW era gravestones at our local cemetaries have been replaced due to wear and weathering, some more than once as they're often made out of soft stone.)
posted by jlkr at 7:08 PM on May 16, 2010
Best answer: Not to be nitpicky, but if she died in 1898, how is this Civil War era, exactly? She would have been in her early teens when the war started.
posted by obliquicity at 9:11 PM on May 16, 2010
posted by obliquicity at 9:11 PM on May 16, 2010
My father is in the Sons of Union Veterans and is an avid civil war grave finder and flagger. I showed him your picture and he said it's definitely a military headstone, but he's never seen the marker before. He is going to forward the photo to his counterpart in the Indiana branch of the Sons and ask them to take a look. I'll let you know what he finds out!
posted by Biblio at 4:26 PM on May 22, 2010
posted by Biblio at 4:26 PM on May 22, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks, Biblio. Um, could a mod fix the typo in the title please? Maybe someone will find the thread through google or something. Thanks everybody!
posted by ambulocetus at 7:02 PM on May 22, 2010
posted by ambulocetus at 7:02 PM on May 22, 2010
« Older Why won't Google Voice pick up calls made from... | Where's the report filter value? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by dinger at 11:48 AM on May 16, 2010 [1 favorite]