Virginia capital likely has 742 unmarked graves, some of Confederate soldiers, study finds

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A survey has recovered that onshore owned by the metropolis of Richmond, Virginia, perchance contains much than 700 unmarked graves

RICHMOND, Va. -- An acre of onshore owned by the metropolis of Richmond contains perchance hundreds of unmarked graves, immoderate of which could beryllium to Confederate soldiers who died successful the Civil War, according to a survey released Friday.

The metropolis commissioned the onshore survey aft drafting scrutiny for spending $16,000 to upgrade an country astir a sedate marker connected the spot that pays tribute to Confederate soldiers, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.

The chromatic marker was placed determination successful 1939 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. It honors much than 100 Confederate soldiers from South Carolina who died successful a wartime infirmary crossed the street.

The Richmond Free Press, a paper with a ample Black readership, first reported connected the upgrades, which had included fencing, landscaping and a caller bench. The paper raised questions astir metropolis expenditures connected the task successful the aftermath of removing assorted different Confederate monuments successful caller years. Richmond was the superior of the Confederacy.

The metropolis noted the scrutiny successful the study, which sought to verify that the onshore had been utilized arsenic a cemetery for Confederate soldiers. Using crushed penetrating radar and different probe methods, the survey recovered that determination are much than 472 probable graves and 270 imaginable graves there, if not more.

The onshore was primitively successful the erstwhile Richmond suburb of Manchester, which was aboriginal encompassed by the city. Manchester bought the onshore successful 1857, perchance for a cemetery, 4 years earlier the Civil War started successful 1861.

The survey included a reappraisal of aged municipal, infirmary and burial records. Newspaper articles from the precocious 19th period and aboriginal 20th period notation radical who died successful the Civil War being buried there. Maps besides amusement a cemetery existing successful that spot successful 1876, aft the Civil War.

The survey recovered “a circumstantial lawsuit that the spot was utilized for wartime burials," portion the probe besides “indicates that soldiers from states different than South Carolina whitethorn person besides been buried here.”

The metropolis bought the spot successful 1930. It present serves arsenic a earthy state booster and retention facility.

In its connection Friday, the metropolis said it has consulted with historians and different officials to make an entree program for the site. It would let visitation to descendants of those believed to person been interred determination and to others funny successful genealogical research.