
By Thomas Zei
It is well documented the efforts of Chaplain William Earnshaw and the U.S.C.T. 111th Regiment in finding and reburying the Union soldiers into Stones River National Cemetery. But often overlooked is the first officer given the assignment of creating the cemetery. This is the story of the designer of the first national cemetery in Middle Tennessee.
John Alfred Means was born in Allegheny County (Pittsburgh area), Pennsylvania on February 1, 1811. He was a grandson of John Means who fought in The American Revolutionary War at the battles of Long Island, Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine and Germantown before moving to the southern campaign.
His obituary in the September 4, 1896 Cleveland Leader stated that John Alfred Means moved to Northfield, Summit County (nee Portage County), Ohio in 1833. He joined the local militia where he held the rank of colonel. In 1837, Means married Eliza Chapin of Northfield, whose grandfather also fought in the Revolutionary War. They had at least five children.
The 1850 census notes that Means was a surveyor by occupation. A newspaper article showed property that was surveyed by John Alfred Means. The 1860 census noted his occupation as a farmer. Also in that year, he became the clerk for the Court of Common Pleas in the county.
After The Civil War started, Means enlisted on August 14, 1862 into the 115th Ohio Volunteer Infantry at the age of 51 years old. He was given the rank of captain in Company C which indicates his high social standing in the county. Captain Means’ unit was assigned to Cincinnati protecting the city for over a year.
The 115th OVI was then reassigned to Murfreesboro, Tennessee where they were given the task of protecting the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad. They built guardhouses and blockhouses along the railroad. In early December 1864, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest, as part of General Hood’s Nashville offensive, turned his attention on attacking these defensive structures. Captain John Means wrote the following summary of the attack:
“Blockhouse No. 4 and the fort at La Vergne were attacked on the morning of the 5th. Captain Hake, the commander of the post, had only an hour before received an order from General Thomas to vacate and fall back on Murfreesboro and was in the act of loading up when Forrest’s cavalry closed in upon them from all directions. Co. C skirmished with them for two hours then Forrest sent in a flag of truce commanding the surrender which was rejected. But while our men respected the flag of truce, Forrest took advantage of it and planted his artillery in close range where he could demolish our garrison in half an hour. Forrest then came in with the flag a second time and made a similar demand. Captain Hake and Lieutenant Eadie, seeing that it would be the sacrificing of the whole garrison without accomplishing anything, surrendered with a written guarantee that they should retain their personal property. The same deception was practiced upon Blockhouse No. 4- planting their batteries commanding the door of the blockhouse which was without protection, the blockhouse being unfinished, and the garrison surrendered deeming it folly to try and resisted a force which numbered at least a hundred to one.” ~ Captain John A. Means, Co. C, 115th Ohio Volunteer Infantry[1]
On June 2, 1864, he was attached to the US Regular Army Topographical Engineers using his skills as a surveyor and assigned to a post in Murfreesboro. It is uncertain whether this duty was in addition to his command in the 115th OVI but the stated quote above indicates he was at least well aware of the events at the blockhouses in December, 1864.
Summer of 1864 was the time frame that General George Thomas received instructions from the War Department that directed the establishment of centralized burial locations in the southern states for the Union dead dispersed throughout the countrysides and towns. For General Thomas, in charge of Middle Tennessee, he focused on the location of the Battle of Stones River for his first national cemetery. To accomplish the task, he assigned the surveyor Captain John Alfred Means as the first superintendent.
Thomas and Means identified a location for the cemetery. It would be placed between the railroad line and the Nashville Pike, both vital assets to the Union forces. The grounds were already the site of the burial ground for the U.S. Regulars killed during the battle.
Captain Means was directed that the national cemetery would include all the Union dead buried along the railroad from La Verne to Cowan, TN and the surrounding towns down to the Alabama line. The Quartermaster reported to Captain Means that this area contained about 8000 Union dead. Means determined the size of the cemetery based on this number. To fit the cemetery, he confiscated property owned by two residents of Murfreesboro leaving it to the local county court judge to determine the price to be paid by the government.
Captain Means worked up a design for the cemetery. His plan was based on a central plaza called Monument Plaza with carriage lanes running vertical and horizontal from the plaza. He then drew diagonal lanes angling out from the plaza for additional carriage lanes. Additional carriage lanes were also drawn to reduce the distance the horse-drawn wagons would be from the grave sites. This resulted in fourteen designated sections lettered A through N. Sections A through H circled the central plaza and the remaining sections circled on the outside. The plan also included space for five additional sections.
Captain Means never saw a burial at his designed cemetery. On April 25, 1865, he was returned to the 115th Ohio Infantry and was mustered out on June 22, 1865 as The Civil War ended. His plans were handed over to Chaplin William Earnshaw for implementation.
It is well documented the efforts of Chaplain William Earnshaw and the U.S.C.T. 111th Regiment in finding and reburying the Union soldiers into Stones River National Cemetery. But often overlooked is the first officer given the assignment of creating the cemetery. This is the story of the designer of the first national cemetery in Middle Tennessee.
John Alfred Means was born in Allegheny County (Pittsburgh area), Pennsylvania on February 1, 1811. He was a grandson of John Means who fought in The American Revolutionary War at the battles of Long Island, Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine and Germantown before moving to the southern campaign.
His obituary in the September 4, 1896 Cleveland Leader stated that John Alfred Means moved to Northfield, Summit County (nee Portage County), Ohio in 1833. He joined the local militia where he held the rank of colonel. In 1837, Means married Eliza Chapin of Northfield, whose grandfather also fought in the Revolutionary War. They had at least five children.
The 1850 census notes that Means was a surveyor by occupation. A newspaper article showed property that was surveyed by John Alfred Means. The 1860 census noted his occupation as a farmer. Also in that year, he became the clerk for the Court of Common Pleas in the county.
After The Civil War started, Means enlisted on August 14, 1862 into the 115th Ohio Volunteer Infantry at the age of 51 years old. He was given the rank of captain in Company C which indicates his high social standing in the county. Captain Means’ unit was assigned to Cincinnati protecting the city for over a year.
The 115th OVI was then reassigned to Murfreesboro, Tennessee where they were given the task of protecting the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad. They built guardhouses and blockhouses along the railroad. In early December 1864, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest, as part of General Hood’s Nashville offensive, turned his attention on attacking these defensive structures. Captain John Means wrote the following summary of the attack:
“Blockhouse No. 4 and the fort at La Vergne were attacked on the morning of the 5th. Captain Hake, the commander of the post, had only an hour before received an order from General Thomas to vacate and fall back on Murfreesboro and was in the act of loading up when Forrest’s cavalry closed in upon them from all directions. Co. C skirmished with them for two hours then Forrest sent in a flag of truce commanding the surrender which was rejected. But while our men respected the flag of truce, Forrest took advantage of it and planted his artillery in close range where he could demolish our garrison in half an hour. Forrest then came in with the flag a second time and made a similar demand. Captain Hake and Lieutenant Eadie, seeing that it would be the sacrificing of the whole garrison without accomplishing anything, surrendered with a written guarantee that they should retain their personal property. The same deception was practiced upon Blockhouse No. 4- planting their batteries commanding the door of the blockhouse which was without protection, the blockhouse being unfinished, and the garrison surrendered deeming it folly to try and resisted a force which numbered at least a hundred to one.” ~ Captain John A. Means, Co. C, 115th Ohio Volunteer Infantry[1]
On June 2, 1864, he was attached to the US Regular Army Topographical Engineers using his skills as a surveyor and assigned to a post in Murfreesboro. It is uncertain whether this duty was in addition to his command in the 115th OVI but the stated quote above indicates he was at least well aware of the events at the blockhouses in December, 1864.
Summer of 1864 was the time frame that General George Thomas received instructions from the War Department that directed the establishment of centralized burial locations in the southern states for the Union dead dispersed throughout the countrysides and towns. For General Thomas, in charge of Middle Tennessee, he focused on the location of the Battle of Stones River for his first national cemetery. To accomplish the task, he assigned the surveyor Captain John Alfred Means as the first superintendent.
Thomas and Means identified a location for the cemetery. It would be placed between the railroad line and the Nashville Pike, both vital assets to the Union forces. The grounds were already the site of the burial ground for the U.S. Regulars killed during the battle.
Captain Means was directed that the national cemetery would include all the Union dead buried along the railroad from La Verne to Cowan, TN and the surrounding towns down to the Alabama line. The Quartermaster reported to Captain Means that this area contained about 8000 Union dead. Means determined the size of the cemetery based on this number. To fit the cemetery, he confiscated property owned by two residents of Murfreesboro leaving it to the local county court judge to determine the price to be paid by the government.
Captain Means worked up a design for the cemetery. His plan was based on a central plaza called Monument Plaza with carriage lanes running vertical and horizontal from the plaza. He then drew diagonal lanes angling out from the plaza for additional carriage lanes. Additional carriage lanes were also drawn to reduce the distance the horse-drawn wagons would be from the grave sites. This resulted in fourteen designated sections lettered A through N. Sections A through H circled the central plaza and the remaining sections circled on the outside. The plan also included space for five additional sections.
Captain Means never saw a burial at his designed cemetery. On April 25, 1865, he was returned to the 115th Ohio Infantry and was mustered out on June 22, 1865 as The Civil War ended. His plans were handed over to Chaplin William Earnshaw for implementation.
John Alfred Means returned to his farm and family. He died on September 3, 1896 while in McKeesport, PA. He was returned to Ohio for burial at the Northfield Macedonia Cemetery in Northfield. Despite a lengthy obituary in the Cleveland Leader, no mention is made of his efforts in creating and designing Stones River National Cemetery.

URL: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52589411/john-alfred-means
Citation: Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52589411/john_alfred-means: accessed May 26, 2025), memorial page for CPT John Alfred Means (1 Feb 1811–3 Sep 1896), Find a Grave Memorial ID 52589411, citing Northfield Macedonia Cemetery, Northfield, Summit County, Ohio, USA; Maintained by Jay Nath (contributor 49465708).
[1] Letter from Captain John A. Means, Co. C, 115th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Summit County Beacon (Ohio), January 5, 1865, pg. 2
Citation: Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52589411/john_alfred-means: accessed May 26, 2025), memorial page for CPT John Alfred Means (1 Feb 1811–3 Sep 1896), Find a Grave Memorial ID 52589411, citing Northfield Macedonia Cemetery, Northfield, Summit County, Ohio, USA; Maintained by Jay Nath (contributor 49465708).
[1] Letter from Captain John A. Means, Co. C, 115th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Summit County Beacon (Ohio), January 5, 1865, pg. 2