“Graves of scores of veterans of United States wars in this county, which have not been decorated in recent years, will be covered with flowers Decoration day when residents pay tribute to the dead.”
“Graves of these Scioto county war heroes are those which have been brought back from obscurity by the WPA veterans’ graves registration project sponsored by the Ohio adjutant general and co-sponsored by the American Legion.”
“The project’s primary purpose is the compilation of a comprehensive record of the deceased veterans of all the nation’s 31 wars and the maintaining of a permanent service record card showing the name, service connection, date and place of birth, death and burial.”
” These records will be kept in the state adjutant’s office and duplicate records will be kept by the American Legion posts in each community.”
“Meanwhile both legionnaires and those in charge of the graves registration project are seeking all persons who happen to know of abandoned burial plots, no matter how small, to communicate with the legion post in their community.”
“There are 2040 veterans buried in the 210 cemeteries in this county, the survey discloses.”
“The survey disclosed there are 195 World War veterans, 1177 Civil war veterans; 21 Revolutionary veterans; 22 Mexican war veterans; 29 Spanish American war veterans; 58 veterans of the war of 1812 and 500 out of state veterans buried in cemeteries in this county.”
“The Scioto County survey, although tabulations are completed, has not been finished.”
“Officials reports that maps are to be prepared and burial places of every veteran will be marked on the maps to enable officials or relatives to locate each grave without delay.”
“One of these, buried near Portsmouth, is General Robert Lucas, whose grave is in Lucasville cemetery. He came to Scioto county in 1796, was county surveyor and later was a senator and the governor of Ohio.“
“The grave of Major James Munn was found in Munn cemetery in Jefferson township. He was one of the few men, records disclosed, who crossed the Delaware with General George Washington. He also was with General Crawford when defeated by the Indians at Upper Sandusky June 3, 1782.”
“Burial place of General William Kendall was found in Kendall cemetery on Thomas avenue, this city. General Kendall served in the war of 1812, was one of the first directors of the Commercial Bank of Scioto in Portsmouth, ran a general merchandise store, and held the first court of this county in that store. He also was county commissioner and was an associate judge in 1808 through 1810.”
“The grave of Major John Belli is in Greenlawn cemetery. He was a close friend of George Washington, was county recorder, laid out the town of Alexandria near the Scioto River.”
“Burial place of Major Uriah Barber was located in Kinney cemetery at the head of Waller street. He landed on the Little Scioto river August 10, 1796, and built the first log cabin in Portsmouth. The cabin later served as the Old National hotel in 1803.”
“Colonel Pete Kinney, Civil war veteran, is buried in Kinney cemetery and Colonel Aaron Stockham, who took part in the war of 1812, is buried in Squires cemetery near Minford.”1
