Harold and Dorothy Small of Dresden usually take their daily walk in the early morning. As part of their way on Call’s Hill, they pass an abandoned cemetery on an old wood road.
On a recent walk, the Smalls noticed a depiction of an American flag on a grave that was barely showing, due to the surrounding brush and weeds. He was concerned that a veteran was buried there and forgotten.
Small contacted Dresden First Selectman Philip Johnston to find out who was responsible to clean up the 30 or so graves, and the one belonging to this American veteran in particular.
With the celebration of the Fourth of July only days away, Johnston agreed to look into the matter, and confirmed that, if necessary, he would work with Small to clean up the grave prior to the holiday.
On July 3, Johnston met Small and told him that Johnston had personally cleaned the veteran’s grave and made a path to walk to it. The next day, the Fourth of July, Small went to pay his respects to this forgotten soldier.
Cleaning the back of the stone he saw the following inscription: “John H. Rittal, 4 Me. Killed at the Bat. Of Gettysburg July 3, 1863, Aet 28.” He also noticed the nearby grave of the veteran’s daughter, who had died just four months prior to her father’s death.
Sadly, he wondered if the veteran had known of his daughter’s death, as communication during the Civil War was very slow. The child was only four years, seven months when she died.
Small called Johnston when he retuned home and asked him if he had noticed the back of the stone? Johnston replied that he had only noticed that the soldier had been killed at Gettysburg. Small then informed him that he had cleaned the grave 149 years to the day of the Civil War veteran’s death.
Coincidentally, Johnston had lived in Lancaster, Penn. prior to moving to Maine, and as a notable, professional architect, had done much work in the Gettysburg area.
(Submitted article)
