One of the primary sources for determining burial locations is Stones River National Cemetery Interments on the park’s web site. This lengthy searchable list is based on the last name of the soldiers buried in the national cemetery. The list also accounts for different known spellings of the name as shown in official records or from reports from family members.
If someone is searching for a grave in the cemetery, the web site provides them the opportunity to enter the last name and the database will provide a listing of all the soldiers known to be buried in the cemetery. Some of the listing may show a grave number and section. Others may not show any information on the grave. This is mostly because of the almost 2300 unknown graves in the cemetery. The assumption is made that if there is no grave number, the soldier must be buried in an unknown grave.
But where do these names of the unknowns come from? A primary source is The Roll of Honor, a series of books showing the register of graves in each national cemetery created after The Civil War. The Roll of Honor contains a list of known soldiers that died during a battle or from local hospital records where there is no known burial location in the area. Since the authors did not know where these soldiers were buried, they made the assumption that they are buried in one of the unknown graves. This is normally a good assumption, especially if they are a non-commissioned officer or a private.
The battlefield listing also contains the names of soldiers that died during battles as shown in the units reports to the adjutant general. These names are beyond what were included in The Roll of Honor. Again, if someone does a search, these additional results have no grave information shown leading to the assumption they are buried in one of the unknown graves.
The National Park Service web site’s search capabilities include searches by rank. Searching by each officer rank, provides lengthy lists of those that died. Each listing contains a source of the record with it, normally being either the unit’s roster or adjutant general’s report. Usually, each record contains no grave information. A reader of each record can easily assume that the officer is buried in Stones River National Cemetery in an unknown grave.
But such an assumption is a contradiction of the stated policy of the Department of War that every senior officer’s body should be retrieved from the battlefield or place of death and returned to the officer’s hometown for burial, whenever possible. The officer’s soldiers would go to great lengths to carry the body off the battlefield. Such heroism was recognized in battle reports and the awarding of medals. Each side would also allow exchanges of the bodies of officers for those that couldn’t be retrieved at the time of the battle.
The question arises as to why there are so many officers listed in Stones River National Cemetery Interments database? Are they really buried in Murfreesboro or is the record in error? To answer these questions, research was done to determine where the officer was actually buried. [Note: It is recognized that in some occasions a marker or headstone in a hometown cemetery may not contain the body of the officer but most newspaper articles indicate that the body was transported for burial.]
The first article will discuss Generals, Colonels and Majors contained in the interment list. The second article will look at the list of Captains. Because of the large list of Lieutenants, this will be deferred to the future.
If someone is searching for a grave in the cemetery, the web site provides them the opportunity to enter the last name and the database will provide a listing of all the soldiers known to be buried in the cemetery. Some of the listing may show a grave number and section. Others may not show any information on the grave. This is mostly because of the almost 2300 unknown graves in the cemetery. The assumption is made that if there is no grave number, the soldier must be buried in an unknown grave.
But where do these names of the unknowns come from? A primary source is The Roll of Honor, a series of books showing the register of graves in each national cemetery created after The Civil War. The Roll of Honor contains a list of known soldiers that died during a battle or from local hospital records where there is no known burial location in the area. Since the authors did not know where these soldiers were buried, they made the assumption that they are buried in one of the unknown graves. This is normally a good assumption, especially if they are a non-commissioned officer or a private.
The battlefield listing also contains the names of soldiers that died during battles as shown in the units reports to the adjutant general. These names are beyond what were included in The Roll of Honor. Again, if someone does a search, these additional results have no grave information shown leading to the assumption they are buried in one of the unknown graves.
The National Park Service web site’s search capabilities include searches by rank. Searching by each officer rank, provides lengthy lists of those that died. Each listing contains a source of the record with it, normally being either the unit’s roster or adjutant general’s report. Usually, each record contains no grave information. A reader of each record can easily assume that the officer is buried in Stones River National Cemetery in an unknown grave.
But such an assumption is a contradiction of the stated policy of the Department of War that every senior officer’s body should be retrieved from the battlefield or place of death and returned to the officer’s hometown for burial, whenever possible. The officer’s soldiers would go to great lengths to carry the body off the battlefield. Such heroism was recognized in battle reports and the awarding of medals. Each side would also allow exchanges of the bodies of officers for those that couldn’t be retrieved at the time of the battle.
The question arises as to why there are so many officers listed in Stones River National Cemetery Interments database? Are they really buried in Murfreesboro or is the record in error? To answer these questions, research was done to determine where the officer was actually buried. [Note: It is recognized that in some occasions a marker or headstone in a hometown cemetery may not contain the body of the officer but most newspaper articles indicate that the body was transported for burial.]
The first article will discuss Generals, Colonels and Majors contained in the interment list. The second article will look at the list of Captains. Because of the large list of Lieutenants, this will be deferred to the future.
Generals
None buried at Stones River National Cemetery and none shown in the interment list.
None buried at Stones River National Cemetery and none shown in the interment list.
Colonels
- CHAPMAN, WILLIAM F. - LT. COLONEL ILLINOIS 38TH INFANTRY Died in November 23, 1864 in Pulaski, TN of disease. As a Lieutenant, he was severely wounded at the Battle of Stones River and also at Chickamauga. His body was returned to Macon County, Illinois and interred there, according to a local newspaper article.
- CLARK, MERVIN - LT. COLONEL OHIO 183RD INFANTRY Killed in the Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864 from a bullet to the temple. Grave with headstone in Woodlawn Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio after his body was carried off the battlefield by two of his soldiers. (Photo to the left.)
- DRAKE, LEVI O - LT. COLONEL OHIO 49TH OHIO INF. Died during the Battle of Stones River while “waving his hat and cheering his men” while riding his horse. His body was recovered two days later stripped of his uniform. His body was returned to Ashland County, Ohio for burial.
- ELLIOTT, JONAS D. - LT. COLONEL OHIO 102ND INFANTRY (see story of Lt. Col. JD Elliott at https://www.friendsofstonesriver.org/lt-col-jd-elliott.html) Died in northern Alabama from a fatal shot to the head. His wife decided to keep his body buried where he died. His remains were moved later to Rose Hill Cemetery in Columbia, TN and then moved to Stones River National Cemetery. He is buried in grave H-3081.
- HALL, ALBERT S. - COLONEL OHIO 105TH INFANTRY Died on July 10, 1863 in Murfreesboro of typhoid fever. Wounded twice at Shiloh, after which he was promoted to Lt. Colonel. Led the troops at the Battle of Milton, TN. His body was returned to Charlestown, Ohio for burial. (Photo to the right.)
- HARRINGTON, FAZILLO A. (Fazilo)- COLONEL ILLINOIS 27TH ILLINOIS INFANTRY Died on January 1, 1863 from wounds obtained in combat. Buried in South Bend, IN in the City Cemetery.
- HAWKINS, JOSEPH G. - LT. COLONEL OHIO 13TH OHIO INFANTRY Died during the Battle of Stones River on December 31, 1863. Shot in breast and killed instantly. Per eyewitness account, body was robbed of watch, money and boots. Remains were returned to Ohio and buried in Oakdale Cemetery in Marysville, Ohio.
- JONES, FREDERICK C – COLONEL OHIO 24TH INFANTRY Killed in action during the Battle of Stones River. Buried in Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio.
- KELL, JOHN - LT.COLONEL OHIO 2ND OHIO INF Killed in action during the Battle of Stones River. His son was a private in the same unit. During the battle Kell was a major but received his promotion after his death. Buried in Woodhill Cemetery in Franklin, Ohio. (Photo to the left.)
- LAWRENCE, WALTER E. - LT. COLONEL OHIO 1ST LT ARTY Born in 1818 in England. Died on November 26, 1964 in Murfreesboro of typhoid fever. Buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio.
- MILLIKEN, MINOR – COLONEL OHIO 1ST CAVALRY Died during the Battle of Stones River from a bullet wound to the neck. Buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Hamilton, Ohio.
- ROBERTS, GEORGE W. – COLONEL ILLINOIS 42ND INFANTRY Died during the Battle of Stones River. A large monument is located in Oaklands Cemetery in West Goshen Township, Chester County, PA, where he was born. (Photo to the right.)
- STEM, LEANDER - COLONEL OHIO 101ST INFANTRY Died on January 5, 1863 in Nashville from wounds incurred during the Battle of Stones River. Buried in Green Springs Cemetery in Green Springs, Sandusky County, Ohio. (Photo to the left.)
- WOOSTER, MOSES F. - LT. COLONEL OHIO 101ST INFANTRY Died on January 2, 1863 in Nashville from wounds received during the Battle of Stones River. Buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Norwalk, Huron County, Ohio.
Majors
- CRAIG, ROBERT EMMETT – Indiana 85th Regiment. Died April 2, 1964. Buried in Rockville, Indiana. Lawyer by profession. He was in prison three months in Libby. Died in Murfreesboro of heart disease.
- DENISON, CHARLES EDWARD– US 18th Regiment. Died on January 15, 1863 after receiving a mortal wound in the battle that resulted in an amputation of his right leg. Buried in Grave C-991. He also has a grave and monument in Springdale Cemetery in Peoria, Illinois. Both markers state that he was a captain and the official records of the battle also refer to him as Captain Denison.
- MOORE, DAVID – Ohio 1st Calvary. Died on January 2, 1863 in the Confederate hospital in Murfreesboro, TN from wounds received in battle. Buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery in Newark, Ohio in February, 1863.
- REED, BENJAMIN C G– Ohio 174th Regiment. Died on December 7, 1864 in The Battle of the Cedars. Enlisted as a sergeant in the Ohio 3rd Infantry but rapidly rose in ranks to major by 1864. Was captured and held prisoner in Macon, GA and in North Carolina. Buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Zanesville, Ohio.
- TERRY, HENRY – Ohio 24th Regiment. Died on December 31, 1862. After the unit’s colonel was killed supporting Hazen’s Brigade in the Cotton Field, Major Terry assumed command but was struck in the head by a fragment shell and mortally wounded per the official report. Buried at Bronson Cemetery in Peru, Ohio.