Not Forgotten

This Memorial Day weekend, my son and I traveled up to our hunting camp in Hampshire County, West Virginia. We had chores to do; cut grass, clean up mouse poop, sweep for hornet nests and take a general survey of what the camp needs for this upcoming hunting season.

We also wanted to visit the little knoll where my mothers ashes were spread. It is located on my favorite spot on our property. It’s where I’ve killed many deer and where my son took his first.

That evening Bat said he might like to go to town to see the new Star Trek movie so we loaded up and grabbed some dinner. While waiting for show time Bat said he would rather go back to camp so I suggested we take the scenic route. We did and it took us by the Indian Mound Cemetery on the edge of Romney, WV.

This is a historical site for several reasons. It is near Fort Pearsall which was established in 1754 for protection against Indians. In 1756 General Washington assigned almost 100 soldiers to defend this fort during the French and Indian War.

It’s also where LT John Blue, the Confederate Cavalry solider who authored the book The Hanging Rock Rebel is buried. This is an outstanding book and one of the best accounts of the Civil War – from a soldier’s standpoint – I have ever read.

While we were looking around Bat noticed some small grave markers in a group which were all decorated with small confederate flags. (Every Memorial Day residents of Hampshire County mark the graves of every veteran in this cemetery with either an American or Confederate flag, depending on their service.) All of these small grave stones had a single word on them, “UNKNOWN”

“But how could no one know their names?” Bat asked.

I explained how the town of Romney changed hands more than 50 times during the Civil War and how the new occupying army would bury the dead, not knowing who they were.

“That’s terrible.” Bat said.

I thought about it for a moment and said, “Yes, but…at least today, those unknown soldiers are only forgotten in name and their ghosts need visiting just like your Grandma’s.”