The Alden Skinner Camp No. 45, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, decorated the graves of more than 150 Civil War veterans buried at Grove Hill Cemetery in Rockville for Memorial Day.
It is the continuation of an annual tradition begun by Burpee Post No. 71 of the Grand Army of the Republic.
The Camp, chartered in the spring of 1890, has as one of its chief duties the annual flag decoration of the graves of Civil War veterans in Vernon and Tolland.
The ritual ends each year with a small, simple ceremony at the grave of Col. Thomas F. Burpee, the commander of the 21st Connecticut Volunteers, who was mortally wounded at the Battle of Cold Harbor and died on June 9, 1864.
This year included the placement of a wreath and flowers on the grave of Colonel Burpee.
It also included the reading General Orders No. 11, which established the first “Decoration Day,” or Memorial Day, in 1866 to honor the fallen Civil War dead and a short speech on the life of Col. Burpee.
The Alden Skinner Camp operates the New England Civil War Museum, which is housed in the old Rockville G.A.R. Hall at the Memorial Building - Town Hall.
The camp is currently seeking new members. If you have an ancestor who fought in the Civil War or have any interest in Civil War history, contact the museum on its Facebook page or through its Web site: www.newenglandcivilwarmuseum.com
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
