Adopt A Civil War Veteran

BACKGROUND
The City of Lebanon, NH, had a number of Civil War veterans buried in its cemeteries whose graves had nothing that recognized their Civil War service.
Fran Hanchett of the Lebanon Historical Society consulted the US Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) about the possibility of providing gravestones for verified veterans that recognized their service.

Unfortunately, federal regulations allow the VA to provide funds for gravestones that identify a person’s Civil War Service only when there is no existing gravestone for the individual.

As a result of the historical review, Fran, as a member of the Lebanon Historical Society and the Soldiers Memorial Building Coordinating team, initiated a program in 2013 called “Adopt a Civil War Veteran.” Fran has identified 101 Civil War veterans in Lebanon’s cemeteries who either had no gravestones or whose stones did not identify them as Civil War veterans. Each veteran’s military record was verified through the US National Archives with military dates of service, units in which they served, and places of service.

Working with Ricker Funeral Home in Lebanon, arrangements were made to design and obtain appropriate gravestones for the Civil War veterans. Ricker both provided stones at cost and placed them in the cemetery as their donation toward the adoption program.

ADOPTIONS
Local businesses, civic groups, and private individuals have all participated in the
adoption program by purchasing a military type stone for an unrecognized Civil War veteran. The estimated cost is between $350 and $400. Ricker Funeral Home continues to provide stones at cost, with the amount determined by the number of letters and numbers on the stone.

Individual veterans are selected by an adopting business, group, or individual. Adopters receive information about the veteran’s military history and a photograph of the stone, and are invited to attend an official ceremony scheduled to dedicate the stone.

Of the 101 veterans that have been identified, 16 were still available for adoption as of June 2022.

Albums containing photographs of all stones and the names of their adopters are
being created as part of the program. When these are completed, they will be archived with the Lebanon Historical Society and available for viewing at the Soldiers Memorial Building.

The project is a program of the Lebanon Historical Society, a non-profit 501(c)(3)
organization. Businesses, groups, or individuals who adopt a veteran by donating the cost of a gravestone are entitled to a tax deduction for their donation, as allowable by law.

LEBANON’S CIVIL WAR VETERANS

1	Aspenwall, Albert	2ND BRIGADE BAND – 10TH ARMY CORPS		Glenwood
2*	Baker, Alpheus	CO H 23RD WISCONSIN INF	Adopted by the Masons Org. & SAL, Lebanon, NH	School Street
3*	Barron, Sprague	U.S. NAVY	Adopted in memory of Lang Metcalf by his family	West Lebanon
4*	Bernard, Telesphor	CO M 1ST NH HVY ATY	Adopted by Blodgett’s Sash & Door, Lebanon, NH	Glenwood
5*	Chandler, Edwin	CO A 16TH NH INF	Adopted by the Soldiers Memorial Building Committee	School Street
6	Cross, Reuben T.	CO L 1ST NH CAVALRY		Glenwood
7	Daniels, Warren	CO I 1ST NH CAVALRY		West Lebanon
8*	DeMosh, Joseph	CO E 5TH NH INF	Adopted by Timken Aerospace, Lebanon, NH	Mt.Calvary
9*	Driscoll, Jeremiah	1ST NH CAVALRY	Adopted by Alice & Malcolm Stevens and Susy & Gene  Hayes	Mt.Calvary
10*	Emerson, Charles	CO A 16TH NH INF	Adopted by Rodney Emerson Croft	West Lebanon
11*	Emerson, George	CO A 16TH NH INF	Adopted by Rodney Emerson Croft	School Street
12*	Flanders, John S	SGT CO C 5TH NH INF	Adopted by Greg Henderson in the name of the 5th NH  Org.	Glenwood
13*	Flynn, Frank P.	CAPT CO K 1ST NH CAVALRY	Adopted by David W. LaBelle	School Street
14*	Flynn, Thomas	CORP CO C 1ST NH CAVALRY	Adopted by Timken Aerospace, Lebanon, NH	School Street
15*	Gates, Hebard	CO F 4TH MASS CAVALRY	Adopted by Fran Hanchett in memory of Helen & Buster  Hanchett	West Lebanon
16*	Gray, William J.	CO C 16TH NH INF	Adopted by Mickey and Kari Lackey	West Lebanon
17*	Hale, Moses	CO E 18TH NH INF	Adopted by the SUVCW and Rosalie & John  DesGrossliers	Orange
18*	Hazeltine, John L.	CO K 3RD NH INF	Adopted by the Elks Lodge #2099,  Lebanon, NH	School Street
19*	Hurlbutt, Abial	US NAVY	Adopted in memory of Lang Metcalf by his family	West Lebanon
20*	Jackson, Jacob	CORP CO F 16TH MASS INF	Adopted by the American Legion,  Lebanon, NH	School Street
21*	Johnson, Arthur W.	CO H 2ND MASS INF	Adopted by his great-grandson, Harry Johnson III	Glenwood
22*	Kelly, George	CO A 16TH NH INF	Adopted by Susan Almy	School Street
23*	Kenney, Charles L.	CO I 6TH US CAVALRY	Adopted by cousins Fran Hanchett, Pam Laro, and  Noreen  Lessard	Glenwood
24	Landers, Thomas	CO D 16TH MASS INF	Adopted by Jason Landers & others	School Street
25*	Manchester, Thomas	CO A 16TH NH INF	Adopted by William Walker, his descendent	Dana (Hanover)
26*	Miller, G. Albert	CO A 16TH NH INF	Adopted by Dan Moriarty	Glenwood
27*	Morse, Nathan D.	5TH VT BAND	Adopted by Russ & Chris Lary and Barbara Krinitz	School Street
28	Moses, William	CO A 16TH NH INF	Adopted by the Willeman family for their daughter	School Street
29*	Perkins, George C.	2ND BRIGADE BAND – 10TH ARMY CORPS	Adopted by the Masons Org. & Sons of the American  Legion, Lebanon,  NH	Glenwood
30*	Pierce, Harry H.	CO D 13TH MASS INF	Adopted by the Legion Auxiliary, Lebanon, NH	School Street
31*	Randlett, Nathan	CAPT. CO C 5TH NH & VRC	Adopted by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows,  Lebanon,  NH	Glenwood
32*	Scott, William W.	SGT CO F USSS	Adopted by the Green Mt. Civil War Roundtable Org.	School Street
33	Seavey,  William A.	CO A 6TH NH INF	Adopted by the SUVCW & Mary Elizabeth Kimball Auxiliary	School Street
34*	Shaw, Lowell	9TH & 15TH VT INF	Adopted by Bridgman’s Furniture, Lebanon, NH	Glenwood
35*	Stearns, Albert	CO 3 9TH NH INF	Adopted by Rodney Emerson Croft	West Lebanon
36	Thomas, Hiram	CO I 1ST NEW ENGLAND CAVALRY		Glenwood
37	Thomas, Kendall	CO A 16TH NH INF	Adopted by the SUVCW & Mary Elizabeth Kimball Auxiliary	Glenwood
The following Civil War Veterans were not residents at the time of the Rebellion, but moved to Lebanon after the war.
38*	Bagley, Cornelius	3RD BATTY VT LT ATY	Adopted by Timken Aerospace, Lebanon, NH	Glenwood
39	Barron/Parrent, Louis	CO B 6TH VT		Glenwood
40	Bassett, George	CO D 46TH MASS INF		Glenwood
41*	Beers, Elbridge	CO A 16TH NH INF	Adopted by Stephanie Jackson	Glenwood
42	Benjamin, Thomas	CO H 16TH VT INF	Adopted by the Hartford, VT Emblem Club #150	Glenwood
43	Bennett, Gideon	CO K 4TH VT INF	Adopted by the Hartford, VT Veterans Council	Glenwood
44	Benson, William	CORP CO K 53RD MASS INF		Glenwood
45	Brown, Henry H.	CO B 7TH SQ RR CAVALRY		Glenwood
46*	Buck, Ambrose	CO A 12TH VT INF	Adopted by Bev Metcalf in memory of Lang Metcalf	Glenwood
47*	Carlisle, Charles W.	CO K 18TH NH INF	Adopted by his great nephew Reg Laro – paid by  Federal  Government	Glenwood
48	Carlisle, David H.	CO I 1ST NEW ENGLAND CAVALRY	Adopted by his great grandson, Reginald Laro	Glenwood
49*	Carpenter, Curtis	CO C 15TH VT INF	Adopted by the Town of Hartford, VT Veterans Council	School Street
50*	Carter, William S.	CO D 11TH NH INF	Adopted by Mascoma Savings Bank, Lebanon, NH	School Street
51	Choate, Henry	CO A 1ST NH HVY ATY		Glenwood
52*	Cilley, Edwin	CO D 1ST VT CAVALRY	Adopted by VFW Post 2571 Men’s Auxiliary, W.R. Jct., VT	Glenwood
53	Claflin, Nathan	CO E 1ST VT CAVALRY	Adopted by the SUVCW & Mary Elizabeth Kimball Auxiliary, Lebanon,  NH	Glenwood
54*	Clark, Albion	CO B 7TH SQ RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY	Adopted by Bev Metcalf in memory of Lang Metcalf	Glenwood
55*	Coffee, William	SGT CO A 3RD NH INF	Adopted by Mascoma Savings Bank, Lebanon, NH	School Street
56*	Comings, Charles	CO I 14TH NH INF	Adopted by the SUVCW, Lebanon, NH	Glenwood
57	Cowen, William	CO H 9TH NH INF		Glenwood
58	Davis, George W.	CO D 9TH VT INFANTRY		Glenwood
59*	Davis, Pliny E.	CO K 15TH LA CSA/CONF STATES NAVY	Adopted by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows,  Lebanon,  NH	School Street
60*	Day, Henry L.	CO F & S NY CAVALRY	Adopted by The Lebanon Historical Society	Mt. Calvary
61	Dean, Silas	CHAPLAIN CO D 5TH NH INF	Adopted by the SUVCW & Mary Elizabeth Kimball Auxiliary, Lebanon,  NH	Glenwood
62*	Densmore, Jason	CO G 10TH VT INF	Adopted by the Lebanon Police Department	Glenwood
63	Dewey, Otis	CO L 10TH NY HVY ATY		Glenwood
64*	Dwyer, Thomas	CO B 10TH VT INF	Adopted in Memory of his granddaughters Gertrude Dwyer Gamash and  Maureen Dwyer Matthes by Mike Matthes, Kristin Matthes & Don  Gamash	Mt. Calvary
65	Everest, Milo	CO D 12TH US INF		Glenwood
66*	Everett, James	CO C 24TH MICHIGAN INF	Adopted by M. Matthes, K. Matthes and Don Gamash; and the Sons of  the Union  Veterans Civil War & Mary Elizabeth Kimball Aux. – Lebanon,  NH	School Street
67	Fagan, Michael	CO B 18TH MASS INF		Mt. Calvary
68*	French, Horace	CAPT 3RD VT INF	Adopted by VFW Post 2571 Ladies Auxiliary, W. R. Jct.,  VT	West Lebanon
69	Hewitt, Elbert	CO C 6TH VT & CO F 17TH US INF		Glenwood
70	Hix, Orsemus S.	CO E 18TH NH INF		West Lebanon
71*	Howard, Waldo	CO I 14TH NH INF	Adopted by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Lebanon, NH	Glenwood
72*	Hoyt, Samuel	SGT MISSOURI CAVALRY	Adopted by Lebanon Mayor Georgia Tuttle	West Lebanon
73*	Hutchinson, Frank	CO A 10TH NH VOL	Paid by Federal Government – Presented to Tom Ledoux	Hillside, Norwich, VT
74	Kimball, David	CO B 16TH NH INF	Adopted by Timken Aerospace, Lebanon, NH	West Lebanon
75	LaPoint, Charles	CO G 2ND VT & CO K 153RD NY		Glenwood
76	Lord, John	CO G 1ST NH HVY ATY	Adopted by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows,  Lebanon,  NH	School Street
77	Lovely, Solomon	2ND VT LT ATY BATTY		Mt. Calvary
78*	Lower, Joe	CO E 100TH PENNSYLVANIA INF	Adopted by M. Matthes, K. Matthes & Don Gamash	Mt. Calvary
79	Matson, Leroy	SGT CO H 7TH VT INF		West Lebanon
80	Northrop, Azor	CO H 6TH MASS INF		Glenwood
81	Northrop, Magor	CO K 1ST NH INF		Glenwood
82*	Nye, Albert	CO H 15TH NH VOL	Adopted by the SUVCW & Mary Elizabeth Kimball Auxiliary, Lebanon,  NH	Hillside, Norwich, VT
83*	Paige, Edwin	CO A 12TH VT INF	Adopted by his 2nd great grandson, Stephen Barneby	Glenwood
84*	Rice, Lucian	CO B 12TH VT INF	Adopted by VFW  Post 2571, White River Jct., VT	School Street
85	Richardson, Alpheus	CO K 18TH NH INF		Glenwood
86*	Richardson, Asa	LIEUT CO I 14TH NH INF	Adopted by the Masons Org.,  Cornish, NH	Glenwood
87*	Riley, Peter	CO K 18TH NH INF	Adopted by Mike Matthes, Kristin Matthes and Don Gamash	Mt. Calvary
88*	Sanborn, Henry	CO F USSS	Adopted by an Artist in the Name of Peace	Glenwood
89*	Sawyer, Henry P.	CO K 15TH VT & CO A 11TH VT- POW ANDERSONVILLE	Paid by Federal Government  –  POW engraved by Dan  Moriarty	School Street
90*	Severance, Luther	CO E 2ND USSS & CO G 4TH VT INF	Adopted by VFW  Post 2571, White River Jct., VT	School Street
91	Shapleigh, Augustin	CO B 1ST MASS HVY ATY		Glenwood
92*	Slayton, George W.	CO A 7TH RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY	Adopted by Ray and Maree Lagasse	Glenwood
93*	Smalley, Roger	17TH MISSISSIPPI INF  CSA	Adopted by Mary Davis & Jeanette Cook	School Street
94	Smithson, Samuel	CO A 22ND CT INF		Glenwood
95*	Tilton, Daniel	US MARINE CORPS	Adopted by the US Marine Corps League, Lebanon, NH	School Street
96*	Townsend, John F.	US NAVY	Adopted by Bev Metcalf in memory of Lang Metcalf	Glenwood
97*	Vaughan, Aaron	1ST FRONTIER CAV MA BTLN	Adopted by Richard Logan/Goss Logan Insurance,  Lebanon, NH	Glenwood
98	Woodbury, George	CO B 6TH VT		School Street

*stone has been set at gravesite