Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-09-18
Burial OF Soldiers.
The War Department has issued the follow
ing order in relation to the burial of soldiers:


The War Department has issued the follow.
ing order In relation to the burial Of soldiers:
3 WAR DEPARTMENT, September 8, 1861.
FOR the purpose OF preserving accurate and
permanent records OF deceased soldiers and
tneir place OF burial, it is hereby ordered that
the Quartermaster- g eneral Of the United States
Army shall cause to be printed and 10 be
placed In every General and Post Hoapital of
the army, blank books and forms, corresponding
with the accompanying duplicate forms, for pre.
serving said records. The Quartermaster will
also provide proper means for o registered head
board, to be secured at the head Of each soldier g
grave, as directed In the following special order
TO commanding officers, in reference to the In.
terment Of deceased soldiers:
IL is hereby ordered, that whenever apy eol-
dier or officer Of the United States Army dies,
t shall be the duty Of the commanding officer
OF the military corps or department in which
such person dies, TO cause the regulation and
forms provided in the foregoing directions 10 the
Quartermaster- General to be properly executed.
it is also ordered that any adjutant or acting
adjutant (or commander) Of military post or
company, Immediately upon the reception Of
copy OF any mortuary record from a military
company, shall transmit the same to the Adju.
snt-General at Washington.
SIMON CAMERON,
Secretary of War.
NEGOTIATIONS FOR MILITARY BUnALs AND THE
REGISTRATION OF DECEASED SOLDIERS AND THEIR
GRAVES.
The friends of deceased soldiers desire that
accurate and permanent registration be made
Of date, place Of burial, transfer Of corpse,
and official orders respecting interment, to
enable them to find the grave, and such re-
cords as are important for purposes Of identi.
fcation.
To attain these ends
First: The hospital in which the soldier dies
must preserve sufficient and proper record.
Second: The Adiutant Generals Office should
receive perfect duplicate Of the same, as the
records Of that office would be more perma-
nent than those Of the hospitals or the GENE
teries. r
Third: The sections, whether Of churches
or Of military or other public cemeteries
should have permanent records, which shall
always be accessible to the friends Of the de.
ceased.
The records Of each of these officers should
be kept alphabetically indexsd, for reference.
Each grave should have its number, in the
order of interments. distinctly indicated upon 0
post or plank Of cedar, or some other enduring
wood. The name Of deceased, the date Of death
and his company or regimental corps initials,
should, If possible, be engraved upon the said
post or plank. This should be effected with an
Iron letter brand or stamp. These posts OF
headboards, and the lettering Of the name, etc
will be provided by the Quartermaster Of the
Department or Military Post where the hospital
Is located or where the death occurs.
THE DUTY OF sExToNs,
The sexton must be directed to preserve the
records and the orders sent to him by the Quar-.
termaster. He must also be required to attend
to the planning Of the headboard or post furnish
ed by the Quartermaster for the grave of the
deceased.
In all cemeteries in which deceased soldiers
are inferred, the burials should, II practicable
be made In regular series, occupying separate
plat Of ground; but II otherwise and promisou
ously Inferred, the numbers and description o.
the locality Of the grave should be carefully re-
corded by the sexton.
The sexton should be notified to require
Of the physician Of the hospital tho number
and locality Of the grave before he takes the
corpse.
Whenever the hospital is finally broken up
or vacated, the hospital records should all be
transmitted to the Surgeon-G Generals office at
Washington; and they must ever be open
TO- the inspection Of the friends Of the de-
ceased.
In the case Of military burial at an encamp-
ment, or upon the march, without the aid Of a
sexton, it shall be the duty Of the commanding
officer Of the military corps to which the de.
ceased belonged, to cause the remains to be
properly inferred, and to provide suitable means
for making the grave and erecting headboard
with proper inscription or stamped record
And, In the absence OF q sexton, il shall be the
duty Of the Adjutant of the said military corps
to preserve the sexton's copy of record; and il
will also be the duty Of the Surgeon to said
corps to preserve the hospital copy Of said rec
ord with the same care, and subject to the same
conditions, as similar records in general or post
hospitals.