On December 18th we welcomed the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW), Lincoln Camp #6, and their commander Ed O’Brien to Mount Hope to commemorate Wreaths Across America. This was the first year that we participated in the national Wreaths Across America program. Mount Hope Cemetery was allotted 9 wreaths in honor of our Civil War veterans. We have more than 1000 Civil War soldiers at Mount Hope, most in family graves, and some memorialized in cenotaphs. In our Civil War section, we have 508 Civil War veterans, including several soldiers who served in the United States Colored Troops.
The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln Camp #6, collaborated in our efforts to restore this area. 31 gravestones and 11 bases were repaired, 502 stones were cleaned, and the 2 Civil War cannons were restored and painted. By spring 2022 our iconic monument, Defenders of the Faith, a sculpture by Sally James Farnham, will be cleaned. A rededication ceremony for the statue has been planned for late spring, early summer.
How grateful we are to have organizations like the SUVCW support our restoration efforts!
