Illuminated History
What began as a project to document veteran headstones has become a larger effort to learn more about the 120-plus men who served, their contributions to the Union cause, and, for those who survived, their impact on the community.
Vicki notes, "My goal is to put together a book with the information I have collected about each soldier and offer it for sale through our historical society." She maintains a blog, Illuminated History, to document her journey. I was particularly drawn to the compelling image on her latest post, which features the headstone of Sgt. John Buckley Bacon, Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry. The stone is flanked by a post-war image of Bacon and an American flag.
It is efforts like these that keep history alive, and help all of us to better understand and appreciate our roots.
Labels: cemetery, civil war, civil war soldiers of pittsfield tour, history, new york, pittsfield, vicki profitt