by Susan Zehnder, Education Director
There’s an urban legend that attempts to explain why
tombstones for Confederate soldiers come to a point at the top rather than
being curved like those used for Union soldiers. The story goes something along
the line of ‘not wanting Union soldiers to
sit on their gravestones, the top of Confederate headstones come to a center
point.’
Confederate tombstones, Woodlawn National Cemetery |
It makes a great story, but after various searches and even asking
questions of Woodlawn National Cemetery staff, the most confirmation I could get
is a non-committal shrug.
Union tombstones, Woodlawn National Cemetery |
Taking classes from Fassett Elementary School on recent tours
through Woodlawn Cemetery, adjacent to Woodlawn National Cemetery, we looked at
gravesites for a few prominent local people. We visited stones for Alexander
Diven and his family, for Samuel Clemens and his family, a vault for the Arnot
family, and the Firefighters memorial area. While some of the students
recognized schools, streets and buildings named after these people, most of
their curiosity and questions focused on the physical features of the cemetery.
We compared noticeable differences between individual headstones, family
markers, and vaults.
Woodlawn Cemetery, May 2019 |
Chartered by the state and established as a cemetery in 1858, Woodlawn
covers 184 acres. In October 2004, it was added to the National Registry of
Historic places. While the two cemeteries were once one, Woodlawn National
Cemetery was separated off in response to a federal decree in the mid-1800s,
that burial places be set aside to recognize Civil War battle dead. This
included soldiers that died in battle, prison camps, and hospitals. Today, Woodlawn
National Cemetery stands in stark visual contrast to Woodlawn Cemetery. The
markers are in tight rows, and almost identical. Here too, only eligible
military are laid to rest. The cemetery is part of the National Cemetery system
run by the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, National Cemetery Administration.
While Woodlawn National Cemetery doesn’t accept burials anymore, if anyone who
qualifies wants to be interred, that’s still possible. There are 136 National
Cemeteries in the nation. Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C.
was established in 1865 and remains one of the most well-known.
Losing the war and legally defeating slavery, the Nation still
chose to respect all fallen soldiers despite their allegiance. 150 years later,
the pointed and curved headstones blur together in the cemetery. The rows of mainly
white headstones stand at silent attention, and as one young student observed,
they’re lined up like soldiers.
It is predicted that over the Memorial Day weekend, more than 135,000 people will visit Arlington National Cemetery near our nation’s capital, and tradition dictates the United States President or Vice President will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.