The Grand Procession at Green-wood Cemetery
Brooklyn, NY
May 23, 2015
This Memorial Day weekend the First Long Island returned to Green-wood Cemetery in Brooklyn for the third time. The first time in 2007 was to mark the dedication of thousands of new gravestones for the Civil War veterans buried within its historic confines. The second time in 2011 was to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. So it was no surprise the local Civil War Living History community was invited back to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the end of the War and we repeated the formula of Living History in the afternoon followed by a lighted procession through the cemetery. Volunteers placed electric illuminations on the graves of Civil War Soldiers and we lined the road at intervals serving as sentinels for the dead with live period music from musicians and singers. The weather could not have been more perfect and the 67th NY fielded the largest component of the Union forces that also included men from Co. E of the 14th Brooklyn and Gregory DiSalvio... whose daugther Andrea generously devoted spectacular photography for our site. Commander Frank Bradford for the 10th NY Cavalry led the procession with his horse soldiers and the 30th Virginia represented the Confederate contingent.
Hopefully, the 67th NY will return a fourth time to honor our original Captain (Lewis Peck), original Colonel (Julius Adams), and our benefactor (Rev. Henry Ward Beecher) all of whom are buried at Green-wood Cemetery.
PAGE ONE / TWO