At Rest, At Last

Peter Jones Knapp was laid to rest on Friday, April 13, 2012, at the Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, Oregon. He may well be the final Civil War soldier to be buried, and he's the first to be buried in this particular national cemetery.

This story caught my attention while I was being carpool mom for my two oldest sons' first middle school dance and in following it up last night online, it ties together my home state (California), my adopted state (Iowa) and one of my other passions (family history).

Knapp enlisted in the 5th Iowa Cavalry in 1861 and fought at Iuka and Shiloh. He was taken prisoner at Missionary Ridge and was held for 17 months in various camps, including Andersonville. Knapp escaped and later served in the Indian wars.

Knapp died in 1924 and, although he received a front-page obituary in the Kelso, Washington, Kelsonian newspaper, his ashes remained at the crematorium until a relative located them while researching family history. She enlisted the help of the California Medal of Honor Project and Knapp and his wife received a burial service along the lines of a veteran's memorial from 1873 that was attended by family members, Civil War re-enactors and representatives of the Oregon National Guard.