Walking in the Allegheny Cemetery this morning, I was able to photograph examples of what I was told about by another member of the walking group.
The government issued gravestones for soldiers in the Soldiers Lot have different shaped tops, depending on whether they were from the North/Union or South/Confederate. This is from the Historical Marker Database page.
The North are round top and the South are pointed.
“The graves in this lot feature standard government-issued marble headstones. Union dead are marked by a rounded-top design approved in 1873, and Confederate dead by pointed top headstones, first used in 1901.”
“Erected by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.”
a recessed shield with raised lettering may be from the Spanish American War but this lot is for Civil War soldiers.
Clearly I need to do more research.
“Civil War and Spanish-American War Veterans
There are specific styles of upright marble and granite headstones to mark the graves of Civil War Union and Spanish-American War Veterans. VA will inscribe these historic styles with raised lettering inside a recessed shield. Recessed shield headstones are available in three marble (X) sizes and one granite (Y) size.” From the National Cemetery Administration
Here’s an article by Amy Johnson Crow – Civil War Tombstones A Quick Primer
