Old Cemetery Civil War Tour

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1 Old Cemetery Civil War Tour Though his name might not ring a bell, buried at the east end of the Old Cemetery lies the man who was the youngest Honor Guard to President Abraham Lincoln. A visitor might just walk by his headstone without notice. It reveals only that Joseph Franklin Holmes was born and died. It does not say he was Boone County s last surviving Civil War solider. It does not tell the story of his travel from Washington D.C. to Springfield IL with the body of Lincoln and his son. It only states that he lived and died. Cemeteries are the last place many people want to spend a vacation. Still, the numbers of tourists visiting cemeteries and searching for the graves of people like Holmes continues to grow every year. And they visit cemeteries for other reasons. Some of Thorntown's first residents who came in search of a better life for their children were industrious pioneers whose journey ended in Thorntown s Old Cemetery. The Old Cemetery may not be the journeys end for the residents of Thorntown today but hundreds of years from now, historians will be able to tell a lot about people in 21 st Century Thorntown from the cemeteries in Sugar Creek Township. The Old Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in Boone County. The first burial was Mary Westfall in She was the niece Cornelius Westfall, founder of Thorntown. It became the final resting place for many of the men and women who contributed to the development of Thorntown. The grave markers in Old Cemetery are memorials to those buried there. They are also artistic expressions that reflect changing cultural attitudes toward death and resurrection. The early markers that have survived are of marble and usually have simple designs and inscriptions that express grief and mourning. Later markers reflect the Victorian period's interest in classical art and architecture. Unfortunately, because of the difficulty and expense of maintaining and repairing these historic markers, no stone rubbings are permitted in Old Cemetery. In past years the Old Cemetery has been a victim to neglect and vandalism, forgotten and left to decay, however, recently it has attracted many volunteers from around Central Indiana. Already this year 36 people have donated over 500 man hours to the restoration project. The work done has radically changed the landscape. Stones are being cleaned, brush removed, weeds being sprayed, stones being reset, and a mapping of the cemetery is taking place. All to preserve the history of the oldest cemetery in the county and honor the lives of those whose journey of life end here.

2 Jason Winters John Bush- Confederate Josh Truitt Julius Buckles-1862 Del Jarvis William Hewitt Englishman Larry Truitt Joseph Holmes-1938

3 Gil Margason Lafayette Buckles Methodist Minister Ben Truitt George Rogers Cavalry John Quinn Peter Coffman Private

4 Barry Connell Susan Semenick Artist paint the activities of the Civil War Tour. Sugar Creek Art Center Artist: Berry Connell Susan Semenick

5 Gil Margason portrayed Lafayette Buckles who served only 7 days in 102nd Indiana Regiment. He was a Methodist minister. Josh Truitt portrayed Julius Buckles a young solider from Thorntown who died in Larry Truitt portrayed Joseph Holmes. Descendents of Joseph Holmes are pictured at the gravesite of Joseph Homes and his wife.

6 Ben Truitt portrayed George Rogers. Rogers died in Thorntown from disease.

7 Del Jarvis and Jason Winter bring peace to the North and South. Del portrayed William Hewitt an Englishman who fought for the North. Jason portrayed John Bush a Confederate solider shot in Thorntown.

8 John Quinn, Josh Truitt, Del Jarvis, Gill Margason, Jason Winters, Ben Truitt, Larry Truitt