Unknown Civil War Soldier to Pass Through Right on Henry Johnson Blvd. (Rt 9) En Route to Final Rest

JOINT FORCES HEADQUARTERS, LATHAM, NY (09/15/2009)(readMedia)-- The New York National Guard brings home the remains of a New Yorker found at Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg, Maryland to his home state tomorrow.

The remains of this unknown Soldier, who was between 17and 19 years old (a correction based on forensic analysis to previously released information) when he was killed during the Civil War's single bloodiest day, will be brought to the New York State Military Museum on Wednesday, Sept. 16 and interred at Gerald B. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery with full military honors on Thursday, Sept. 17, the 147th anniversary of the Battle of Antietam.

This will be the first unknown Soldier interred at the cemetery.

The New York National Guard became aware of the discovery of these remains earlier this year when a newspaper story was published about the circumstances, said Mr. Don Roy, the director of the New York Military Force Honor Guard. He and New York State Military Museum Director Michael Aikey decided that this Soldier's remains should be brought home to New York, and they began reaching out to the National Park Service and Saratoga National Cemetery, which is administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and making plans to honor this Soldier.

Mr. Roy will retrieved the remains from Antietam National Cemetery on Sept. 15, placing them in a Civil War era replica coffin donated by Parker Brothers Funeral Home, of Watervliet. The were transported to the New York National Guard's Camp Smith Training Site on Sept. 15 and remain overnight.

On Sept. 16 Mr. Roy transports the remains to the New York State Military Museum. He will travel along Route 9 Peekskill to Saratoga Springs and be escorted by the Patriot Guard Riders Association, a motorcycle club which rides at military funerals to honor the service members.

The funeral precession will pass through the Right on Henry Johnson Blvd. (Rt 9) en route to Saratoga Springs at approximately 12:55 p.m. along route 9.

He is expected to arrive at the Military Museum at 2 p.m., where an honorable transfer of the remains will be conducted by the New York Forces Military Honor Guard and members of Civil War re-enactors group.

The remains will lie in repose at the Military Museum, guarded by the Honor Guard and Civil War re-enactors until 8 p.m. The museum will remain open later that day for those interested in visiting.

At 10 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17, a military funeral for the Soldier will be conducted at Saratoga National Cemetery. This will be 147 years to the day that the battle he died in occurred.

The New York Military Forces Honor Guard provides funeral honors to the family any veteran of the Armed Services who desire honors as part of the burial. The Honor Guard as offices across the state which can schedule services. Honors are provided to all Veterans with an Honorable Discharge no matter if they served during war time or peace time at no cost to the family or funeral home

The New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center, overseen by the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs and established in 2002, preserves the story of New York's military heritage in its Saratoga Springs location. The museum has a large collection of Civil War artifacts and the largest collection of Civil War battle flags in the nation.