Battle of Franklin, TN Unknown Soldier is reburied

Back in May of this year, the news broke that the bones of a Civil War soldier had been found at a construction site in Franklin. It really came as no surprise to me, I'm more surprised that it doesn't happen more often. It probably does, but most people don't seem to care and dirt is hauled away from construction sites daily without nary a bother to look for anything historical. And I'm still rankled by the thought of the mass grave underneath the Dominoes Pizza across from the Carter House, but that's a whole other story.

On this day in May, workers uncovered the bones and a few artifacts while digging for the foundation of a new condo complex. The location is next to the new Target shopping center, which sits near the base of Winstead Hill. It was never determined whether or not this soldier was Union of Confederate, though most of the fabric found was of a blueish hue. There were Southerners who wore blue, and the area was decidedly an area where Confederates would have died. But there were skirmishes in the years leading up to the Battle of Franklin, which took place on November 30, 1864. Skirmishes everywhere from Columbia to Nashville. And on the day of the battle, there were Union forward pickets who possibly could have been this far south of the main lines of battle.

But it matters not for who this soldier fought. It matters that he died fighting for his country, whether it be to keep the Union whole or for the rights that Southerners so dearly wanted. He was someone's son, possibly someone's husband, father or brother. He was surely missed when he did not return home. And he deserved to be buried an honorable burial, just as any other soldier who does his duty deserves. And admirably, the City of Franklin gave that to him. He becomes the Unknown Soldier of Franklin, buried at the foot of a new memorial to all of the unknown soldiers who died in the area.
The morning of the funeral was a fittingly moody gray, chilly, windy day. And the crowds were much larger than I expected. The morning began with a service in honor of the soldier, and all soldiers really, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church near Five Points in Franklin. At the conclusion, the casket was laid onto a horse drawn caisson, covered in both the flags of the Union and of the Confederacy, and led through the steets of Franklin.
I was amazed to learn that attending the funeral were two actual sons of Civil War veterans. On the left is Harold Becker, 91, son of Charles Becker who fought in the 128th Indiana Infantry, and on the right is James Brown, 97, son of James H. H. Brown who fought in the 8th Georgia Infantry.
Following the caisson were the women mourners dressed in the period clothing.
Many reenactors also attended and marched in the procession. They represented many of the states that fought during the Civil War.
At Rest Haven Cemetery, the crowd was quite large. I was somewhat surprised to see so many.
The casket being brought through the cemetery by Union and Confederate pall bearers.
At the end of the graveside service was a twenty-one gun salute.
Reenactors from the different states that were represented at the Battle of Franklin brought some soil from their home states to be buried with the unknown soldier. They took turns placing the dirt onto the grave and giving a respectful salute.
This is the memorial to the Unknown Soldier of the Battle of Franklin. This was the best shot I could get of it that day. I will certainly get back to get better photographs of it one day. It was created from the limestone columns that once graced the Capitol building in Nashville. The old columns were replaced in the 1950s. There is a memorial to the stonecutters on the Capitol grounds now. Most of the rest of the columns sit in a field near the old Tennessee State Prison off Briley Parkway.
The pine box, lowered into the ground, covered with the soil of the possible states he could have called home.
I didn't want to be negative at all in this column that is dedicated to someone who died 145 years ago, but I spent a bit of time at the memorial being a bit ticked off. There are far too many people out there with absolutely NO respect for the dead. How much I would loved to have gone over and smacked this guy upside the head. But he wasn't the only one. I saw people on the opposite side of the crowd who could not have actually been 10 feet tall-and I doubt were sitting on someone's shoulders, unless that someone was a weightlifting champion. And the conversations I overheard from many made me wonder why they bothered to come out for this. But then again, there are far too few people these days who have any respect for the dead or for the past. At least my daughter won't be one of them when she grows up.

Old Isham's Grave, Noah, Coffee County, Tennessee

Yes, not all cemeteries listed here are "people" cemeteries! This is the grave of "Old Isham". It is located in Coffee County, on French Brantley Rd, between Interestate 24 and Hwy 41.
"Old Isham" was the honored mount of General Benjamin Franklin Cheatham, a native of Nashville and a Confederate General during the Civil War. The horse was named for Tennessee Governor, Isham Harris. After the war, Cheatham took Old Isham back to his farm in Tennessee. When Isham died, he was buried here with full military honors. Cheatham died in 1886 and is buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville.

Rosehill Cemetery, Meridian, Lauderdale County, MS

Located in Meridian, on 40th Avenue. Large, active cemetery.
Many Confederate dead are buried here. A monument and large sign board list the known dead from the Confederate states who died in area battles. There are also many markers of local Mississippi soldiers who died later and are buried here.


The most interesting people in this cemetery may be the "King and Queen of the Gypsies", Emil and Kelly Mitchell. Emil was born around 1857 in Brazil, he died in Alabama in1942. His first wife, Kelly, was born around 1868 and died in 1915 during childbirth. Thousands attended her funeral. And now people travel from all over to lay offerings at her grave. On the day we visited in 2005, there were a number of wine bottles and many Mardi Gras beads(as seen in photo). Other members of the family are buried to either side of them. The gravesite is even listed on the website Roadside America!

Andersonville National Cemetery, Macon County, Georgia

Located at the Andersonville National Historic Site in Macon County. This was the site of probably the most famous and largest Confederate prison camp from the Civil War. It housed upwards of 45,000 Union prisoners of which nearly 13,000 died of disease and starvation, among other causes. The cemetery contains 13,714 graves, 921 being marked "unknown".
A group of prisoners who took advantage of their fellow soldiers was known as the "Andersonville Raiders". On July 11, 1864, six of the leading raiders were hanged. They are buried here, but separate from the soldiers they terrorized.

Greenwood Cemetery, Metairie, Orleans Parish, Louisiana

Established in 1852 by the Fireman's Charitable and Benevolent Association. The first New Orleans graveyard not to be walled in. The prominent monuments near the front gates can easily be seen by passersby on the nearby Interstate 10. It is in a "cemetery rich" area of town, with Metairie across the interstate, and Cypress Grove across Canal Street, and numerous others in the area.
Confederate Memorial. The faces on the four sides are of Generals Robert E Lee, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, Leonidas Polk(a Bishop of Louisiana) and Albert Sydney Johnston. Below the monument is a mass grave of 600 unknown Confederate soldiers.

A cemetery that I have visited many times and always look forward to visiting again.

Chattanooga National Cemetery, Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee

Located on South Holtzclaw Ave, between E Main and Bailey Ave. Visited in 2007.

This National Cemetery was formed after the Battle for Chattanooga in 1863. Major General George H Thomas chose the location, facing Missionary Ridge on one side and Lookout Mountain on the other. By 1870 there were over 12,800 internments including the fallen from battles around the area and Sherman's men who had fallen during his march through Georgia.

There are also 78 German prisoners of war who died while being held during World War I.
Probably the most impressive monument here is the one erected in 1890 by the state of Ohio to the memory of "Andrews Raiders". Named for the group's leader, a civilian scout, James J Andrews, the group consisted of 22 Union volunteers. The "Raiders" stole a locomotive, The General, in 1862 in northern Georgia, in order to disrupt Confederate supplies going between Chattanooga and Atlanta. The train was eventually caught and some of the "Raiders" were hung as spies. Most of the men later received the Medal of Honor(though Andrews himself was a civilian and not eligible). The eight who were executed are buried here, around the monument.

Florence City Cemetery, Florence, Lauderdale County, Alabama

Located on East Tennessee Street in Florence, Alabama. Visited August 2008.

Recently placed on the Alabama Historic Cemetery Register. There are many veterans of previous wars here, including many Civil War veterans, some from the War of 1812 and perhaps even one from the Revolutionary War. The cemetery was established along with the town in 1818, but the oldest known burial is from 1831.

The most interesting story from the cemetery is noted on a historical marker along East Tennessee St. It talks of"Mountain" Tom Clark, who was hanged September 4, 1872. The text from the marker reads:

This notorious outlaw gang leader who boasted that no one would ever run over Tom Clark lies buried near the center of Tennessee Street where now all who pass by do run over him. In 1872 Clark, who terrorized helpless citizens during the Civil War, confessed to at least nineteen murders, including a child, and was hanged with two companions. Although graves were already dug in a nearby field, outraged townspeople interred Clark beneath Tennessee Street this bringing his boast to nought. "

Harpers Ferry Cemetery, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

Harper Cemetery, located near the top of the hill overlooking the picturesque historical town of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

Robert Harper, for whom the town is named, set out these 4 acres for a graveyard for the small village he settled. Situated at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, the town was a volatile player in the War Between the States. John Brown's raid of 1859 happened here and the town changed hands between the North and South eight times during the war.

The small walled area is where the Harper family is buried. Robert Harper had no children and left most of his land to his niece. The town doesn't look very different than it did in the 1860s, the population is still only listed at around 300.

Arlington National Cemetery

A fitting way to start this blog off.






Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. Across the Potomac River from Washington DC. Probably the most famous cemetery in America.

These photos were taken from a trip I took there in December of 2003. I loved the way everything looked with the snow. I've also visited Arlington at least 3 other times that I can remember. I can't help but list this as my favorite cemetery to visit.

Shown in the photos above include John F Kennedy's grave and eternal flame; The Memorial Amphitheater and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier; and the statue of Major General Philip Kearny, a United States General during the Civil War. Arlington House, the home of Robert E Lee prior to the Civil War, can be seen in the second photo. And the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument can be seen in the distance in the final photo.

There is so much to say about this solemn place, but I can hardly find the right words. If you have been there, you know what I mean. If you have not, I would rank it among the top 10 places to see in America. All Americans should pay their respects to those who died for our freedoms.

For more information, please visit the official website.