Epitaphs ranging in sentiment from sentimental to humorous were many times included. Of particular interest to genealogists also are symbolic devices decorating the sites. Indication of military or fraternal organization symbols, and devices indicating occupations, are useful clues to information sources about the deceased. The use of other symbolic devices, many originating in ancient times, reflected attitudes and beliefs of the families of the deceased. Examples were shown in the slides, and a handout was provided illustrating some of the more common ones, such as a draped urn for sorrow, a cross and crown acknowledging sovereignty of the Lord, winged hourglass symbolizing swift passage of time, et.
Inscriptions are voices of sentiments as expressed at the time by the families they left behind.
One soldier's marble monument depicts a draped, unsheathed sword and scabbard, symbolically showing he died in battle. He did, at Petersburg, Virginia during the War. In addition to the graves themselves, such things as observation and reflection on the dates, ethnicity revealed in names, or non-English inscriptions such as Hebrew or Greek indicate composition and population changes in the community. Also, most large cemeteries have records of burials with comments often revealing cause of death, family relationships, or other useful information. To fully appreciate the richness and variety of tombstone art and learn how to decipher the message hidden in a cemetery, one would need to actually view the site or see the pictures with a knowledgeable guide.