Experted from an article
By Air Force Senior Airman Jameel Moses
Special to American Forces Press Service

Sept. 17, 2009 – The remains of a Union Civil War soldier found at the Antietam National Battlefield were buried today in his home state of New York on the 147th anniversary of the battle, the Civil War’s bloodiest day.

The remains of the soldier, believed to be between 17 and 19 years old when he was killed, were transferred Sept. 15 from the Antietam National Cemetery Lodge to the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in Schuylerville, N.Y.

The soldier’s remains were discovered by a hiker from Oklahoma who was walking along the battlefield last October. The hiker was walking on a trail running through the Miller cornfield, where the bloodiest fighting of the 12-hour battle occurred. A pile of dirt that a groundhog had dug caught his eye. After a closer look, the hiker realized what he had stumbled upon.

The remains included more than 400 bone fragments from 24 different bones, seven coat buttons, two New York state cuff buttons from the left sleeve, six trouser buttons, a leather strap and a belt buckle. They were placed into a box made by a carpenter at Antietam from a walnut tree cut down on the battlefield.

The uniform items will be buried along with the soldier, as it is considered part of his uniform.

Jessica James, author of Shades of Gray
www.jessicajamesbooks.com