February 21, 2004
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Left to right, Lori Yeager, Pat Peters, Dennis Clowney and
On February 21, 2004 at 1:00 in the afternoon, the members of Lyon Camp #
10, Department of New Jersey, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War hosted a
re-dedication services for the Thomas Sharp Post 2 Grand Army of the Republic
Monument in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Millville New Jersey.
Thomas Sharp Post 2 Department
of New Jersey Grand Army of the Republic was formed on Jan. 20, 1894 from
the consolidation of the previous 2 GAR Posts of Millville, Larnard Tice Post 49
(formed 9/24/1880) and Union Post 55 (formed 8/17/1881). Thomas Sharp Post
was still active in 1931. Although our roster list is incomplete, we show
a membership of 222 veterans. The
department of New Jersey GAR was formed on Dec. 10, 1868 with 2 Posts and 58
members. At its height in 1893 the
department boasted 7,830 members.
Thomas
Sharp Post 2 was named for Private Thomas Sharp of Co G 3rd NJ Cavalry. He
enlisted on Dec. 23, 1863 and was mustered in on Jan. 6, 1864 for a period of 3
years service. He was killed at the battle of Winchester Va. on Aug. 17,
1864. Thomas had a sister named Jennie Collins who lived in Millville and
a brother William Sharp of Cape May County who was also a member of the Post.
The
Thomas Sharp Post 2 GAR monument in Mount Pleasant Cemetery was
dedicated on Memorial Day, Wednesday May 30th 1910. Members of Lyon Post
10 GAR attended the ceremonies, which lasted all day.
One of the projects currently being undertaken by the SUVCW on a national
level is the identification and cataloging of civil War monuments and GAR
artifacts. During the investigation it was discovered that the Sharp
monument was in need of repair. Our
Camp has recently completed the restoration of the monument and thought it
proper to re-dedicate the restored monument to those who erected it.
Some
of those in attendance to help with this dedication were:
Assemblyman
Jeff Van Drew (D) NJ
Cumberland
County Veterans Affairs officer P. J. Paden
Members of
the Nabb-Leslie Post 82 American Legion
Members of
the Millville Veterans of Foreign Wars
Members of
the Semper Marine Detachment of Vineland
Representatives
from the Millville Army Airfield Museum
12th
NJ Civil War Re-enactors
Guest
speakers included:
Hon. Jeff
Van Drew
Buzz
Smithcors Commander of the Department of NJ SUVCW
Dennis
Clowney – Commander of Lyon Camp 10 SUVCW
Patrick
Peters – Chaplain, Lyon Camp 10 SUVCW
Lorie
Yeager – President, Cornelia Hancock Aux. #10 ASUVCW
A wreath in honor of Thomas
Sharp Post 2 GAR was laid at the foot of the monument by a descendent of the
Sharp family Donald Sharp.
A wreath in honor of Lyon Camp
10 SUVCW was laid by Patricia Wilhelm, Past President of Cornelia Hancock Aux.
10 ASUVCW.
A wreath in honor of Cornelia
Hancock Aux. 10 ASUVCW was laid by Past President Viola Loder Smithcors.
Respectfully
Submitted,
Robert
Wilhelm PCC
Sec.
/ Treas. Lyon Camp 10 SUVCW
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