On Saturday, August 8, 2026, members of the Monuments, Memorials & Gravesites Committee installed the replacement headstone of Private George W. Smith, Company H, 7th Pennsylvania Reserves. This project to have his stone replaced occurred over the period of several months.
George Smith’s headstone as it appeared in 2025. It’s condition was so bad we could not tell which side of the stone was the front, versus the back.
Smith’s headstone, photograph taken in 2008.
Smith’s new headstone, which will be installed August 8,. 2026.
Headstone in route to Chestnut Hill Cemetery, in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
Remnants of a glass jar found after excavating Smith’s original headstone. It had been buried purposely, most likely in remembrance of Smith’s loss.
L to R: Ken Gulick, Douglas Cubbison, Chris Rasmussen, Kyle Purchase & August Marchetti.
Visiting the final resting place of Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Totten, 7th Pennsylvania Reserves, also interred at Chestnut Hill Cemetery in Mechanicsburg.
Help Us Continue This Work!
Projects like this are made possible through the generosity of our members and donors. Your support helps the Pennsylvania Reserve Volunteer Corps Historical Society locate forgotten soldiers, preserve historic gravesites, install appropriate markers, conserve important artifacts, and share their stories with future generations.
Help us continue this work by making a donation or becoming a member today.
The Pennsylvania Reserve Volunteer Corps Historical Society was organized in 2004 by August Marchetti and Justin Sanders.