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<p>When Mr. Woolson, the last Union soldier, died on August 2, 1956, his daughter was his next of kin. She arranged for his burial in a private cemetery in Duluth, Minnesota. The 5th Army provided elaborate military honors and the funeral was attended by military and political officials including the Secretary of the Army. Though Mr. Woolson was a veteran entitled only to such monetary assistance as the Veterans Administration could legally provide to defray costs of internment, the army eventually received a bill for $2,005 for additional costs incurred by the family. Before action was taken by the Honorable John A. Blatnik, House of Representatives, to introduce a private relief bill to authorize federal payment of the costs, the Bureau of the Budget informed the Department of the Army that the bill should be paid from contingency funds. The grave is now marked with a large private monument. It would appear that the site selected, the ceremonies held, and the marking of the grave represent the final wishes of the family.
While the Department of the Army would interpose no objection to the burial of either Mr. Williams or Mr. Salling in Arlington, there are no clear records in the National Archives that either served in the Confederate States Forces; much doubt was cast during Mr. Williams’ lifetime on the accuracy of his claims; and the burial of either man would be in the nature of an exception. The Act of May 14, 1948 (62 Stat. 234) as amended by P.L. 86-260 (73 Stat. 547) under which burials are now made covers only members or former members of the Armed Forces of the United States and certain of their dependents; and burials in the Confederate Section of Arlington were limited by law to veterans dying in the District of Columbia (24 USC 282). Even the Congressman who sponsored the legislation by which Mr. Williams, Mr. Salling, and Mr. William A. Lundy were awarded Gold Medals as the last surviving Confederates relied only on newspaper accounts of their service rather than on information from official records.
Experience indicates that local communities in which publicized persons have been buried prefer to retain the graves locally.
We hope that this information prove helpful to you.
Sincerely,
Julian B. Cross
Colonel USAF
Director for Community Relations</p>
<ul><li>Keywords: gettysburg; battlfield; education; virtual experience; photography; monuments; memorials</li></ul>
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