The UCV grave marker for Louis Edmond LeBlanc, a first lieutenant in the 8th Louisiana Infantry, in St. Michaels Catholic Cemetery, St. Martinville, LA. He was killed in action in the battle of Malvern Hill, VA, on 1 July 1862, and was buried on the battlefield by his comrades In August 1889, his remains were re-interred in the family vault in St. Martinville, shown above, after a huge funeral procession. LT LeBlanc's body is in the middle tomb of the vault, which is 30 feet wide. Legend has it that when his body was dug up on the battlefield, it was still in perfect condition.
photos by the author, summer of 2002