The fourth-annual Washington Court House Cemetery Tour took place Saturday, a fundraiser by the Fayette County Historical Society.
Henry Casey Camp Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War members conducted a Civil War living history program with a Civil War Camp site set-up at the Fayette County Commission on Aging Senior Citizens Senior on Elm Street, where those going on the cemetery tour gathered for a hayride through the cemetery.
At the Civil War camp site, former Henry Casey camp commander Ray Fannin manned a display of items used by soldiers during the Civil War and explained what each item was and how it was used by soldiers during the war.
Six other Henry Casey Camp members were stationed at the grave sites of Washington Court House historical figures buried in the Washington Cemetery and told the story of that person as a hay wagon with about 20 “tourists” traveled through the cemetery. Community volunteers were stationed at several other sites.
Four hay wagons traveled through the cemetery continuously from 5-9 p.m., and starting about 7 p.m. the sites on the tour were illuminated. Henry Casey Camp member Christopher Grim handled the task of illuminating the sites manned by Henry Casey members.
Henry Casey members were stationed at the following sites: Shawn Cox – Col. Samuel N. Yeoman Commander of the 90th Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War; Shane Milburn told the story of the Civil War soldier statue located near the center of the cemetery and the GAR cenotaph; and Robert E. Grim told the story of Baldwin Millikan a businessman and commander of the Millikan Guards.
Two Civil War Medal of Honor recipients are buried in the cemetery and Michael Sutton told the story of Sgt. Major Francis McMillen who earned his medal during the Battle of Petersburg, Va.
Kelly Hopkins told the story of Corporal Isaac Carman who received the medal at Vicksburg, Mississippi.
