He played at the Funeral of Stonewall Jackson

Here is the headstone of Andrew B Bowering 1842-1923 in Fredericksburg Cemetery. What a story it has to tell. It was erected by the Fredericksburg Band in his memory. It records that Bowering was:

A loyal Confederate Soldier - Leader of 30th VA Regiment Band 1861-65 - Composed the Funeral Dirge and led the Band at the funeral of Stonewall Jackson - Played last Military Recall of Civil War at Appomattox - Commissioner of the Revenue 1874 to 1923.

Novel Way of Remembering One's Family

When I visited the Fredericksburg Confederate Cemetery, I discovered there are actually two separate cemeteries enclosed within one wall. The City Cemetery was established in 1844. The original iron and stone entrance gate is no longer used and entrance is through the adjoining Confederate Cemetery. Oh that my visit was at a time when digital cameras were in existence. Worrying about the amount of 35mm film I had with me, I only shot a few frames. There are so many spectacular memorials, I wish I had shot more . . .

I noticed some small headstones that were crumbling and sinking into the ground - Howison Beale was one of the surnames. Remarkably, I came across a large memorial which was intended to preserve details of the family graves. A line across the bottom of the memorial records: "This stone is erected by their son, Frank D Beale to preserve the inscriptions of the old gravestones now mouldering nearby 1959."

Iron Grave Markers in Virginia

The Fredericksburg Confederate Cemetery is also the City cemetery and while there I noticed three iron grave markers. I photographed the large pair from front and rear. I guess the large circular recess is to hold a pot of blooms? The frame of one has long since rusted away and the stone plaque now rests against the base. The other is recumbent and forms an ornate border to what remains of the stone. Sadly, I cannot now remember the size of the latter, although it may have been the grave of a small child. If anyone has been to Fredericksburg and remembers it, please let me know.

Confederate Cemetery

Slowly starting to pick my way through my massive photographic archive, I came across these photographs of the Fredericksburg Confederate Cemetery that I took in the 1990s. According to the National Park Service, the cemetery is situated at the corner of William Street and Washington Avenue.

Six Confederate generals and more than 3,300 Southern soldiers lie buried there, 2,184 of them are unknown. For more information, click HERE. Click once on an image, and then again for a close-up view.