[see William C Reiff, 'The soldier that was not buried' (National Tribune 17 August 1905, page 3, column 6) for another version of the story of the mistaken tombstone.]
[Thanks to Chris Buckingham for supplying me with a copy!]
Tuesday, last, in Philadelphia, Comrade Stephen Kelly, of Co. E., 91st PA Infantry regiment, died at his residence. The peculiarity of this case is that according to the records in the War Department at Washington, this man has been dead for more than twenty-five years, his name, Company and regiment appearing on one of the headstones in the National Cemetery at this place.
Mr. Kelly has been here with every encampment of the G.A.R. and always visits his supposed resting place, on one of the visits having his photograph taken standing on the grave. While Supt. Wilson had charge of the Cemetery he made an effort to have the error corrected by the Department, but nothing was ever done. The theory of the error is that, having left their knapsacks on Round-Top to make a charge to the Wheatfield, some one took possession of Kelly's, and the stencil plate he carried was found on the body of the soldier who got his knapsack. The marked canteen theory loses force with the assurance made that that was the last part of the accoutrement to be laid aside by a soldier.
The deceased was a member of Post 8, G.A.R. of Philadelphia, and his last will directs that organization to take charge of his body for interment. Letters received here state that his last wish was to be buried at Gettysburg, where his name already appears. On Sunday afternoon the burial service was performed in Post 8's Hall, and the body placed in the vault of the Monument Cemetery, at Philadelphia, awaiting removal.