I love the local heroes of Civil War history: The researchers and custodians and docents and volunteers of all stripes who keep history alive or fight hard to preserve it. This newspaper mourns one of those special individuals. It’s a great read.
…My friend Charles Purser, who died in January at age 73. He’s the only reason anyone knows Dolson’s name.
I’ve told you about Purser before, the quiet airman and postal worker who doggedly uncovered names for hundreds of forgotten soldiers, including Dolson.
I’ve described him poring through muster rolls and census reports from the 1860s to identify the men buried in Oakwood Cemetery – a self-appointed Civil War detective…
Now I’ll tell the last piece of Purser’s story.He died of cancer in January and took his place in Oakwood, next to the men he rescued from obscurity. From his grave, you can see the rounded tip of Dolson’s stone – the only Union man in his row.