The Monument before the crash: Courtesy: Guilford Courthouse Nat'l Military Park
Greensboro, NC-- More than two months after his burial site was destroyed by a drive, General Jethro Sumner's remains will be laid to rest again.
In March, a driver hit the General Jethro Sumner monument and burial site leaving it in pieces. He told police that he swerved to avoid hitting a deer and crashed into the monument on New Garden Rd.
In April, the remains of the General that were a small copper box in a vault underneath the monument were removed for safe keeping while the historic monument was being restored at the NPS Historic Preservation Training Center in Maryland.
The monument is one of many in Guilford Courthouse National Military Park.
And unlike his last burial, this generation can witness the historic ceremony. Exactly 121 years and 1 week after his original interment at the Guilford Courthouse battlefield he will again be placed to rest with the monument marking his burial site.
During a public event today, a Masonic Funeral Ceremony for General Jethro Sumner was held at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park on New Garden Road in Greensboro.
History: General Jethro Sumner was commander of a Regiment of North Carolina Continental Soldiers. At the time of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse Sumner was on a two year Recruiting assignment and was not at the battle. Sumner died in 1785 and was originally interred at a site in Warren County, NC. In February, 1891 the N.C. State Legislature appropriated $50 to go towards moving his remains and monument to the Guilford Courthouse battlefield for interment. He was placed to rest here on May 23, 1891.
Related: Driver Avoiding Deer Destroys General's Burial Site
Related: General Sumner Monument Heading to Maryland for Repair
Guilford Courthouse National Military Park