KENTUCKY MEMORIAL PLACE REDEDICATED OCTOBER 17, 2004
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Arrival of General Arflack and John Trowbridge from Frankfort Kentucky
Brigadier General Norman E. Arflack of the Kentucky National Guard and John Trowbridge, director of the Kentucky Military History Museum, arrive from Frankfort, Kentucky. They arrived at Custer Airport in cold rain at 4 PM on Friday October 16, 2004. Here they are greeted by Richard Micka.
Lets see what happened...
Remember the Raisin - 10/17/2004
Monroe salutes Kentucky soldiers who gave lives in War of 1812.
By CHARLES SLAT
Buried
somewhere in a mound of state land within a cemetery in Frankfort, Ky., are the
remains of as many as 15 Kentucky militiamen who fought bravely and gave their
lives in a bloody battle with the British in Monroe nearly 200 years ago.
Their names are
largely unknown. The remains are all in one container. The precise location is
guesswork.
But Monroe
again remembered the sacrifices of those and nearly 400 other Kentuckians who
perished during the War of 1812's Battle of the River Raisin by marking the
centennial anniversary Saturday of a monument erected in their honor at
Memorial Place park off S. Monroe St. at W. Seventh St.
The massive
gray granite monument matched the color of the sky on a blustery day when the
thermometer flirted with 50 and many attending huddled under three-sided canopy
to snap photos and watch the proceedings. In one corner, Sandra Walters of the
U.S. Postal Service, hand-canceled envelopes with a special "first
cover" commemorating the event.
Special guests
included Brig. Gen. Norman E. Arflack of the Kentucky National Guard; John
Trowbridge, director of the Kentucky Military History Museum, and Brig. Gen.
Jerry Cannon, head of the Michigan National Guard.
Brig. Gen.
Cannon told the crowd the state was grateful to those Kentucky militiamen
"who came to our rescue. In the finest military tradition, they were
honor-bound to defend our freedom," he said.
Brig. Gen.
Arflack said he was struck by the gracious hospitality of area residents in the
last couple of days, and he read a letter of thanks from Kentucky Gov. Ernie
Fletcher for remembering over 100 years the sacrifices Kentuckians made during
the 1813 battle.
"We owe
you a debt that can never be repaid for erecting this beautiful monument in
your city," he wrote. Brig. Gen. Arflack also presented a Kentucky flag to
Monroe Mayor John R. Iacoangeli to be flown at the park.
Mr. Trowbridge
told The Evening News that work continues on documenting the River Raisin dead
at the Frankfort cemetery. "We've found what we believe is the
graveshaft," he said. He said the next steps will be to use the University
of Kentucky archeology department to take core samples to confirm the location
of the burial area.
Remains of
about 15 Kentucky casualties that could be identified from among the estimated
400 who died were buried in Detroit first, then shifted to Covington, Ky., and
then Frankfort in the 1850s. But the location of the common grave became
obscured over time.
Mr. Trowbridge
said it's hoped that any bones recovered could be examined to unearth facts
about their diet, diseases and the manner in which the soldiers died.
Ultimately, it's hoped that DNA testing will enable some of the remains to be
linked with names.
"I've
already had two families contact me who are descendants of two guys who were
killed up here," Mr. Trowbridge said.
During the
ceremony, Linda Rutledge, a local artist, presented a framed pen- and-ink
drawing of the monument to Gen. Arflack that she had created over the last few
weeks to take back to his fellow Kentucky citizens.
"I hope
they get as much pleasure out of it as when I sat in this park and sketched it
block by block and letter by letter," she said.
V. Lehr Roe,
chairman of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners, compared the sacrifice of
the Kentuckians, fighting far from home, to the war on terror being fought
today.
"They
fought to free local residents of the terrorism of the British
occupation," he said of the Kentuckians.
Underscoring
the rich artifacts that remain from the battle, Jeanne Micka, a member of the
Monroe County Historical Commission, read an account of Madame LaCroix, an
early settler, whose home was invaded by Indians.
She tried to
persuade them that terrorizing women and children was not an act of courage or
bravery. In response, one of the Indian braves literally buried the hatchet -
plunging a tomahawk into a portrait of Madame LaCroix that hung on the wall.
That portrait's among the artifacts at the River Raisin Battlefield Visitors
Center.
Ken Howard, a
member of the Second Michigan Territorial Militia re-enactment group,
highlighted the importance of remembering the battle and subsequent massacre of
wounded survivors.
"Any
country that forgets its history is going down the road of losing its identity
and losing its values," he said. He noted that Kentucky suffered the
highest casualty rates of any state or territory during the War of 1812.
State Rep.
Randy Richardville, R-Monroe, re-minded the audience that the Michigan House of
Representatives passed a resolution earlier this year urging Congress to
recognize the River Raisin Battlefield as a national historic monument. He said
a decision on that might be made soon. Rep. Richardville also presented a
Michigan state flag to Brig. Gen. Arflack.
As military
groups snapped to attention, the American and Kentucky flags were hoisted on
the park's flagpole, re-enactment groups fired a salute using black-powder
rifles and the strains of "Taps" were carried away by the breeze.
By Charles Slat © 2004 Monroe Evening News
Used by Permission
SATURDAY OCTOBER 17, 2004
Dick Micka Plans as Jean Micka assists Monroe DPS Director Scott Davidson Anchor Floral Tribute
Michigan National Guard Brig. Gen. Cannon Addressing Crowd
Brig. Gen.
Cannon told the crowd the state was grateful to those Kentucky militiamen
"who came to our rescue. In the finest military tradition, they were
honor-bound to defend our freedom," he said.
General Arflack Dick Micka and John Trowdridge (holding KY Flag)
V. Lehr Roe, chairman of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners
V. Lehr Roe, chairman of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners, compared the sacrifice of the Kentuckians, fighting far from home, to the war on terror being fought today. "They fought to free local residents of the terrorism of the British occupation," he said of the Kentuckians.
Kentucky ANG Gen. Norman Arflack Presents Flag to Monroe Mayor John Iacoangeli
Brig. Gen.
Arflack said he was struck by the gracious hospitality of area residents in the
last couple of days, and he read a letter of thanks from Kentucky Gov. Ernie
Fletcher for remembering over 100 years the sacrifices Kentuckians made during
the 1813 battle.
"We owe
you a debt that can never be repaid for erecting this beautiful monument in
your city," he wrote. Brig. Gen. Arflack also presented a Kentucky flag to
Monroe Mayor John R. Iacoangeli to be flown at the park.
Mayor Iacoangeli Presents Memorial Site Improvement Plans
Ken Howard, a member of the Second Michigan Territorial Militia
"Any country that forgets its history is going down the road of losing its identity and losing its values,"he said. He noted that Kentucky suffered the highest casualty rates of any state or territory during the War of 1812.
State Rep. Randy Richardville, R-Monroe, re-minded the audience that the Michigan House of Representatives passed a resolution earlier this year urging Congress to recognize the River Raisin Battlefield as a national historic monument. He said a decision on that might be made soon. Rep. Richardville also presented a Michigan state flag to Brig. Gen. Arflack.
Members of the Monroe County Young Marines
Second Michigan Territorial Militia Ready
Attaching the Kentucky Flag to the Lanyard
Members of the Monroe County Young Marines, including 13-year-old Richard Sanders, join with the Monroe Post 1138, Veterans of Foreign Wars, color guard in raising the U.S. and Kentucky state flags at the Kentucky Monument 100th anniversary celebration in Monroe Saturday afternoon. The Commonwealth of Kentucky flag was a gift presented to Monroe Mayor John Iacoangeli by visiting Kentucky National Guard Deputy Adjutant Brig. Gen. Norman E. Arflack. © Monroe Evening News
Raising the Flags on a Cold Windy Day
Links:
Monroe Michigan Historical Museum
Copyright 2004 All rights reserved
All Photographs © David Alkire Smith Photographic Collection