MONTICELLO — While researching Green County veterans who served in the Civil War, resident and historian Jon Rupp made a misspelling on the gravesite collection website Find A Grave.

This slight error led Rupp to Elijah Jordan, Monticello. As a result, Jordan was recognized as a veteran in Green County after 152 years and Rupp saw to it that a flag and flag holder were placed on Jordan’s grave in time for Memorial Day. 

“If I hadn’t found this, he probably never would have gotten one,” Rupp said, noting he believes he may be the only one in the area actively looking for forgotten veterans. “I don’t know anyone else who does this.”

Rupp started researching Civil War veterans from Green County five years ago. He began with six members of his own family who served. From there, he said he just kept going. 

To help him in his research, Rupp uses Find A Grave, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum and the book “History of Green County,” published in 1884. Rupp said he likes to pick a regiment and goes through it by each name. 

He had been analyzing veterans which may have served in the 35th Wisconsin Infantry regiment when he paid closer attention to Leonard Jordan, a name he already had in his research and whose grave is at Zwingli Church Cemetery. He decided to dive deeper into Jordan’s family.

He soon realized Jordan’s brother Henry and father Elijah, also buried at Zwingli, were in the Wisconsin veterans roster for the Civil War. He discovered a third brother, John, had enlisted from Exeter Township and served first in the 22nd Wisconsin Infantry and then in the 38th Wisconsin Infantry.

“It’s fun finding this stuff, but you have to do some digging,” Rupp said.  

Elijah and his wife Lucretia moved to Wisconsin from Oxford County, Maine, according to Find A Grave’s website collection. Through research, Rupp found they had about eight or nine children. 

Rupp noticed Henry, the oldest, was incorrectly identified as Jerry Jordon at the Zwingli Cemetery. Rupp is currently working to get that changed. Leonard and Elijah Jordan were a part of the 35th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment which was stationed in the Louisiana and Arkansas area and didn’t engage in any major battles. 

Elijah Jordan died in 1894. He was never recognized in Green County for his service. 

Rupp said he was glad he made the discovery. Elijah’s name will now be added to the Wall of Honor for Civil War veterans from Green County at Green County Veterans Memorial Park. 

“I guess you could say it’s like putting a feather in my hat,” Rupp said of the addition. 

Rupp said his research is important because it is preserving history. He’s even accumulated a large Civil War library at his home.

“I thought I knew a lot about the Civil War before I got started,” Rupp said. “But boy, was I full of crap.”