Frank Foti was reading a sandstone grave marker at Indian Mound Cemetery in Moravia when he realized he wanted to know more about the Civil War veteran buried there.
Sam Tenney / The Citizen
Authors Frank Foti and Roger Phillips stand next to grave marker for three cousins killed in the Civil War and buried at Indian Mound Cemetery in Moravia. The two men are writing a book detailing the lives of the soldiers.
Authors Frank Foti and Roger Phillips stand next to grave marker for three cousins killed in the Civil War and buried at Indian Mound Cemetery in Moravia. The two men are writing a book detailing the lives of the soldiers.
Figuring area students and fellow history buffs would too, Foti teamed with Roger Phillips to compile “They Answered the Call,” a series of stories about the 125 Civil War veterans laid to rest in the cemetery.
“Each gravestone is a mini-biography,” Foti said.
The book, to be published this fall, chronicles the life stories of each soldier who fought the Confederacy and was ultimately laid to rest at Indian Mound. Combat, prison and disease claimed the lives of 23 of the veterans during wartime - including George Cobb Stoyell, who was the first Civil War soldier to be buried at the cemetery.
“Being a soldier has its tragedies and its heroes,” Foti said.
All of the cemetery's veterans were Union soldiers 14 to 61 years old; many lied about their ages to fight. Together they served in 41 units, though most belonged to five New York Volunteer units: the 3rd Light Artillery, the 9th Heavy Artillery, the 75th, the 111th and the 160th infantry regiments.
Indian Mound's veterans fought in several major battles of the Civil War, such as Gettysburg, Cedar Creek and Harper's Ferry. It was at the latter battleground that the 111th regiment was captured in shame. After serving as prison guards at Camp Tyler in Chicago, the unit redeemed itself at the Battle of Gettysburg by repelling a Confederate charge on the wheat field.
Such stories were culled from published histories and records at the Cayuga-Owasco Lakes Historical Society, interviews with local historians and the Internet. While Foti researched the soldiers' lives, Phillips traced their genealogy.
“Many of the soldiers buried here had siblings or cousins who also served but aren't here,” he said. “People don't realize the level (the war) touched every family in New York state.”
With local, state and federal incentives awaiting the young men who enlisted, the troubled economic atmosphere of the time pushed many toward service even though their beliefs in the Union cause were varied. Some fought for abolition and others to reunite the states, Foti said. Regardless of their reasons, each soldier made a sacrifice that the title of Foti and Phillips' book commends.
“Everyday people left their farms to fight and came back and picked up where they left off,” Phillips said. “I don't think people appreciate those sacrifices. There was a lot of misery.”
The completion of “They Answered the Call” coincides with the efforts of Foti and Phillips to improve Mound Hill Cemetery, where they serve as board trustees. The pair worked with Eagle Scout candidates Travis Allen and Logan Withers to plant section markers and cross-reference the veterans' records with their grave sites. This process resulted in the identification of some Civil War veterans who weren't designated as such on their gravestones.
“Some of them were overlooked on Memorial Day when people would place flags on the graves,” Foti said.
The stories of several Moravia Civil War veterans will be read on Oct. 18, when Mound Hill Cemetery hosts a 134th anniversary celebration to commemorate the restoration of its original gate and the publication of the book. Local town and state officials will be in attendance as boy scouts read edited biographies from the book and lead mini-tours to the veterans' grave sites.
Both Foti and Phillips plan to eventually produce a history of all of Mound Hill's residents. For now, they hope “They Answered the Call” will provide help to anyone else curious about the veteran tombstones they see at Indian Mound.
“The goal of the book is to answer those questions,” Phillips said.
Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
If you go
What: Monthly meeting of Cayuga-Owasco Lakes Historical Society, featuring a talk with Frank Foti and Roger Phillips about “They Answered the Call”
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25
Where: Cayuga-Owasco Lakes Historical Society, 14 W. Cayuga St., Moravia
Cost: Free
To learn more: Call 497-3609
What: 134th anniversary celebration of Indian Mound Cemetery
When: 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 18
Where: Indian Mound Cemetery, East Cayuga Street, Moravia
Cost: Free
To learn more: Call 497-3609
“Each gravestone is a mini-biography,” Foti said.
The book, to be published this fall, chronicles the life stories of each soldier who fought the Confederacy and was ultimately laid to rest at Indian Mound. Combat, prison and disease claimed the lives of 23 of the veterans during wartime - including George Cobb Stoyell, who was the first Civil War soldier to be buried at the cemetery.
“Being a soldier has its tragedies and its heroes,” Foti said.
All of the cemetery's veterans were Union soldiers 14 to 61 years old; many lied about their ages to fight. Together they served in 41 units, though most belonged to five New York Volunteer units: the 3rd Light Artillery, the 9th Heavy Artillery, the 75th, the 111th and the 160th infantry regiments.
Indian Mound's veterans fought in several major battles of the Civil War, such as Gettysburg, Cedar Creek and Harper's Ferry. It was at the latter battleground that the 111th regiment was captured in shame. After serving as prison guards at Camp Tyler in Chicago, the unit redeemed itself at the Battle of Gettysburg by repelling a Confederate charge on the wheat field.
Such stories were culled from published histories and records at the Cayuga-Owasco Lakes Historical Society, interviews with local historians and the Internet. While Foti researched the soldiers' lives, Phillips traced their genealogy.
“Many of the soldiers buried here had siblings or cousins who also served but aren't here,” he said. “People don't realize the level (the war) touched every family in New York state.”
With local, state and federal incentives awaiting the young men who enlisted, the troubled economic atmosphere of the time pushed many toward service even though their beliefs in the Union cause were varied. Some fought for abolition and others to reunite the states, Foti said. Regardless of their reasons, each soldier made a sacrifice that the title of Foti and Phillips' book commends.
“Everyday people left their farms to fight and came back and picked up where they left off,” Phillips said. “I don't think people appreciate those sacrifices. There was a lot of misery.”
The completion of “They Answered the Call” coincides with the efforts of Foti and Phillips to improve Mound Hill Cemetery, where they serve as board trustees. The pair worked with Eagle Scout candidates Travis Allen and Logan Withers to plant section markers and cross-reference the veterans' records with their grave sites. This process resulted in the identification of some Civil War veterans who weren't designated as such on their gravestones.
“Some of them were overlooked on Memorial Day when people would place flags on the graves,” Foti said.
The stories of several Moravia Civil War veterans will be read on Oct. 18, when Mound Hill Cemetery hosts a 134th anniversary celebration to commemorate the restoration of its original gate and the publication of the book. Local town and state officials will be in attendance as boy scouts read edited biographies from the book and lead mini-tours to the veterans' grave sites.
Both Foti and Phillips plan to eventually produce a history of all of Mound Hill's residents. For now, they hope “They Answered the Call” will provide help to anyone else curious about the veteran tombstones they see at Indian Mound.
“The goal of the book is to answer those questions,” Phillips said.
Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
If you go
What: Monthly meeting of Cayuga-Owasco Lakes Historical Society, featuring a talk with Frank Foti and Roger Phillips about “They Answered the Call”
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25
Where: Cayuga-Owasco Lakes Historical Society, 14 W. Cayuga St., Moravia
Cost: Free
To learn more: Call 497-3609
What: 134th anniversary celebration of Indian Mound Cemetery
When: 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 18
Where: Indian Mound Cemetery, East Cayuga Street, Moravia
Cost: Free
To learn more: Call 497-3609
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