Dear Friends, I received this today since my gg-grandfather was a Civil War Veteran who received a free military headstone a couple of years ago. Perhaps these events are of interest to some of you? Barb ========================== Dear Descendants, Green-Wood Cemetery's commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War is rapidly approaching. This past Saturday, approximately 200 volunteers were out on the grounds, placing an American flag at 5,000 designated graves--one for each of the individuals we have identified as having played a role--military or civilian--in the Civil War. Then, on Saturday morning, May 23, another 200 volunteers will place luminaries at each of these 5,000 graves. Our Grand Procession event will begin at 6:00 p.m. that evening--May 23, the Saturday evening of Memorial Day Weekend--with music, re-enactors, and Civil War games. You, as a descendant, will be admitted free to that event. The Grand Procession will step off at 8:30, with a re-enactors, a brass band, Green-Wood's Chorus, and musicians along the way. The 6th New York Independent Battery will fire salutes. An art presentation, "This is My House of Green Grass: The Raw Retrieval of the Civil War, " will be on display in the Catacombs. And our exhibition: "To Bid You All Good Bye: Civil War Stories," will be open to the public for the first time that day, from noon to midnight. After the procession concludes, you will be able to walk the grounds until midnight to see the luminaries for the 5,000--and to visit the graves of your ancestors. Then, on Monday, Memorial Day, we will meet at Green-Wood's Arches (main gates) at 11:00 a.m. and march out to the Civil War Soldiers' Lot, where you will have a chance to read the name of your ancestor who served, and to honor him or her. If you plan to join us for the Grand Procession on Saturday night (May 23) and/or the Memorial Day parade on Monday, May 25, please e-mail me. Thanks! -Jeff Richman Green-Wood Cemetery Historian grnwdtours@aol.com