But a recent landscaping project led to lifting the stone and revealed worn engravings underneath. "Told him, 'Well, it looks like you found yourself a Civil War headstone,'" said Madden.

Historians deciphered the name: Christian Nave, who died in 1886. Nave was a prominent Danville attorney after serving as a private in the civil war.

"It says it was the ninth cavalry which was his unit. He was a part of the ninth calvary led by Eli Lilly when he was a colonel," said Jeannie Regan-Dinius, DNR Historic Preservation and Archaeology.

It's one of several headstones reported stolen from the Danville's City Cemetery in the 70's.

"We have not found any others yet but spurred new interested in finding some of those taken," said Regan-Dinius.

In the meantime, the headstone is being restored. "As a historian I think it's important that we respect our dead and that we put the stone back where it belongs," said Regan-Dinius.

A rededication ceremony is planned as well as a search for descendants who can witness that this soldier's service remains sacred to the generations that followed.

The National Guard is organizing a gravesite ceremony in November

http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?s=6819825.