Jefferson Davis Memorial

Several years ago in the course of traveling across southern Kentucky on US Hwy 68/Hwy 80 from the Jackson Purchase area to Russellville, I suddenly noticed an obelisk that would look more at home in Egypt than in Kentucky. This definitely required turning around and going back to investigate.

As it turns out, the monument and surrounding park are a memorial to Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy. Jefferson Davis was born not far from this site on June 3, 1808 in what is now Fairview, Kentucky, located on the Todd and Christian County line.



The monument was conceived in 1907 at a reunion of the First Kentucky Brigade of the CSA, known as the "Orphan Brigade". The First Kentucky was formed primarily from residents of the western area of Kentucky. In 1917 construction began, then was suspended during World War I and the obelisk was finally completed in 1924. It is 351 feet tall and the fifth tallest monument in the United States. The walls are seven feet thick at the base, two feet thick at the top and it features an elevator to an observation room.

Since I recently became aware that the Civil War Sesquicentennial is being held 2011 to 2015 with numerous events taking place memorializing that period of our history, I thought it was a good time to post these photos.

A historical marker at the site is inscribed: "Here the only President of the Confederate States of America was born June 3, 1808, the son of Samuel and Jane Cook Davis. The family moved to Mississippi during his infancy."

Wednesdays Child - Thomas Botters Dantzler

OUR BABE

THOMAS BOTTERS
Died January 29th
1855

For of such is the
kingdom of Heaven

A. F. and S. A. Dantzler

Thomas Botters Dantzler is buried in the Paulding Cemetery in Jasper County, Mississippi. The names of his parents are difficult to read due to the shadows and debris on the stone but appear to be A. F. and S. A. Dantzler.

Some research of the Dantzlers of Jasper County confirms that his parents were Absolum Fredrik Dantzler and Susanna Millsaps. He is listed as their son Thomas in the family bible of Uriah Millsaps, Susanna's father, but the bible lists no birth or death dates for him.

Thomas' father, Capt. Absolum F. Dantzler who served in Company K, 37th Mississippi Infantry of the CSA was killed at Corinth, Alcorn County, Mississippi on 3 Oct 1863 according to his gravestone in the Heidelberg City Cemetery in Jasper County.

Tombstone Tuesday - Henry Bascom Hicks

The Civil War left wounds still raw in many parts of the country even after 150 years. In countless areas, civilians were preyed upon by military forces of one army or the other, while in others helpless civilians were robbed and violated by "bushwackers" or lawless elements who merely pretended an allegiance to a particular army.

In Graves County, Kentucky the wounds still run deep from what is referred to as the "reign of terror" of Union Gen. Eleazar Paine. In Maplewood Cemetery of Mayfield, Kentucky there is a monument in the form of a slab over the grave of young Henry Bascom Hicks. He was killed by order of General Paine on the streets of Mayfield in August of 1864. The 18 year old student was accused of being a spy. Paine had been removed from his post in Gallatin, Tennessee in April of 1864 by the order of Major General William T. Sherman after Paine and his men were found guilty of "extreme cruelty and extortion". He was subsequently posted to western Kentucky.

Hopefully there will never be another time when the people of this country turn against each other with such intolerance and cruelty.






A heavy morning dew on the fall day I photographed Henry's grave accentuates the inscription making it more visible and easily readible.

Hilton Head to Vicksburg, finally

You might think that one trip to the Civil War Battlefield at Vicksburg, Mississippi would be enough, but it is such a surprisingly beautiful park in addition to being adjacent to Interstate Hwy. 10, that neither my cousin Debby nor I seem to be capable of driving through Vicksburg without stopping.


Prior to this particular trip through Vicksburg, I had learned that our 2nd cousin, 3x removed, Capt. Harris Wilkerson, Jr. who served the Confederacy in the 1st Regiment, Missouri Cavalry during the seige of Vicksburg, had returned to Vicksburg and married after being paroled and released following the war. Dying there in 1879, he was buried in the Cedar Hill Cemetery adjacent to the park. This new information made simply driving through Vicksburg without stopping at the Battlefield or the cemetery out of the question.

Also adjacent to the park is Soldiers' Rest C.S.A. Cemetery which began in 1866 when the remains of over 1600 soldiers who died in the Vicksburg campaign and seige were re-interred there.


Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Page 294 -
...Captain (J. W.) Barclay and Lieutenant (Harris) Wilkerson, of Bowen's division, with 50 brave fellows of that command, are entitled to special mention for their gallant conduct on the night of May 30, in burning the sunken gunboat Cincinnati, which they accomplished as far as was practicable with an iron-clad vessel in her condition. They brought off her flag, which I presented to them...Respectfully, your obedient servant, J. C. PEMBERTON, Lieutenant- General, Headquarters, Gainesville, Ala., August 26,1863

From the Historic Roll of the 1st Missouri Cavalry - Harris Wilkerson was engaged in the Battles of Sugar Creek, Bentonville, Elkhorn, Farmington, Iuka, Corinth, Grand Gulf, Bakers Creek, Big Black, and Vicksburg. He served during the Campaign in Georgia - was in the siege of Atlanta, fight on Peach Tree Creek, Jonesborough & all the fighting from Rome to Lovejoy’s Station, Battle of Allatoona, Tilton, Franklin & was made a prisoner at Franklin and incarcerated at Johnsons Island. Served six months in the M.S.G. (Missouri State Guard) in Gen. Harris' Report and was in the Battle of Lexington.

Traveling home to Texas on that particular day, there was only only time to photograph a few family gravestones and monuments from the Missouri lines on the battleground, but the Cedar Hill Cemetery is filled with amazing gravestones and monuments. I envision many more visits there in the future and doubt that I will ever be able to just drive through Vicksburg without stopping.

Mill Springs Battlefield

Driving across Kentucky on a southerly route in an effort to retrace the migration of our ancestors and travel from Kentucky back through the Cumberland Gap into Virginia, we came upon a little known Civil War battlefield just outside of Nancy, Kentucky.

Zollicoffer Park is named for Confederate Brig. Gen. Felix Zollicoffer who is said to have died on this spot. Additionally the park contains a Confederate Cemetery and memorial.



On that sunny fall day, it was hard to imagine the carnage of a Civil War battle in this beautiful, quiet place.

Camp Beauregard

In southern Graves County, Kentucky just a few miles north of the Tennessee border atop a rolling hill, Camp Beauregard Cemetery gives no hint of its tragic history. Originally a Confederate military training camp, it was only an active military installation from September of 1861 until March of 1862. During that time approximately 1,500 confederate soldiers died of diseases such as meningitis, pneumonia and thyphoid fever and the camp was closed.

Area residents claim that the now private cemetery is haunted, but my cousin and I spent a lovely spring morning there several years ago and encountered no one, unearthly or otherwise.






In 1909, the United Daughters of the Confederacy placed a memorial to the fallen soldiers within the cemetery. The Confederate memorial is inscribed -

In memory of the loyal men who
died here September 1861 to March 1862
for the Confederate States of America,
and were thus denied the glory of heroic
service in battle.