For those of our members who might be unaware, I thought that the following would be of interest.
Great News regarding the Oakwood cemetery project in Richmond
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From: johnonline839©comcast.net
Reply-to: keepers©myconfederateheritage.com
Sent: 10/13/2009 9:46:09 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: [keepers] Oakwood MOA Signed – We are moving ahead!
I received word from Attorney Patrick McSweeney that the City of Richmond officials signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the City of Richmond and the Sons of Confederate Veterans. It was explained that the City of Richmond officials needed to sign the document first and then the SCV. The MOA signed by the city officials was sent to me, I signed it and sent it on to C-I-C McMichael for his signature. The signed document has been received by Attorney McSweeney and will be distributed to the appropriate agencies.
The signed MOA gives the Virginia Division SCV the authority to maintain the Confederate section of Oakwood, do improvements on this section and install upright markers for our Confederate heroes. Their final resting place will be marked with their names instead of numbers. We hope to order and install 75 upright stones a month depending on how quickly the Veterans Administration can complete them and send them to us. The VA asked that we order only 10 upright stones for a trial run and after that, we should be able to order 75 at a time.
The first set of 10 upright markers have been ordered from the Veterans Administration. Compatriot John Kindred sent me a list of the names and units of the first 10 stones. This list, and others as they are ordered, will be placed on the Virginia Division Web site and sent out on the Virginia Courier, as well as being placed in the Confederate Veteran Magazine. We do not have an installation date yet, as that will be determined by how long it takes to receive the stones but the installation date will be announced once the stones have arrived.
As you can see, the first set of 10 stones includes Confederate soldiers from Alabama, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina. This is a project that will require the help of SCV units from across the Confederation. It will take years to install the stones according to the planned schedule that has been established. Again, this project is not merely a Virginia Division project. It is a National SCV project involving each and every member. We need your support and your monetary donations to see this project through, restoring dignity and honor to our Confederate Veterans whose final resting places have been too long neglected. Please consider joining the Friends & Descendants of Oakwood Confederate Cemetery and help in this endeavor. A link to the Virginia Division Web site regarding Oakwood can be found at:
http://www.scvva.org/Oakwood/index.html
and a donation form or Friends & Descendants form can be downloaded from there.
As per our Memorandum of Agreement, we must install the stones in order by section and row. Keep an eye on the Virginia Division Web site, Confederate Veteran Magazine and messages from the Virginia Courier for updates and announcements regarding installation dates and the names of the veterans in the group to be installed. Individual stones that have previously been placed by family members will be incorporated into the design of the upright stones (they will not be removed). The existing small numbered markers will also be incorporated into the design of the upright stones.
John Sawyer, Commander
Virginia Division SCV
Here are the first 10 stones ordered, they are Infantry and Privates unless otherwise noted. In this group they are all Infantry and privates—
Last Name, First Name – Regiment – Company – Date of Death – Age – Grave Site – State
Nelson, John – 02 – I – 1861-08-29 – 24 – AA01 – FL
Kent, Jackson – 02 – I – 1861-08-29 – 20 – AA 002 – FL
Davis, Thomas – 07 – B – 1861-09-11 – ? – AA 010 – SC
Sills, James – 02 – I – 1861-09-16 – 23 – AA 013 – FL
Harriss, William – 01 – G – 1861 – 22 – AA 008 – NC
Hogan, Thomas M. – 02 – L – 1861-09-09 – 19 – AA 009 – FL
Powell, William J. – 02 – F – 1861-09-04 – 25 – AA 004 – FL
Layton, B. W. – 03 – D – 1861 – ? – AA 005 – SC
Bagwell, Daniel V. – 13 – D – 1861-09-13 – ? – AA 012 – AL
Green, Riley – 02 – I – 1861-09-01 – 22 – AA 003 – FL
Val
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