Have You Heard Of The Amazing Hardtack Headstone?
What’s the deal with Dudley Moses Mitchell’s Headstone?
Dudley Mitchell, laid to rest in the Greensburg Cemetery in Greensburg, Kansas, has a gravestone that is most certainly one of the most unique! (You can look at a photo here.)
Dudley Moses Mitchell
Born: 20 Oct 1875 Jefferson Co, Kansas
Died: 10 Mar 1957 (aged 81) Hutchinson, Reno Co, Kansas
Burial: Memorial Cemetery Hutchinson, Reno Co, Kansas
The Stories …
One story goes that Dudley Mitchell served in the Union army and received a food ration in the form of a piece of hardtack, which is a plain sort of biscuit-like cracker (or cracker-like biscuit!) made from flour, water, and sometimes salt, known for having a durable nature.
Mr. Mitchell discovered that his portion of hardtack was so (indeed) hard and inedible that he sent the item home as a comical souvenir, which persisted through the decades.
A Tour Guide to the Civil War by Alice Cromie (first published in 1965) indicates that Mitchell’s family had the hardtack immortalized on Dudley’s grave.
However, an article probably picked up and published on page five by the Hope Star newspaper in (Hope, Arkansas) on Wednesday, 25 Mar 1942 reports that the final resting spot of the hardtack was Dudley’s idea and explains that prior to his passing in 1957, Dudley reportedly ordered a custom tombstone with a special recess cut out for the relic. The hardtack was placed in the small nook and covered with glass and remains there today.
But Questions Abound …
Only one problem — Both dates are off. This Dudley Mitchell with the hardtack on his headstone was born in 1875 — well after the end of the Civil War. Maybe another relative sent the hardtack home?
And! The newspaper article detailing the riveting ration is dated 1942 — about 15 years prior to the date of death listed on Mr. Mitchell’s headstone.
How can this be? 🤔 I suspect there is undoubtedly a simple answer? ❤️
Curiosity and All That!
But, I had some other stuff to get to today, so I was unable to do much more than a search on Find-A-Grave and a quick web search, and I was in the middle of sharing this when I discovered the date anomalies — but of course, I’m still curious how this came to be.
Is there an answer, or is this an urban legend that has morphed over the years? Could there be two people named Dudley Mitchell that have been confused? But if so, how would we explain the dates on the headstone?
☔️ And my next question for a rainy day — am I related to these Mitchells? I’m related to many who originated in Scotland and immigrated way back in the day through Virginia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee and eventually NW Arkansas — like pretty much every other family that moved south and then west. haha!
Rest In Peace, Dudley
Either way — this is a memorable story and a one-of-a-kind headstone, and I thought it might be nice to share this treasure with the world. What is the most memorable headstone you’ve seen? 🧐
👉 Swing by and visit The LGFC on Facebook to comment on this story or share your thoughts. ❣️
Those interested may see a photo of Dudley’s Hardtack Headstone on Find-A-Grave — Special thanks to the thousands of hardworking volunteers who invest their time and effort in making this site so incredible.
My respect goes to the Mitchell family who honored their loved one and preserved this unique family treasure in such a fantastic way. 💗
Rest In Peace, Mr. Mitchell! 🌻
Sources and Attribution
ACWHRS Bayou Banner Newsletter. (March 2004). The American Civil War Historical Re-enactment Society – The ACWHRS. Retrieved 15 April 2021, from https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/13336212/the-american-civil-war-historical-re-enactment-society-the-acwhrs
“Civil War Ration Now R.I.P.” (25 March 1942). Hope Star, p. 5.
Cromie, A. H. (1992). A tour guide to the Civil War. In A Tour guide to the Civil War (4th ed., p. 98). Nashville, TN: Rutledge Hill Press.
Dudley Moses Mitchell (1875-1957) – Find A Grave. (2 June 2009). Retrieved 15 April 2021, from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/37832410/dudley-moses-mitchell
File:Mitchell Coat of Arms St Machar McAleese 2012.jpg. Ray Oaks, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons