Unmarked graves of Union soldiers identified in Des Moines
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
The unmarked graves of 15 Civil War veterans of the Union army will receive headstones at Glendale Cemetery this month, more than a century after their deaths.
Why it matters: A volunteer initiative to help install the memorials seeks to address a long-standing oversight for soldiers who served in the nation's bloodiest conflict.
Catch up quick: Research by retired Des Moines firefighter Bob Niffenegger recently identified the unmarked burials via documents like military and court records.
- Cemetery staff and military groups collaborated to obtain the stones at no cost from the U.S. Veterans Administration.
State of play: The soldiers ranged from ages 17 to 35 during their military service and were originally from nine states, including Iowa.
- They were between 27 and 86 at the time of their deaths.
- It's unknown why their graves went unmarked, cemetery historian Mike Rowley tells Axios.
The intrigue: The research uncovered unique stories behind some of their lives through newspaper articles published around a century ago.
- Merrick Pease was a relatively obscure Iowa inventor who may have patented a telephone four years before Alexander Graham Bell, despite dying with only $100.
- Josiah Nelson, the last of the 15 to die, in 1931, once replied in court, "I beg your pardon, judge, I am only 82," after a judge mistakenly added a year to his age.
- William Cave was a Civil War musician and a longtime shoemaker who carved custom wooden foot molds for his clients from a shop at the former Randolph Hotel in DSM. At the time of his death, even his birthdate was unknown.
What's next: Service groups interested in assisting with placing the stones before the May 15 dedication ceremony are asked to email Rowley at [email protected]
- A service starts at 4:30pm in the cemetery's Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) section.
