Gravely Speaking

Dennis O’Leary

Pvt Co. I 23rd Infantry

Died Apl 1, 1901

Age 23 Yrs, 9 Mos.

Marking the grave of Private Dennis O’Leary in the Santa Fe National Cemetery is the hand-carved sandstone gravestone, which O’Leary reportedly carved for himself. Several legends have been told surrounding the soldier’s monument. As one story goes, O’Leary was bored and carved the gravestone including the inscription that states his death date. Then on that date he committed suicide leaving only a note with instructions that he was to be laid to rest underneath his work of art. Another story states that he deserted, carved the gravestone including his death date, turned himself in to the military authorities at Fort Wingate and was summarily hanged on the date he himself had inscribed. Both fanciful stories, however, do not jibe with the military records which cite tuberculosis as the cause of his untimely death.

Private O’Leary was first buried at Fort Wingate, New Mexico.  But, when the fort was decommissioned and closed the soldiers buried there were removed to the Santa Fe National Cemetery.

The photographs in today’s blog post were taken by my friend, Dan Siburg, who often thinks of me as he passes by a cemetery, as many of my friends do. While I completely understand why they do, on some level it is still a bit disturbing.  I know it is my own fault!

Forest Lawn Cemetery, Omaha, Nebraska

Matthew 19:14 King James Version (KJV)

¹⁴ But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Many cemeteries have sections laid aside for infant burials. Often a feature of these sections is a statue of Jesus with children, a reminder of the Bible verse from Matthew.

You say sarcophagi, I say sarcophaguses. Whichever way you say it, it means more than one sarcophagus.

Sarcophagus tombs are designed to look like coffins.  Most often they are set on a platform or a base.  The tomb is often embellished with ornamentation and nearly always has feet–but the “coffin” is empty–just an empty symbol of the receptacle.  This style of burial monument is ancient.

The word, sarcophagus, is derived from two ancient Greek words, sarx, which meant flesh and phagein meaning to eat.  The two words together, sarkophagus, meant flesh eating.  The term came from the limestone used by the ancient Greeks to bury the dead which was thought to decompose the flesh of the deceased.

The sarcophagi shown here are from the Mt. Auburn Cemetery at Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The John Adams Blanchard sarcophagus features four winged cherubs, two on each side, embellish the footed tomb.  The winged cherub was a symbol that became popular in the 18^th Century.  Winged cherubs replaced the stark and morbid flying death’s heads from our Puritan forefathers.  The cherubs have a childlike countenance of innocence.  The iconography represents the flight of the soul from the body upward to Heaven and the hope of the resurrection.

Carved on top of the William and Lucy Howard Brown white marble sarcophagus is a great shock of wheat. Wheat’s origins are unknown but is the basis of basic food and a staple in many cultures. Because of wheat’s exalted position as a mainstay foodstuff, it is viewed as a gift from Heaven. Wheat symbolizes immortality and resurrection.  But, like many symbols found on gravestones, they can have more than one meaning.  For instance, because wheat is the main ingredient of bread, the sheaf of wheat can represent the Body of Christ.  Wheat can also represent a long life, usually more than three score and ten, or seventy years.

This sarcophagus was erected by the students of Professor John Hooker Ashmun, a testament to his connection to his teaching ability and personality. The tomb rests upon four lion’s feet, giving it an imposing feel.

This white marble sarcophagus was built for Waldo Merriam, a soldier who was killed in a battle. The top of the monument features the soldier’s hat and sword.

WALDO MERRIAM

LT. COL. 16 REG. MASS. VOLS.

BORN FEB. 23, 1839;

KILLED IN BATTLE MAY 12, 1864.