Remains of unknown Civil War Veteran Lake County Colorado

Remains of Unknown Civil War Veteran
Lake County Colorado

The below pictures are the remains of a body, presumably a man, since it looks like the buttons were off the "Great Coat".?He was found by a fisherman along the Arkansas River about 1/4 mile north of the 82 and 24 Junction in Colorado.?He was buried about 600 ft. south of the lone grave along the old stage coach road that runs along the east side of the river.?We are trying to identify the remains or possibly through researching mining claims and land grants to see if he was buried on his own property in the time period of 1860-1870 and he could have been brought back from another location to be buried.?All questions with no answers.?1860 in this area were mostly surveyors and Ute Indians as this was their summer hunting ground.?Abe Lee found gold in what was named California Gulch in 1859-60 and a small rush headed up the Arkansas Valley but that died out until in the 1870's the black ore?that the miners were finding turned out to be silver and then the rush was on.?The Haw Tabors, Johnny Browns, Bat Masterson and the Earps all visited the area.?But now we have unidentified lone remains that may never be identified or reburied with a name.

Here is an email that I received today [26 Jan 2008] from Garry Brewer who gave permission for the email to be posted.

Hi Guys,

Attached are some photos of the Civil War Veteran burial today in Grand Junction, Colorado. He was found in Lake County, Colorado, buttons for a Dragoon & Blue Jacket, part of dark brown hair, parts of a body and casket.

He was between 35 & 45, so the Veterans Cemetery, Sheriff Dept, Sons of Union Veterans, Legion of the West, Camp Number 7 helped with the burial today. The identity of the solider is unknown and the first unknown buried in the Veterans Cemetery in Grand Junction.

Photo number 1 25 08 f (out of focus) L to R: Past Commander Garry Brewer (Colonel) Mike McCurry, Bill McCurry, Gary Parrott, (Capt & Vice Commander of Camp) Terry Hammer Jr (Indian War Uniform) Mike Menard, Director, Lloyd Files Room, Museum of the West, Cecil Tapey, and Robert Bledsoe, Mesa County Library.

Other photos contain a Past Commander Rhy Paris, who works at the Veterans Cemetery, who did an outstanding job of getting all us Ducks in a row. How many times in ones life do you get to bury a Civil War Solider.

He was buried in a faded coat of Blue, under the Small Tent of green and white, so he and his comrades, on that final bivouac waiting for Resurrection Day, will see the first bloom of the Dogwood.

Enjoy

Garry Brewer