Rose
died of stomach cancer last June, but following a majestic
funeral in Palm Beach County, one that saw his body lie in
state in a reenactor's vigil, his body was cremated and
portions were spread in different areas.
Olustee was to be his final stop.
But the government intervened and stopped the procedure of
firing Rose's ashes from a cannon during last weekend's
Olustee Battle Festival.
It seems there are laws prohibiting the spreading of ashes on
federal or state property, regardless of the circumstances.
The mandate covers state parks and federal grounds such as
national forest lands. Reenactors here last weekend were told
not to even think about blasting Rose's ashes from a cannon
volley.
This is where the legend part of the story comes into play.
The big question is whether or not some of his loyal friends
sneaked his ashes onto the battlefield and gave the man the
proper burial he requested.
There was a memorial service held. That's a fact. What
happened after the public left the campsite area of the
reenactment is a mystery. It will always be a mystery. The
activities will be preserved, left to be retold around the
campfires next year and beyond. No one is saying for sure what
took place. It's now part of the lore that makes the Civil War
period so interesting - even if this is a modern-day
reenactor's tale.
David Rose and the legacy of his government-banned funeral
will be forever branded into Olustee legend.
The irony is fantastic: A battle-seasoned Confederate
reenactor's last request denied by the federal government. How
interesting.
At first, the mention of a battlefield burial might seem
strange, but the more it was discussed, the more it seemed
like the appropriate action. Very few people in Lake City or
the region - outside of reenactors - knew David Rose, but now
we are forever linked with him since he has allowed us to
share in his burial request and record the saga for history's
preservation.
To say the least, his request is fascinating and it tells a
lot about the life of David Rose. His desire gives us a window
to the man's spirit, his soul. We can't help but think about
his last request and smile with the thought that he got the
most out of his days walking the earth.
At least in some small, special way, he didn't allow death to
completely cheat him out of life. Rose's family visited
Columbia County this weekend and I salute them and I
sympathize with them. They lost a dear loved one. The rest of
us lost a man that, in death, fascinates us.
I wish I could have known him in life. |
