thedrifter
10-19-08, 07:43 AM
October 19, 2008
Civil War vet grave gets overdue rites
By JIM McCONVILLE
STAFF WRITER
Pvt. Lorenzo Reynolds is finally part of the family — the long legions of military family, that is.
The former Asbury Park resident and Union veteran of the Civil War finally has received his gravestone from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, about 97 years after he died.
About 20 people gathered at Reynolds' grave at Mount Prospect Cemetery Saturday morning to dedicate the marble gravestone for Reynolds, an African-American who served with Company A, 11th Regiment of the New Jersey Volunteer Infantry of the U.S. Army in 1864 and 1865.
Located about half way up the cemetery's hilly summit, Reynolds' grave was framed by an American flag and a flag of the Sons of Union Veterans of New Jersey along with late 19th century tintype photographs of Reynolds and members of his family.
Born Sept. 9, 1838, in Whiting, Reynolds received his belated military dedication, which included an honor guard from members of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, a formal eulogy and a lone trumpeter playing taps.
"Let this stone be blessed in remembrance of one who served," said the Rev. Thomas Sheil of the Universal Life Church, who offered the eulogy.
Reynolds is among good company.
An estimated 104 other Civil War soldiers are buried in Mount Prospect Cemetery, said Gary S. Crawford, former commander of Post 346 of the Sons of the American Legion.
"He is a lot more than just a name or a piece of stone," Crawford said of Reynolds.
"He is a symbol of what we are trying to do," said Daniel J. Lynch, commander of the Department of New Jersey of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. "We strive to get every Civil War soldier from New Jersey documented."
Lynch said Reynolds' headstone should also "serve as a reminder that our freedom is maintained by men and women who are taking service in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard on behalf of a grateful nation."
Reynolds, who returned from the war to become a laborer, settled in Asbury Park, where he married and had four children. He died on March 23, 1911, at the age of 71.
The quest to secure Reynolds a military headstone began when Betty "Cookie" Andrews of Neptune, who is the Mount Prospect Cemetery archivist, found out about Reynolds' unmarked grave and wrote a letter to American Legion Post 346.
Crawford, a past commander of Post 346, then wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, requesting a marker.
"That's what the American Legion does; it helps veterans out," Crawford said.
However, it wasn't until Reynolds' great-grandniece Mary Ellen McNamara, 66, of Allenhurst, who is considered a blood relative, got involved that the VA approved their headstone request.
"Thank you; this is a great honor to our ancestors," said McNamara, who was given a wooden plaque replica of Reynolds' headstone.
As a member of the Daughters of the Union of New York, Andrews has researched several Civil War veterans from Monmouth County.
After the ceremony, Andrews, dressed in an ankle-length lavender dress with matching bonnet, said she believes other unknown soldiers are buried without proper military headstones in Mount Prospect Cemetery.
"There's a lot of veterans up here that still don't (have a military headstone)," said Andrews, pointing with one of her lace-glove-covered fingers to the peak of Mount Prospect Cemetery. "We haven't found them yet."
Ellie
Civil War vet grave gets overdue rites
By JIM McCONVILLE
STAFF WRITER
Pvt. Lorenzo Reynolds is finally part of the family — the long legions of military family, that is.
The former Asbury Park resident and Union veteran of the Civil War finally has received his gravestone from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, about 97 years after he died.
About 20 people gathered at Reynolds' grave at Mount Prospect Cemetery Saturday morning to dedicate the marble gravestone for Reynolds, an African-American who served with Company A, 11th Regiment of the New Jersey Volunteer Infantry of the U.S. Army in 1864 and 1865.
Located about half way up the cemetery's hilly summit, Reynolds' grave was framed by an American flag and a flag of the Sons of Union Veterans of New Jersey along with late 19th century tintype photographs of Reynolds and members of his family.
Born Sept. 9, 1838, in Whiting, Reynolds received his belated military dedication, which included an honor guard from members of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, a formal eulogy and a lone trumpeter playing taps.
"Let this stone be blessed in remembrance of one who served," said the Rev. Thomas Sheil of the Universal Life Church, who offered the eulogy.
Reynolds is among good company.
An estimated 104 other Civil War soldiers are buried in Mount Prospect Cemetery, said Gary S. Crawford, former commander of Post 346 of the Sons of the American Legion.
"He is a lot more than just a name or a piece of stone," Crawford said of Reynolds.
"He is a symbol of what we are trying to do," said Daniel J. Lynch, commander of the Department of New Jersey of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. "We strive to get every Civil War soldier from New Jersey documented."
Lynch said Reynolds' headstone should also "serve as a reminder that our freedom is maintained by men and women who are taking service in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard on behalf of a grateful nation."
Reynolds, who returned from the war to become a laborer, settled in Asbury Park, where he married and had four children. He died on March 23, 1911, at the age of 71.
The quest to secure Reynolds a military headstone began when Betty "Cookie" Andrews of Neptune, who is the Mount Prospect Cemetery archivist, found out about Reynolds' unmarked grave and wrote a letter to American Legion Post 346.
Crawford, a past commander of Post 346, then wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, requesting a marker.
"That's what the American Legion does; it helps veterans out," Crawford said.
However, it wasn't until Reynolds' great-grandniece Mary Ellen McNamara, 66, of Allenhurst, who is considered a blood relative, got involved that the VA approved their headstone request.
"Thank you; this is a great honor to our ancestors," said McNamara, who was given a wooden plaque replica of Reynolds' headstone.
As a member of the Daughters of the Union of New York, Andrews has researched several Civil War veterans from Monmouth County.
After the ceremony, Andrews, dressed in an ankle-length lavender dress with matching bonnet, said she believes other unknown soldiers are buried without proper military headstones in Mount Prospect Cemetery.
"There's a lot of veterans up here that still don't (have a military headstone)," said Andrews, pointing with one of her lace-glove-covered fingers to the peak of Mount Prospect Cemetery. "We haven't found them yet."
Ellie