The Evolution of the standard, upright, U.S. Military Gravestone

The original standard grave marker antedates the establishment of the National Cemetery Administration in 1862 and actually has its origin in the frontier days of this country prior to the Civil War. In the normal course of events, soldiers died and garrison commanders were compelled to bury their dead, mainly in cemetery plots within post reservations. Those not so fortunate were buried where death occurred. In the course of time, a fairly uniform method of marking burials came into being. A wooden board with a rounded top, and bearing a registration number or inscription, became the standard. No centralized system for recording burials existed.

Grave Marker for Unknown Dead

Marker for unknown Civil War soldier, Tennessee. Photo courtesy of Kim in TN

In 1873 Secretary of War William W. Belknap adopted the first design for stones to be erected in national cemeteries. For the unknown dead, the stone was a block of marble or durable stone six inches square, and 30 inches long. The top and four inches of the sides of the upper part were finished and the number of the grave cut on the top.

The use of stone blocks for marking unknown graves in national cemeteries was discontinued on October 21, and the graves were marked with the same design as those furnished for the known dead.

Civil War shield stone

Civil War shield type stone. Location: San Francisco National Cemetery, San Francisco CA.

For the known dead, the department adopted a slab design of marble or durable stone four inches thick, 10 inches wide and 12 inches in height extending above the ground. The part above the ground was polished and the top slightly curved. The number of the grave, rank, name of the soldier and the name of the state were cut on the front face. This original design for the permanent headstone was referred to as the "Civil War" type, and was furnished for members of the Union Army only. The stone featured a sunken shield in which the inscription appeared in bas relief. On February 3, 1879, Congress authorized the furnishing of stones for the unmarked graves of veterans in private cemeteries.

Spanish American War shield stone

Civil War shield type stone. Location: San Francisco National Cemetery, San Francisco California.

The Civil War type of headstone was furnished not only for the unmarked graves of that war but for the unmarked graves of eligible deceased of the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican War and Indian Campaigns. At the conclusion of the Spanish-American War, it was decided that the same design of headstone should be used to mark the graves of eligible deceased of that war as well.

Confederate stone

Confederate type stone. Oakwood Cemetery. Raleigh, North Carolina. Photo courtesy of SapphireBlue.com

The question of permanently marking graves of Confederate deceased in national cemeteries and Confederate burial plots resulted in the Act of March 9, 1906 (P.L. 38, 59th Congress, Chap. 631-34 Stat. 56), authorizing the furnishing of headstones for the graves of Confederates who died, primarily in Union prison camps, and were buried in federal cemeteries

Congress adopted the same size and material for Confederate headstones as headstones for Civil-Spanish War deceased. The design varied in that the top was pointed instead of rounded and the shield was omitted. Apochryphally, it has been said that the pointed top was adopted to prevent "Yankees" from sitting on Confederate headstones. An act of February 26, 1929 (70th Congress, Chap. 324-45 Stat. 1307), authorized the furnishing of this type stone for graves in private cemeteries, as well.

On May 26, 1930 the War Department implemented regulations for Confederate headstones that also authorized the inscription of the Confederate Cross of Honor in a small circle on the front face of the stone above the standard inscription of the soldier's name, rank, company, and regiment.

General sytle headstone

General type marker. San Francisco, CA

Following World War I, a board of officers composed of Assistant Secretary of War J.M. Wainwright, Army Chief of Staff General John J. Pershing, and Quartermaster General Harry L. Rogers adopted a new design to be used for all graves except those of veterans of the Civil and Spanish-American Wars.

This stone was of the slab design referred to as "General" type, slightly rounded at the top, of American white marble, 42 inches long, 13 inches wide and four inches thick. The inscription on the front face would include the name of the soldier, his rank, regiment, division, date of death and state from which he came.

For the first time a religious emblem was adopted for use on Government headstones. The religious emblem was authorized for use at this time only on the general type stone. The choice of emblem was limited to the Latin Cross for the Christian faith and the Star of David for the Jewish faith.