U.S. Civil War Veteran's Grave in Stockport, England

In a small cemetery in Stockport, Greater Manchester, UK, lies the final resting place of George A. Costello, a Civil War veteran, along with his wife Mary and two of their children, Emily Rose Parr and Norah Parr. The grave, located in a section primarily used for Catholic burials, features a damaged sandstone marker with a cross leaning against it.

The marker bears the inscription honoring George, a 75-year-old Civil War veteran who passed away on July 31st, 1915. His wife Mary, aged 78, joined him in death on November 19th, 1919. Their children, Emily Rose Parr, aged 21, and Norah Parr, followed suit on August 26th, 1924.

George enlisted in the 42nd New York Infantry Corps, initially as a paid substitute for a conscripted man. He later served in the 82nd Regiment (Company C), the 59th Regiment (Company D), and was promoted to the rank of Corporal. George sustained a hand injury during the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, which left him unable to continue as a frontline infantryman. Consequently, he was transferred to the Veteran's Reserve Corps, also known as the Invalid Corps.

Although there is a family tradition that George was part of Abraham Lincoln's guard detail at Ford Theatre on the night of Lincoln's assassination, it is likely not true. After the Civil War, George returned to Dublin and attempted to resume his trade as a coach maker. However, his wounded hand made this challenging. Eventually, he received a pension from the U.S. government and moved his family to Stockport, England around 1891.

By the time of George's death in 1915, his grandson Liam Parr was actively involved with the Irish Republican movement and facilitated the shipment of arms to Irish rebels from England. Liam later participated in the Easter Rising of 1916.