Skull of civil war soldier to be auctioned

[+OverSword]

What the????????? This is wrong

From the article:

HARRISBURG Pa. (Reuters) - The skull of a Civil War soldier and military relics found near the Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, battlefield are scheduled to be sold at auction on Tuesday, to the dismay of some historians.

Estate Auction Company is hoping to sell the skull at a price of $50,000 to $250,000 to a private collector or museum, said auctioneer Thomas Taylor.

The skull was found in 1949 on private land near Benner’s Farm, site of a Confederate field hospital, by someone tilling a garden, he said. A breastplate found nearby came from a Louisiana unit of the Confederate Army, he said.

The seller, who made the find, is remaining anonymous, Taylor said. He said the skull was deemed authentic because of where it was found and the relics discovered around it.

http://news.yahoo.com/skull-civil-war-soldier-found-gettysburg-auctioned-191752730.html

[solxion]

So all these 65 years the finder did not donate it to the park, and now wants to make a Buck.

That Auction House must be getting some angry calls?

Wether North, or South?Give this remains some dignity.

[JVG]

Just when you thought you heard it all something new comes along. That is not the way to treat the fallen either north or south. I would hope that no one would bid on human remains of such a tragic war...

[CrimsonKing]

Just when you thought you heard it all something new comes along. That is not the way to treat the fallen either north or south. I would hope that no one would bid on human remains of such a tragic war...

Agreed this is disgustingly disrespectful....

[Odds]

I don't understand how this is even legal, and that is putting aside how morally wrong it is. Respect the dead, let them rest in peace and not on someone's mantle piece.

[IntoTheShadowsOfTomorrow]

I honestly hope that someone is able to get this skull back to the original burial place or to a graveyard and given a proper burial.

Also, does anyone else find that this is all a little...strange?

The seller claimed to have found the skull in the 1949 and waited until now to tell someone. Most people would call the police if they found a skull on their property, but this person waited 65 years. Why wait so long?

[+OverSword]

I honestly hope that someone is able to get this skull back to the original burial place or to a graveyard and given a proper burial.

Also, does anyone else find that this is all a little...strange?

The seller claimed to have found the skull in the 1949 and waited until now to tell someone. Most people would call the police if they found a skull on their property, but this person waited 65 years. Why wait so long?

That kind of thing is more common than you think. A semi homeless woodworker from Vancouver BC found a skull in the woods and kept it on a shelf for years before someone saw it and said you should tell the police. Turned out it was the skull of some12 year old runaway that had gone missing 10 years before the guy couldn't remember exactly where in the woods he found it because it had been a few years so they never found the rest. Can you imagine being this kids family wondering if he was dead or alive and some weirdo had your kids skull on the mantle? People suck.

[IntoTheShadowsOfTomorrow]

That kind of thing is more common than you think. A semi homeless woodworker from Vancouver BC found a skull in the woods and kept it on a shelf for years before someone saw it and said you should tell the police. Turned out it was the skull of some12 year old runaway that had gone missing 10 years before the guy couldn't remember exactly where in the woods he found it because it had been a few years so they never found the rest. Can you imagine being this kids family wondering if he was dead or alive and some weirdo had your kids skull on the mantle? People suck.

That's just...wow. I wonder why people do that, and how they can deal with having another person's body part just hanging around their house like a Christmas decoration.

[Likely Guy]

That is so wrong on so many levels that I can't believe that there's not a law against it. Private property be damned.

Are French farmers allowed to sell the remains of the fallen from World War I and II? No.

[+susieice]

The auction has been stopped. That was disgraceful to even consider. This soldier's remains need to be buried with respect and dignity.

http://www.ydr.com/l...uction-skull-is

This is where the skull and other articles were found.

http://www.gettysburgdaily.com/?p=12491

Edited June 3, 2014 by susieice

[seaturtlehorsesnake]

The auction has been stopped. That was disgraceful to even consider. This soldier's remains need to be buried with respect and dignity.

http://www.ydr.com/l...uction-skull-is

This is where the skull and other articles were found.

http://www.gettysbur...ly.com/?p=12491

that's a relief. the whole story was just completely awful.

[+susieice]

The skull is now in the possession of the National Park Service in Gettysburg. They received it late Monday night. After it has been authenticated, it will be buried with full military honors in the National Soldiers Cemetery at Gettysburg with the other remains of soldiers who were killed in the battle.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/06/gettysburg_skull_auction_cance.html

This story has a good ending.

[HMS Dreadnought]

Thankfully common sense has prevailed, what a vile auction.

[Likely Guy]

The skull is now in the possession of the National Park Service in Gettysburg. They received it late Monday night. After it has been authenticated, it will be buried with full military honors in the National Soldiers Cemetery at Gettysburg with the other remains of soldiers who were killed in the battle.

http://www.pennlive....tion_cance.html

This story has a good ending.

It would be nicer if the poor fellow had a name though. Just the same, it's good that he's finally be given the proper respect that he's due.

[+susieice]

I don't know if they can trace some of the artifacts found with the remains to a specific regiment or not. They didn't wear dog tags so finding out his name will be close to impossible. No known person from today to compare DNA with.

An article earlier in the thread said a breastplate from a Louisiana regiment was found near the site where these remains were. It's possible that this could be a Confederate soldier as it appears he was buried where he fell. That's what usually happened because the town of Gettysburg was so overwhelmed with the carnage left behind. Caskets were kept for officers and Union soldiers and not all of them were given proper burials. As many as possible were sent back home or down south after the war but a lot of the battlefield has undiscovered tombs. I think the rangers said the last couple found were by a railroad track and were exposed by heavy rain in 1996. They were also interred in the Soldier's National Cemetery. Many, many horses are buried somewhere there, hundreds. Park rangers estimate that as many as 700+ bodies were never found and are still buried on the battlefield somewhere. Some estimates are higher.

I doubt the skull came from the field hospital because that was about 2 miles away. A long distance on a battlefield. Body parts from amputations were just buried in big holes where the hospitals were. The whole battlefield is respected by the park as a burial ground.

I'm just thinking if there was one, there may be more where this soldier was found. Wonder if they plan to take a look around.

Edited June 5, 2014 by susieice

[Likely Guy]

I don't know if they can trace some of the artifacts found with the remains to a specific regiment or not. They didn't wear dog tags so finding out his name will be close to impossible. No known person from today to compare DNA with.

An article earlier in the thread said a breastplate from a Louisiana regiment was found near the site where these remains were. It's possible that this could be a Confederate soldier as it appears he was buried where he fell. That's what usually happened because the town of Gettysburg was so overwhelmed with the carnage left behind. Caskets were kept for officers and Union soldiers and not all of them were given proper burials. As many as possible were sent back home or down south after the war but a lot of the battlefield has undiscovered tombs. I think the rangers said the last couple found were by a railroad track and were exposed by heavy rain in 1996. They were also interred in the Soldier's National Cemetery. Many, many horses are buried somewhere there, hundreds. Park rangers estimate that as many as 700+ bodies were never found and are still buried on the battlefield somewhere. Some estimates are higher.

I doubt the skull came from the field hospital because that was about 2 miles away. A long distance on a battlefield. Body parts from amputations were just buried in big holes where the hospitals were. The whole battlefield is respected by the park as a burial ground.

I'm just thinking if there was one, there may be more where this soldier was found. Wonder if they plan to take a look around.

From a past forum that I was on, the brass buttons emblems were a particular way to help identify a soldier's locale. Quite often, for example, you could say that he was from New York or Tennessee, sometimes from within a state.

But, alas. This poor soul was dug up years ago and anything that might help identify him with his body is long, long gone.

Requiescat in pace Unknown Soldier. I just hope that your time spent on someone's mantle piece was a respectful one.

[+susieice]

http://news.yahoo.com/auction-skull-civil-war-soldier-found-gettysburg-canceled-173216554.html

A short but nice little vid that shows the farm and the cemetery.

[+susieice]

Did a little looking around today and found out that the Confederate attack against the Benner farm didn't last long before they were driving back. Led by General Jubel Early, two brigades were involved in the attack. One was under the command of John Gordan, consisting of men from Georgia. The other was under the command of Harry Hays, consisting of men from Louisiana. Since the above mentioned article said a breastplate from a Louisiana regiment was found near where it was documented that these remains were found, there may be a good chance this is where the soldier came from. It would be nice if they could find out.

http://www.gettysbur...-Early-Hays.php

Edited June 7, 2014 by susieice