Statue rededication ceremony honors Lebanon County’s Civil War veterans

The Sentry Monument at Cedar Hill Cemetery is a symbol of remembrance. 

On Saturday, April 12, about 100 people came to remember veterans who fought to preserve the Union during a rededication ceremony at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Fredericksburg of the nearly 141-year-old Union sentry monument.  

Last fall, the sentinel was removed to undergo much-needed restoration over what was expected to be a period of six months. Five months later, the statue was reerected in March to once again stand guard over Fredericksburg and those who served and whose final resting place is Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Pennsylvania National Guard Command Sgt. Major Shawn Phillips said the monument is an enduring tribute to the memory of the enlisted servicemen who fought for the Union in the Civil War. 

“The commitment to preserving our history is truly commendable. Today we reaffirm our commitment to remembering the courage and sacrifice and unwavering dedication of the men who fought to preserve the Union. The soldiers, the sailors, and the Marines who answered the call to duty,” he said. “This monument isn’t dedicated to generals or politicians. It stands as a powerful tribute to the enlisted man, the backbone of the Union. Overlooked but never forgotten.”

Cedar Hill Cemetery was created in 1869 and the first person buried there in 1870. After the monument was added in 1884 by John H. Lick, families were given the option to re-inter their loved ones who were Civil War veterans in the cemetery near the monument or elsewhere in the graveyard, according to cemetery association treasurer Rita Christ. 

Christ previously told LebTown that 68 Civil War veterans are interred in Cedar Hill Cemetery, out of the 192 veterans buried there.

Phillips noted the importance of remembering the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers who took up arms and went to war against those who supported the Confederacy. 

“As we gather here in April, we’re reminded of the long arduous journey of the Civil War. While the major fighting had concluded, the aftermath and the rebuilding and reconciliation and the continued mourning stretched on for years,” he added.

Phillips said it was poignant that the ceremony was being held on April 12. 

“This monument was erected in 1884 and it speaks to that enduring process of remembrance. Also on this date, April 12th holds a particular resonance in American history. It marks the anniversary of the attack on Fort Sumter in 1861,” he said. “It’s the event that ignited the Civil War, a day that signaled the beginning of a devastating conflict that would forever change our nation. By dedicating this monument on April 12th, we acknowledge the sacrifices made from the very first shots and to the final surrender. We honor those who stepped forward to defend the Union, knowing the immense challenges that lay ahead.”

Phillips, whose command is over enlisted servicemen at FTIG, re-emphasized during his five-minute remarks the importance of remembering the sacrifices made by enlisted servicemen.

“Look at that figure, that sentry, he stands watch, eternally, vigilant over (the) Civil War veterans that are interred here at his feet. He’s not a commanding officer, he’s not a celebrated hero, but an enlisted man, a very embodiment of duty, unwavering commitment,” Phillips told the ensemble crowd during the ceremony on a cool spring afternoon under mostly cloudy skies. “He represents the countless soldiers who stood watch in the sun, in the wind, in the rain, in the snow, and the mud. So that others may be protected, he represents a man who marched into battle not seeking glory but fulfilling his obligation, represents that quiet courage of a common soldier.”

Phillips also paid specific tribute to the Civil War veterans whose final resting place is Cedar Hill Cemetery. While the soldiers are interred throughout the cemetery, a number are in proximity to the monument. 

“Let’s remember the veterans who rest beneath this hallowed ground,” he said. “They  were sons, they were husbands, they were fathers and brothers. They came from our communities and their stories are woven into our local history and the fabric of our local history.”

Phillips said Americans today are indebted to these individuals.

“We owe them an immeasurable debt of gratitude, their courage and sacrifice ensured that our Union would endure, that our future generations would inherit a more perfect Union. It is our responsibility to ensure as a powerful reminder of their service and sacrifice that we continue to share this legacy for future generations,” he said. “Let us honor their memory and act actively by participating in the democracy upholding the values they fought for and strive to create a more just and equitable society.”

John Klahr, president of Cedar Hill Cemetery Association, publicly thanked John H. Lick who had the statue erected about 20 years after the four bloodiest years of war on American soil, which ended with the signing of the peace treaty at Appomattox, Virginia. 

Lick was a prominent local businessman who served in the Civil War and founded the town of Lickdale in northern Lebanon County. 

“John Lick erected this, had this monument erected in 1884 and it wasn’t without trouble because when they went to put the sentry off the first time, it fell down. So they had to get it repaired,” Klahr said. “But John Lick was a colonel in the Union Army with an Ohio regiment and that’s why he doesn’t get a lot of notoriety in the local community because all his service records were in Ohio. But he is resting in the mausoleum behind us, and his name is over on the door, John Lick. So, Colonel Lick, this is your monument. We thank you for what you did to honor those that served the Union.”

The presentation of colors by the 93rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry included raising the American flag and a POW/MIA flag, the latter which honors prisoners of war and those soldiers who are missing in action. The National Anthem by the 26-piece Northern Lebanon Alumni Band followed the Presentation of Colors and preceded Klahr’s remarks as master of ceremonies.

During his remarks, Klahr recognized everyone involved with the project, which began about two years ago with the launch of discussions about repairing the statue, which had shifted and was leanly backwards. It was believed that if left unrepaired, the sentinel, which is about 24 feet in the air, would have fallen over. 

“There’s a whole bucket full of people I’d like to say thank you to, so I’m just going to try and do that. E&E Metal Fab, who did the reconstruction and the renovation of the monument, they did a really great job. And I’d also like to thank other people in the community. I mentioned that as we went through this project over the years – and it took us years to do this – we found the amazing amount of talent that we have right here in our own county and in our own neighborhood.”

Klahr thanked Dickerson Crane and CMP rigging for deconstructing and re-erecting the four-section monument. Klahr said Dave Shirk Excavating performed excavating services to prepare the new foundation that was poured to more firmly secure the monument’s base.

Klahr said VNS Galvanizing was instrumental in working with E&E to get the finish of the monument done. He thanked Funk Construction, which did a lot of the design work for the foundation itself.

He also thanked Boger Concrete for donating the concrete that was poured for the foundation, and Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters Training Center, whose workers did the forming, made the actual forms and completed the concrete work for the foundation.

“So we tip our hat to all those people,” Klahr said, “and community interests that engaged in fundraisers for us. We’d like to mention the Eagle Hotel and the First Citizens Community Bank, which actually help fundraisers to help us finance this project. The 93rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry were the color guard that presented our colors and we’d like to say thank you. We appreciate that. And later on we’re going to be hearing from the honor guard from VFW Post 23 in Lebanon.”

Following the keynote address, the alumni band played two patriotic songs.

After the “Service Medley,” the band closed their portion of the program with “Stars & Stripes Forever,” which Klahr said is the song the band traditionally plays to close every performance.

During the first song, each branch of the military was announced and attendees who served were asked to stand or wave. As each branch was named, that announcement was received with applause from the audience as a show of their appreciation for those individuals and their service to the nation.

A rifle volley followed by the playing of “Taps” closed the ceremony. Once it was over, guests mingled and many stopped at the monument to pay their respects on the way back to their vehicles. The monument’s base was colorfully decorated with a circular array of smaller American flags before and throughout the ceremony.