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Echoes of the American Civil War in Australia
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These are just a few of the 100+ US Civil War veterans buried in Australia. New ones are still being found, along with veterans of other wars including the Spanish-American War and War of Independence. Union veterans are easier to locate due to the before mentioned bureaucratic paper trail. This occurred because they, unlike Confederate veterans, could have their pensions paid to them outside the US. In cases of extreme hardship the US Government made exceptions for Southerners, however many retained resentment towards their old adversary and wouldn't accept Yankee handouts, so the paper trail is cold.
Information is usually found by chance in genealogical societies where their Australian descendants research and publish family trees with Confederate soldiers on them. The number of Confederate veterans who lived and died in Australia is likely to be equal to the Union. In most cases they never renounced their US citizenship. Having settled when Australia was a colony, they were granted dual status when it Federated. Their children and grandchildren were raised to be Australians but proud of their American heritage and many fought for Australia in the Boer War, First and Second World Wars.
The most famous descendant was journalist, poet and author Edwin James Brady (1869-1952) whose father, Edward John Brady, emigrated from New York after the cessation of hostilities and served as a police trooper in New South Wales.
The United States Government never forgets the sacrifices made by its citizen soldiers and sees to it their graves are marked. When Roy Parker discovered a veteran reposed in an unmarked grave authorities dispatched marble headstones, the same used in Arlington National Cemetery. Descendants, local dignitaries and American diplomatic staff attended the unveiling ceremony.
