“MURDERED BY LT BLACKWELL, GUERRILLA.” The words just jumped off the page of the original burial record for the newly created Stones River National Cemetery outside of Murfreesboro, TN. After reviewing hundreds of pages in the old but well-preserved log book documenting each burial, for the first time an entry was made in one record that was beyond the normal last name, first name, unit, date of death and place of death.
Henshaw, James Tennessee 5th Cavalry, Fayetteville, Murdered by Lt Blackwell, Guerrilla.
With about 6100 Union soldiers buried in the cemetery, killed in battle or dying from many different diseases, why did the clerk find it necessary to add that this particular soldier was murdered? Not only did the clerk write that Henshaw was murdered but also the name of the assailant was forever documented in this preserved history.
Reading further into the page, four more entries were discovered. Each was an “unknown” soldier from the Tennessee 5th Cavalry who died in Fayetteville. This time the additional notation said “Killed by Lt Blackwell, Guerrilla.” Same assailant except these were killed, not murdered. Same unit but these soldiers’ remains from the same unit were not identified.
Who knew that a search of the historical cemetery records would uncover a murder mystery? Except this time, we know the name of the assailant at the beginning and the rest of the facts are the mystery. Who were these five victims? What were they doing in Fayetteville? When and how did they die? And who was this murderer Lt Blackwell, Guerrilla?
Henshaw, James Tennessee 5th Cavalry, Fayetteville, Murdered by Lt Blackwell, Guerrilla.
With about 6100 Union soldiers buried in the cemetery, killed in battle or dying from many different diseases, why did the clerk find it necessary to add that this particular soldier was murdered? Not only did the clerk write that Henshaw was murdered but also the name of the assailant was forever documented in this preserved history.
Reading further into the page, four more entries were discovered. Each was an “unknown” soldier from the Tennessee 5th Cavalry who died in Fayetteville. This time the additional notation said “Killed by Lt Blackwell, Guerrilla.” Same assailant except these were killed, not murdered. Same unit but these soldiers’ remains from the same unit were not identified.
Who knew that a search of the historical cemetery records would uncover a murder mystery? Except this time, we know the name of the assailant at the beginning and the rest of the facts are the mystery. Who were these five victims? What were they doing in Fayetteville? When and how did they die? And who was this murderer Lt Blackwell, Guerrilla?