You can honor Civil War veterans at Noblesville’s Crownland Cemetery on Nov. 7

By KEVIN YANEY
History Right Here

We are approaching Veterans Day. If you want to honor our veterans and enjoy local history, I invite you to take a walk through Crownland Cemetery in Noblesville on Nov. 7. Crownland is the resting place for 292 Civil War veterans. Each grave represents a story of our history.

You will not walk far into Crownland before you encounter the Hamilton County Civil War Monument that contains the names of 2,400 local men who enlisted in the Civil War. This unique marble memorial was dedicated on July 4, 1868, and is believed to be the first to honor both black and white soldiers together. Many of these soldiers are buried in the cemetery.

The Hamilton County Civil War Monument was dedicated on July 4, 1868 and contains the names of 2,400 men who enlisted from Hamilton County. (Photo provided)

For instance, you might come across the grave of Cyrenius Streator Weed Pettijohn, who lived near Westfield. He was shot through his chest with a .57 caliber Minie ball at the Battle of Chickamauga on Sept. 19, 1863. He was attended to by Dr. William Graham from Noblesville, the surgeon for the 101st Indiana Volunteer Regiment. Dr. Graham recorded that he gave Private Pettijohn a shot of whiskey for his pain, but never thought he would survive the night. To his surprise, Dr. Graham found Private Pettijohn much better the next day. After the war, they talked often about how good that whiskey was on the battlefield.

Dr. Graham’s grave is not far from Private Pettijohn’s. The day after he gave the wounded soldier a drink, William Graham was captured and sent to Libby Prison in Richmond, Va. Civil War prisons were horrible places. They were filled with disease, unsanitary conditions, overcrowding, and starvation. You were more likely to survive as a soldier on the battlefield than to survive being sent to prison during the war. Dr. Graham endured the experience and returned to Noblesville after the war.

Another grave that might catch your attention is that of Frank Hawkins, who grew up just north of Carmel. He joined the 11th U.S. Regular Infantry as a teenager and was wounded three times on the second day of fighting at Gettysburg. He was left for dead near the infamous Wheatfield, but managed to survive 18 hours on the battlefield before being discovered by Federal troops.

You might also come across the graves of the four Dubois brothers: George, William, John, and Charles. All four became soldiers. They ranged in age from 14 to 21 years old when the war broke out.

Indiana had recruiting rules that put a minimum age of 18 for soldiers to enlist, but this was quite often ignored. Recruiters either looked the other way or found other ways around the age restriction. This was the case for the youngest Dubois brother, Charles, who was able to enlist as a substitute soldier – he was paid to take the place of a conscripted soldier.

We often watch war movies or battlefield re-enactments where middle-aged men act as soldiers. The average Civil War soldier was much younger. These boys were eager to enlist, to see the world and experience the thrill of the battlefield. Most found that Army life was often monotonous. The battles were horrific. Yet, those who served changed America and changed the world.

If you want to learn more, Kevin Yaney is leading a Civil War Tour of Crownland Cemetery at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7. You will learn about these Hamilton County veterans and more. You can register at yaney.net/history-tours.