The U.S. Military Marker: a history.

Countless rows of gleaming white stones, that is the image that comes to mind when one thinks of military cemeteries. But did you know United States Government headstones have a history all their own?

The original standard gravestone has its origin in the frontier days when it was the duty of the garrison commanders to bury their dead, mainly in cemetery plots within garrisons and those not so fortunate were buried where death occurred.

The departed were marked with a wooden board with a rounded top bearing a registration number or inscription.

This system might have been ok for the forces in the frontier, but it could scarcely meet the needs of the national army that came into being at the beginning of the Civil War. Soon after the first battle of Manassas, the War Department issued General Orders #75 on September 11, 1861, which made commanders of the national forces responsible for burials and marking graves. In the same General Orders, the Quartermaster General of the Army was directed to provide headboards as well as blank books and forms for the preservation of burial records. General Orders #75 created the first organized system of marking graves.

In 1865, when burials approached 100,000 in national cemeteries, there were serious considerations given to the thought of how much it was going to cost to maintain the wooden headboards being used. It was estimated that the total recovered dead of the Civil War would be around 300,000 and, considering the average cost of a headboard at $1.23 each and a life expectancy of not more than five years, it became obvious that the original and replacement costs would exceed $1 million over a 20-year period.

Besides the costs of wooden headboards, public sentiment was turning to a more permanent way of marking graves. Several years of controversy ensued within the War Department as to the type of headstone should be used instead of the wooden headboard. There were those who favored the use of marble and those who favored galvanized iron coated with zinc. The controversy between marble and galvanized iron continued for several years.

 The monument shown to the right is an example of a Zinc marker. It has a characteristic blue-grey hue.

In 1873, Secretary of War William W. Belknap adopted the first design for stones to be erected in national cemeteries. For the known dead, the department adopted a slab design of marble or durable stone four inches thick, 10 inches wide and 12 inches in height extending above the ground. The part above the ground was polished and the top slightly curved.

 The number of the grave, rank, name of the soldier and the name of the state were cut on the front face. This original design for the permanent headstone was referred to as the "Civil War" type, and was furnished for members of the Union Army only. The stone featured a sunken shield in which the inscription appeared in bas-relief.

  For the unknown dead, the stone was a block of marble or durable stone six inches square, and 30 inches long. The top and four inches of the sides of the upper part were finished and the number of the grave cut on the top. 

 In 1903 the height of the stone was increased to 39 inches, the width to 12 inches, and the thickness to four inches. The use of stone blocks for marking unknown graves in national cemeteries was discontinued on Oct. 21, 1903, and the graves were marked with the same design as those furnished for the known dead.



  Point of interest:
According to a graves registrar for the Sons of Union Veterans, if an original stone is replaced with a modern version - the older stone is to be destroyed and used as base material for the newer stone.

 The question of permanently marking graves of Confederates in national cemeteries and Confederate burial plots resulted in the Act of March 9, 1906, authorizing the furnishing of headstones for the graves of Confederates who died, primarily in Union prison camps and were buried in federal cemeteries.

Congress adopted the same size and material for Confederate headstones as headstones for Civil and Spanish War dead. The design varied in that the top was pointed instead of rounded and the shield was omitted.



 

As the story goes the reason for the point at the top was to prevent "Yankees" from sitting on Confederate headstones.

An act on Feb. 26, 1929, authorized the furnishing of this type of stone for graves in private cemeteries, as well.

On May 26, 1930, the War Department implemented regulations for Confederate headstones that also authorized the inscription of the Confederate Cross of Honor in a small circle on the front face of the stone.






Following World War I, a board of officers adopted a new design to be used for all graves except those of veterans of the Civil and Spanish-American Wars. The stone was of the slab design referred to as "General" type, slightly rounded at the top, of white marble, 42 inches long, 13 inches wide and four inches thick. The inscription on the front face would include the name of the soldier, his rank, regiment, division, date of death and state from which he came.

In April 1941, the Under Secretary of War approved the use of granite material for stones similar to the existing designs of the Civil and Spanish-American Wars, and the Confederate and General types. These granite headstones were discontinued in 1947, however, because of the inability to procure them within the price limitations authorized by the War Department.

To assure the marking of all graves of all eligible members of the armed forces and veterans buried in private cemeteries, who due to cemetery regulations were permitted only a flat marker type, the following designs were approved by the Assistant Secretary of War:

* flat marble marker adopted Aug. 11, 1936

*flat granite marker adopted Sept. 13, 1939, April 18, 1940





*and in 1940 the use flat bronze markers was adopted.

 Starting in 1951 the Secretary of the Army started approving religious emblems besides the Christian cross and adding the recent conflicts.


Dec. 12, 1988 "MIA" and "POW" was approved.

 Jan. 19, 1994 The Secretary of Veterans Affairs authorized the reintroduction of upright granite headstones.

With so many variations over so many years, one thing is for sure... the official United States Military Marker will forever be adapting and changing with the times. Just like the soldiers they commemorate.


Happy Veteran's Day to all those who have or are currently serving.

the Claddagh

It's rare, but occasionally I stumble across this icon on a grave stone. It has to be one of the most romantic images I know of.  It's a symbol of love created in the small Galway fishing village of Claddagh. The word “Claddagh” comes from the Irish term An Cladach, meaning a flat, stony shore.


The parts of the symbol are broken down as so,
Two hands (friendship) cradling a heart (love) topped by a crown (loyalty).

Legends behind the claddagh are many but one stands out as a triumph of the power that true love can hold...

Richard Joyce, a native of the small fishing village, was captured by Algerian pirates and sold as a slave to a Moorish goldsmith. When William III of England demanded the release of all British subjects, Joyce, too, was released. Not wanting to lose a valuable and skilled apprentice, the Moorish goldsmith offered Joyce a major portion of his wealth and his daughter in marriage, if Joyce would stay on in Algiers. Joyce refused the tempting offer and returned to the village of Claddagh where he had left behind the woman he loved. Some legends say that each day Joyce took a tiny bit of gold and saved it till he had enough to form a ring. Other accounts say he designed the symbol upon his return to Ireland. Either way, the ring he made stood for eternal love and was given, with his heart, to the woman who waited for him at home.

How to wear the Claddagh

If the ring is worn on the right hand with the crown facing out ward, the heart is available and looking for love.

  If the crown is turned to face the wearer... love has been found and is being considered.

Once the ring has been transferred to the left hand, love has become eternal.

To find the Claddagh on a gravestone speaks to the love a couple shared in life and their promise to each other that not even death can take it from them.  

Seriously... is that romantic or what?

How in the world did they come up with that? Military Edition

Have you ever wondered how some nicknames came about?  Why a delicate flower became the symbol of a very bloody conflict? Sometimes on the surface these things make no sense at all... until you hear the rest of the story. This blog will explain how certain military phrases, nicknames and symbols became part of our American consciousness.

Walking through most any American cemetery, one can see a collection of small metal markers near gravestones. These markers are meant to hold flags and typically reflect the symbols of the military branches and organizations that they represent.

Here I will explain a couple of the most seen.

World War 1 Marker depicting the “Poppy.” The red poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day (November 11). Poppies bloomed in mass numbers across some of the worst battlefields of France during World War I. Their brilliant red color an appropriate symbol for the blood spilled in the war. Even today veterans groups can be found selling small paper "Buddy Poppies" to raise monies and awareness for their support programs.

There are many flowers in France... so why the poppy?

Doctor John McCrae, of Canada, serving as a military doctor is the reason.

It is believed that the death of Dr. McCrae's friend, Alexis Helmer, was the inspiration for McCrae's poem ‘In Flanders Fields’. The exact details of when the first draft was written may never be known because there are various accounts by those who were with McCrae at that time. Some say he wrote the poem in just 20 minutes in an effort to deal with his friends funeral, or that it was written on a work break in between groups of battlefield casualties.

No matter HOW the poem came about... the fact that it was a highly emotional poem written right on the battlefield, greatly impacted all who read it. The imagery in the poem  'In Flanders Fields'  became the symbol of the War....



In Flanders fields the poppies blow                                        
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie
         In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
         In Flanders fields.

 

 

WWI also brought the term "Doughboy" into the American lexicon.

 

Doughboys' was the nickname given to the American Expeditionary Force that took part in the later years of World War One. Before this decisive US involvement the name had applied only to infantryman, but at some point between April 1917 and November 1918 the word expanded to include the whole American armed forces. The term was not used in a derogatory sense, in fact it was a badge of honor, and is present in the diaries and letters of US serviceman, as well as newspapers.

The actual origin of the term 'Doughboy' is still debated within both US historical and military circles, but it dates back to at least the American-Mexican War of 1846-7 after observers noticed U.S. infantry forces were constantly covered with chalky dust from marching through the dry terrain of northern Mexico, giving the men the appearance of unbaked dough. Another suggestion also arises from the Mexican–American War, and the dust-covered infantry men resembled the commonly used mud bricks of the area known as adobes. No one knows for sure the exact inspiration for the nickname but the fact remains that it was made very popular many years later during WWI. 

Click on the link below to hear a hit song from the era using the term.

Johnny Doughboy Found a Rose in Ireland

Another strange nickname comes from WWII.

 "The Ruptured Duck" marker was originally  a cloth insignia depicting an eagle inside a wreath. WWII servicemen and women wore it on uniforms above the right breast pocket.

It was issued to service personnel who were about to leave the military with an Honorable Discharge. It also allowed them to continue to wear their uniform for up to thirty days after they were discharged since there was a clothing shortage at that time. This showed the MP's that they were in transit and not AWOL. 

Well, the boys thought the eagle looked more like a duck; and because it meant they were going home, the popular saying was, 

"They took off like a Ruptured Duck"

Kind of paints a funny picture, huh? But that's the true story. Ask any WWII veteran, they know the term well. 

Written by guest blogger:  Daniel Meehan

Thyme, the herb of Death

While walking through a very old garden cemetery, I happened to noticed for the first time, a very steep embankment that was covered in something that was clearly not grass. Little purple blossoms were peeking out here and there in bunches within the massive green carpet of the stuff. My friend who is an avid landscaper told me to pick a bit of the green ground cover and crush it between my fingers.

Instantly I recognized the pungent aroma from stews and stuffings that I have made countless times in my own kitchen. There was no doubt, it was Thyme. 

She told me that thyme was a common plant to be found growing unchecked in the oldest of cemeteries. THIS fact, I had never heard of. I was intrigued. She went on to tell me that this fragrant little herb was commonly planted in cemeteries of antiquity to mask.... well, odours.

I had to know more about this so I did a little research and was shocked at the many uses of thyme and it's long and close association with death.

Wild or creeping thyme or Thymus Serpyllum, a species of the mint family, has been used in death practices and various rituals all the way back to Ancient Egypt. The Egyptians used thyme in their embalming practices. The Greeks burnt thyme as an incense in their temples, believing it to be a source of courage. Roman soldiers, who may be away from home for long periods of time, slept on the herb to help them with melancholy.

The practice of sleeping on thyme can also be found in the Middle Ages when Europeans used sprigs of thyme under their pillows to ward off nightmares.







Teas made of thyme were promised to relieve ailments such as headaches and hangovers.

It was also encouraged to plant thyme for the bees as it was said to fortify them.

Patches of thyme were even set aside by gardeners who thought them to be inhabited by fairies.

 Due to it's fragrant aroma, thyme along with lavender, was sprinkled on the floors of churches to purify the air. For those of you who aren't aware... long ago, people were once buried under the floors of churches and well, with no Lysol around. You get the picture.

Thyme has been burnt as a purifying incense for as long as sage has.  It has also long been placed into coffins during funerals. This practice was thought to help insure the departed one's passage into the next life.

Members of the Fraternal Order of Odd fellows carry sprigs of thyme during their funeral rites. They ceremonially throw the herb into the open grave of their passed members.

 The practice of planting creeping thyme in cemeteries can be found beginning in Wales. This made sense to me since I realized that some of the earliest slate stones in New England were imported on ships from Wales. The Island of Wales has long been known for it's thriving slate industry. My mind made the instant connection, if settlers were bringing over stones the knew well for carving, maybe they were bringing other bits of cemetery tradition with them as well... fragrant, spreading thyme plants. 

Some British citizens hold to an age old death superstition dealing with thyme... 

 

It is thought that bringing thyme sprigs into a house will also bring death or illness to a family member within that house.

 Thyme is also said to be a phantom scent common with haunted locations.

Today, thyme may be a common herb found in the household spice rack but this noble herb has quite an interesting list of uncommon uses and a mystical, almost magical wealth of folklore attached to it.

the Long S

Have you ever walked through a very old cemetery and become confused as to what a stone was trying to say? Or looked at an epitaph and wondered why in the world a letter -f- was used in place of an -s-?  If so, you have witnessed first hand the confusing use of the long s.

The word pass appears as pafs and wise looks like the word wife.

For years I have wondered about this character in Colonial script. Why did they use this -f- letter... and what were the rules dictating it's use? Some words had it, others didn't... some words that contained double -s- had both the -f- like letter and a normal -s-.  I asked teachers and historians alike but with no suitable answer to my question. Everyone had the same answer... "I'm not sure."

The problem was... neither were the Colonists who etched it into their memorials and that's the reason it's not used today.

Let me explain:

What you are looking at is referred to as the long, medial or descending letter s represented by what looks like a lower case f.

The true lower case s we are accustomed to using today is referred to as the short, round or terminal s.

From here on I will make reference to long and short s forms.

The long s came from early Roman cursive. After dying out, it was picked up again in usage sometime in 1400's by Italian printers. It was quite a fashionable trend. The long s also came in 2 forms, with and without a nub. When appearing, the nub is always placed to the left of the letter.

It wasn't used exclusively by the Italians though, the Germans also used this character in Blackletter typeface.

Here are some of the complicated rules on how to use this letter:

When a font containing long s is used, German typographic rules require the short s to be used when it occurs singly at the end of a syllable, while long s is used at the beginning of a syllable.  The short s appears at the end of each word within a compound word. This is why some call it the terminal s - it comes at the end. Where as the long s comes in the middle and is sometimes called medial s.

Confused yet? 
Yes, and so were most people!
 
These rules were broken all the time.

 Notice the last two pictures on the left. They belong to a husband and wife, both were carved within about 10 years of each other. Sarah's stone makes reference to her husband - Joseph - using a short s. While on Mr. Belknap's stone his name is spelled out with a longs s. Same name two different usages of the s.


  The use of any typeface using the long s fell out of favor in the US and Britain within the early 19'th century about 1810, although handwritten samples can be found into the 1860's. It is said that confusion and even those suffering from poor vision, all led to the demise of this font trend. In a population that wasn't terribly literate, it was just too complicated.

Today those who use the long s do so to catch the eye only.  It's modern use is as buried as the Colonials who so long ago etched it into stone.

the Siren's song

Siren Song  n. An enticing plea or appeal, especially one that is deceptively alluring.

The Cemetery and Mythology... not a combination one sees very frequently. That's why I was pretty excited to find the image above.

This is the stone was dated 1849 and belonged to a 53 yr old man. The cemetery is on the Coast of Maine and holds countless ship captains. There are images of anchors and boats of all kinds on various stones here. Stories of bravery and tragedy.


Could this be a grieving wife.... yes. It may even be the classic image of the Virtue - Faith.

But, this imagery makes me think it could be even more than that. The parted curtain symbolizes the entry into Heaven. The anchor, a strong symbol of a life on the Sea as well as that of Christian faith. The finger pointed upwards, yet another sign of the final reward.

Then there is the woman herself. The first thing that struck me was her long Lady Godiva style hair. A long flowing dress with what looks like bare arms.

This would have been irresistible imagery in the mid 19'th century. Is she not a wife but a temptress maybe?



So what exactly is a Siren?





Sirens were dangerous creatures who lured mariners with their beautiful music and enchanting voices to an untimely death.

They were considered the daughters of the river god Achelous. There were said to be between 2 and 5 of them existing off the islands of Greece. There are two Sirens referred to in Homer's tale the Odyssey. As well as more references in the Iliad.

Though these creatures are tied to the Sea, they are not sea maidens and are not to be confused with mermaids. In fact they are not fish-like at all.

The earliest Greek images portraying Sirens showed them as large birds with female faces. They sang like birds and were granted wings by Demeter.





This pottery portrays an interesting legend. 

It is said that Odysseus was curious as to what the Sirens sung in their song to him, so, on Circe's advice, he had all his sailors plug their ears with beeswax and tie him to the mast. He ordered his men to leave him tied tightly to the mast, no matter how much he would beg. When he heard their beautiful song, he ordered the sailors to untie him but they bound him tighter. When they had passed out of earshot, only then was Odysseus untied.

The depictions of Sirens have changed over time as they became less bird like and portrayed more as femmes fatales.

There have even been references to them as the muses of the underworld.

Descriptions are also found of them on the islands, "lolling there in their meadow, round them heaps of corpses rotting away, rags of skin shriveling on their bones."  Not your average maiden.


With all of the death in the 19'th century by men making their fortunes from the Sea, it is no wonder the legend of the Siren may still be found in the cemetery. Though it's origins are Greek, the Siren appears any place in the world where people feared for their lives and the unknown.  Even in a small cemetery off the coast of Maine.

the Obelisk

The obelisk is one of the most classic shapes in the cemetery. But did you ever wonder what inspired it's design?

Say obelisk and no doubt the Washington Monument in our Nation's capital comes to your mind. It's one of the most famous obelisks in the world. But this shape is also found everywhere in 19'th century cemeteries. Shapes are important in cemetery art... design always has meaning.

The answer can be found in Egypt.


The Egyptians were absolute masters in forming monuments and statues that would stand the test of time. Monuments dedicated to Pharaoh were commonly portrayed as sitting. All arms and legs were carved compactly situated to the bodies. Over the ages, there were no long outreaching arms to break off unlike many Greek statues. The compact Egyptian design held up beautifully over time. They truly mastered shapes that were meant to hold up.

A main deity in the Egyptian religious beliefs, was the sun god Ra. Life was seen to come from Ra but death was also connected. The dead were buried on the west side of the Nile where the sun was seen as dying each day. On the flip side, the living stayed strictly on the east side of the Nile... here the sun was daily reborn.

The obelisk shape is said to symbolize a ray of light, associated with Ra.  Also known as a light pillar or solar pillar. It's four cornered base is solid and thicker than it's top, allowing it to withstand more than a simple pillar. A light pillar is a visual phenomenon created by the reflection of light from ice crystals with near horizontal parallel planar surfaces. The light can come from the Sun (usually at or low to the horizon) in which case the phenomenon is called a sun pillar. It can also come from the Moon or other sources such as streetlights.

 
Did you know that the obsession that fueled the obelisk movement in America had a name?

The term "Egyptomania" was coined in part due to ... Napoleon?

Yes, we have Napoleon to thank for introducing America to the "All-Things-Egyptian Craze".  Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign from 1798-1801 introduced the world to Egypt and it's culture. In the early 1800's books were being published on Egypt and the fever began to spread rapidly. There wasn't a single piece of American culture that wasn't suddenly influenced by this new trend. This was seen especially in the cemetery.

After some time the obelisk also began to take on some variations. As we see in this photo to the side, they didn't always have a simple pyramid top. Some were topped with urns.

The urns are also of Egyptian origin - (the canopic jar)

Some had small angular roof peaks. We call these vaulted obelisks.

While others had crosses attached to the tops.

Even traditionally shaped stones, like this slate, added the obelisk image .




















This truly massive obelisk towers at more than 30 feet high. A grand representation to a family's wealth and social status.

Some obelisks incorporated other traditional icons such as the classic willow or maybe a dove indicating a lost child. Multiple layers of meaning...




Hope you enjoyed this post and explanation.

Pointing Finger & Hand Stones

"I am not afraid" - captions a finger pointing upwards.

I want to take a moment to explain one of the most interesting and confusing icons of the cemetery.

I have accumulated quite a collection of them over the years.

The hand is a life symbol. When a finger is pointed upwards it is a message of faith. The person believes that, though the body has failed, the soul now continues upwards to Heaven.  Additionally on the stone above, the finger is seen pointing toward a broken chain, yet another life symbol. A link has been broken so the chain (or life) now ends. A statement of faith is added in "I am not afraid." For those of faith are said to never truly die.

One question I am asked more than anything else seems to be...

"If a finger pointed upwards means the person will go to Heaven, then what does a finger pointed downwards mean?"

This question seems to really upset people. Like a Victorian equivalent to the Puritan Death Head in the scary department.

The answer is very simple.

This is the hand of God. 

Man is not supposed to portray God as an image, it is blasphemy to do so. All we know about God's appearance is that Adam was made in his likeness.

Since the Bible refers to the "hand of God" often,  it was then deemed appropriate to show just that much of God on stones, just a hand.

This stone above is from Scarborough, Maine and it's one of the nicest I have found to demonstrate this point. Notice the heavenly clouds and radiating light? The finger also points to the Bible, again - a symbol of the faithful. This is such an amazing set of images!

Sometimes the finger is seen pointing to additional icons. Like the finger at the top which pointed to the broken chain.

This finger to the left, points to a heavenly star image.

Take notice the sleeves on hand. The stone to the right has a fancy, full sleeve complete with lace. It belongs to someone's wife. 

Another variation on the hand is the shaking hand. Looking at the sleeves is important on these images.

Two masculine sleeves is a symbol of God grasping Man's hand and bringing him into Heaven.

If one sleeve is feminine and the other masculine, it is seen as a matrimonial symbol. Husband and wife, one welcoming the other into Heaven.

The final portrayal of the hand on a stone is that of hands clasped in prayer. Again, a symbol of a person's faith.


Hope you enjoyed this explanation of the pointing finger and hand icons.

Now, it's time to get out there and find a few of your own to share!

If you'd like to share your images, you can post them on the Taphophile Corner Group Page on facebook. 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/173533606049437/

or follow me on twitter: @Taph_Corner