Legion Post 77 in Chippewa Falls is looking for families of Civil War veterans with unmarked graves

CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. (WEAU) – It’s a mission members of Legion Post 77 feel must be accomplished for three Civil War veterans who might have been forgotten in history.

This quest for dignity began when the lack of headstones for Civil War veterans didn’t sit well with the post’s auxiliary vice president.

“Every May, every Memorial Day, veterans come here and we put flags on veterans’ graves. And we have three of the Civil War veterans who don’t have their insignia. And, it bothers us deeply that they don’t,” said Stephanie Benson.

The Legion Post is searching for the families of John Near, David McGuire and Samuel Rowan who are buried at Forest Hill Cemetery in Chippewa Falls.

Benson said if the men had been buried at the national cemetery with other service members, they would have received a headstone from the federal government.

However, in 1879, Congress passed a bill that would also allow government-issued headstones to be placed in the graves of war veterans buried in private cemeteries, such as the one where the men currently lie.

“It’s a possibility, with the Civil War going on between 1861 and 1865, that the family didn’t know there was this change in the law,” Benson said.

That’s why Benson and other members of the station are looking for families to help begin the process of giving the men a properly marked grave.

Finding family comes with a major challenge.

“My gut tells me I’m not from Wisconsin. They could be from Pennsylvania, Iowa, and they just ended up being buried here,” Benson said.

“And, we have no idea where they came from or how they got here. But we know by the map that they are here,” said Jim Campbell, Legion Post 77 vice commander.

Legislators like Democratic U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and Republican U.S. Congressman Derrick Van Orden and the Department of Veterans Affairs are among some of the options the Legion Post has turned to for help.

“And we even tried the Smithsonian in Washington, DC,” said Ron Schroeder, executive member of Legion Post 77.

The reason for looking for the families is to help with the paper work and more importantly a blessing to get a headstone for the Civil War veterans.

“I think with more research and more publicity like this, we have a very good chance of finding someone who might know these people,” Campbell said.

“We have to do this. We have to do this. We need to find the next of kin,” Benson said.

“I hope there’s a family left somewhere. I don’t want them to be forgotten,” Schroeder said.

To help men make their mark in history, Benson, Campbell, and Schroeder put in all this effort.

They said if the families refused to give the men a headstone, they would respect their wishes and keep the graves unmarked.

If the family cannot be found, Legion Post 77 will raise funds for the headstones, which could cost an estimated $1,500 for all three men, according to Benson.

If you’d like to help, Benson said check email to:

American Legion Post 77

PO Box 241

Chippewa Falls, WI