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by Cindy Ransick (Author)
There are more than 40 veterans of the Civil War buried in the Santa Maria Cemetery. They were men who fought for their beliefs, for their ideals, for their country. They were from Pennsylvania, Kansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Missouri, Alabama, Virginia and other states. They ranked from private to the middle officer ranks. They were in both the Union and the Confederate armies. Somehow, they found their way to the Santa Maria Valley and to the quaint cemetery that is home to the souls of so many. This book identifies these men. There is a map that takes you to each grave. There are pictures of gravestones, pension documents and other items of interest. In some cases, photographs of these men have been found. Altogether, 100 pictures are used to acquaint you with these men and with the Civil War in perhaps a way a bit different from what you might be used to. More than this, significant aspects of the Civil War are brought to the fore through descriptions of the contributions states made to the Civil War and to activities associated with it: the Women's Relief Corp, the Navy in the Civil War, the Veteran Reserve Corps, mascots, and music, "Peas, peas, peas, peas; delicious goober peas...." This book is an interesting way to learn about the Civil War while providing a chance to explore a small part of the wealth of history hidden behind the fence of the Santa Maria Cemetery.
