Sharon Rose Contributing writer
On Veterans Day this year, Sunday, November 11, the Southern Cross UDC Chapter 746 held a dedication ceremony at East Hill Cemetery in Salem to honor Confederate Veteran David A. Hoskins, who had been buried without a headstone.
Local historian, Bo Hagen, discovered the story of Mr. Hoskins and worked with UDC member Dolores Smith on making sure that Mr. Hoskins was recognized for his service.
About 15 descendants of Pvt. Hoskins were in attendance, as well as eight members of the Southern Cross Chapter. Bo Hagen told how Mr. Hoskins was denied a pension as a Confederate Veteran because of an error in paperwork that had marked him as a deserter, when in fact he had been wounded and was in a Union prison.
He was not able to prove his service before his death, so he died destitute and was buried in a grave at East Hill. His wife and children were left penniless.
To be able to finally recognize this Confederate Veteran on “Veterans Day” with a special ceremony, complete with a volley and “Taps” done by Confederate re-enactors was especially meaningful.
