Being a small town in western Pennsylvania, you wouldn’t think Apollo has much of a connection to the “War of Rebellion”. However, you’d be surprised! First we have General Samuel M. Jackson who enlisted as a drummer boy at age 12 and worked his way up to Brigadier General. You can read more about him on his page on our website General Samuel M. Jackson.
One of the founders of the Apollo Cemetery in 1868 was General Jackson. The cemetery was the original resting place of General Jackson, as well as 85 other Civil War veterans. Now General Jackson is laid to rest in a mausoleum in the Riverview Cemetery. In 1908 Riverview Cemetery was laid out to the north of the Apollo Cemetery, and through the years the two have grown together. Sixteen Civil War veterans are buried in the Riverview Cemetery. Two other local cemeteries, Spring Church and South Bend are the final resting place of 23 Civil War veterans each.
In 1907 G.A.R. Post 89 of Apollo erected the Civil War Memorial (pictured above) in the Apollo Cemetery to honor those who served in the “War of Rebellion” as it was commonly called then. The granite base holds a Dahlgren Naval Gun pointing skyward. This gun, weighing 4,521 pounds, was made by the Cyrus Alger & Company, Boston, MA in 1866, and used a 32 pound shell. Service of these guns was entirely naval and they were not used on land. Several markings can be seen on the gun including an anchor and initials of naval inspectors. The Circle of Honor behind the gun includes the graves of Civil War veterans Eaden Eakman, James A. Saltsgiver, Daniel R. Keiflin, Jeremiah Brubaker, Daniel McClain, Benjamin F. Shearer, Andrew H. Sheasley, and Alexander Long.
The Apollo Area Historical Society maintains the grounds around the Memorial and would like to do more in the old Apollo Cemetery. If this is a project you are interested in, won’t you consider joining the AAHS or if you’re already a member, attending our monthly meetings? We meet at 7:00 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month at the WCTU Building on N. Second Street, Apollo.