Vale Cemetery is the final resting place of 94 individuals associated with the American Civil War or who were involved with the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. They include soldiers from privates to generals, doctors, nurses, and Union College alumnus.
In fact, there are more Union generals buried at Vale Cemetery than anywhere else except Arlington National Cemetery.
Among the many illustrious persons entombed at Vale are:
Chaplain Isaac Groot Duyea, abolitionist and founder of the first African American church in Schenectady in 1837, now known as the Duryee Memorial AME Zion Church.
Private Frederick Eisenmenger, Schenectady Mayor and possibly the youngest union soldier from New York State to serve in the war.
Colonel Robert Furman who convinced Thomas A. Edison to move his companies to Schenectady, setting the stage for what would be the General Electric Company.
Corporal George W. Tompkins, Medal of Honor awardee, for extreme heroism in the “capture of the flag of the 49th Alabama Infantry (C.S.A.) from an officer who, with colors in hand, was rallying his men" at Hatcher's Run, Virginia on March 25, 1865.