In the previous parts, we looked at the Factors of Identification and the five major locations for Civil War burials in Stones River National Cemetery. In Part Three, we apply the factors to the significant causes of death in each of the five locations that impact the percentage of unknown soldiers. - by Thomas Zei
Applying the Factors
Murfreesboro
Sections M and O are almost totally burials from Murfreesboro. Pockets of Murfreesboro burials are found in other sections, like in Sections E and F. Although Murfreesboro represents almost the largest group of burials, it has the fewest number of unknown soldiers. Although many soldiers died in the town, almost all of them died from disease or wounds over the three years the Union occupied Murfreesboro. If a soldier is hospitalized, the medical staff normally know who they are treating. The regiments are also keeping track of the soldiers while being treated. If the soldier dies, burial is done in either a local cemetery or a graveyard at the temporary hospital. As long as the graves are properly marked and mapped, most of the bodies will be identified when moved to the National Cemetery.
Some unknowns do occur if the body is buried in a mass grave, especially after a battle or in a rush to prevent the spread of disease, like smallpox. Some of the graveyards at field hospitals were not properly mapped or the documentation was not preserved. If a wooden marker was used to identify the burial, the wood plank was subject to rot and deterioration. Although hospital staff may have known who was buried in the graveyard, they couldn’t say which name was associated with a specific grave.
Considering all of the factors for identifying the deceased, the lack of a large-scale battle ends up resulting in a low number of unknowns.
Other Locations
The next smallest group of unknowns is the catch-all of the burials from all the other locations. When the National Cemetery was established, the orders were to retrieve all the Union dead from the towns surrounding the railroad from La Vergne to Cowan, TN. This would include troops that died during the Battle of Tullahoma as well as skirmishes protecting the railroad. It also would include those soldiers garrisoned in the railroad towns to protect the line that would die from disease.
The Tullahoma Campaign resulted in 83 Union dead, many in the remote gaps in the ridges around Murfreesboro. As the Union forces advanced against the Confederates, they most likely did not remain to bury their dead. This duty would be left to the local residents and would most likely result in unknown burials and mass graves. Only 18 known burials had a date of death during the Tullahoma Campaign. For those dying of illness, the burials in local cemeteries and graveyards should result in known burials as long as the individual graves were properly marked, mapped and preserved. Any burials in mass graves diminishes the chance of having an identifiable burial at the National Cemetery.
Rose Hill
Rose Hill was designated as the depository for all Union dead in the towns near the railroad south of Nashville. Most of these towns were Union occupied for many years with actions limited to protecting the railroad assets, scouting missions and fighting guerilla forces. Again, disease would be the primary cause of death. Any Union dead during this time period should be in known graves, as long as they were well marked, documented and preserved.
Things changed in the last four months of 1864. Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest led significant action against the Union troops and retook many of the towns in northern Alabama and southern Tennessee. Later, the Confederates led by General John Bell Hood battled in Columbia, Spring Hill and Thompson Station. Each resulted in the Union forces withdrawing from the battlefield and retreating north towards Franklin. For each battle, the Union dead would be buried by either the local residents or the Confederates in a mass grave. No one from the Union regiments would be there to identify the dead. Almost all would end up as unknown burials at Rose Hill. Later, all are moved to Stones River National Cemetery and reburied in the left side of Sections A and B and on the right side of Sections H and J.
Franklin
Section I, the “Franklin Section”, is a stark example of soldier identification. The four columns of burials on the left side are all identified graves. All have dates of death in the time period prior to the Battle of Franklin. Again, they died while protecting the railroad assets or from disease while occupying Franklin.
When the bloody Battle of Franklin occurred the evening of November 30, 1864, the Union forces fought hard until they finally withdrew from the battlefield overnight. They lost nearly four hundred soldiers before their retreat. The remains are placed in mass graves by the residents and the Confederates. No one was left to identify them.
An oddity does occur in the Franklin Section. Of the twelve named soldiers with a date of death of November 30, 1864 (the date of the Battle of Franklin), eight are from the Ohio 111th Regiment. This unit was at the forefront of the battle to the west of the Carter house. Of the many soldiers who died during the battle, why was this one regiment able to have soldiers placed in marked graves? Were captured soldiers made to bury their own comrades? Did the soldiers mark their identification on their uniforms and a resident then buried them in marked graves? We will never know why but they are the lucky ones to have names on headstones.
Stones River Battlefield
Although the National Cemetery contains 2303 unknown graves, only 803 are from the Battle of Stones River. An additional 1159 are identified remains from the battle. Although 41% unknowns is a high amount, compare this to Shiloh National Cemetery which contains the Union remains from the Battle of Shiloh and other action along the Tennessee River. At Shiloh, there are 3485 graves and 2359 unknowns, a rate of about 67% unknowns. Although both battles had a large number of casualties, why is there such a large difference in the percentage of unknowns?
It is not surprising to have a large number of unknown Union soldiers considering the large and rapid advance by the Confederates in the morning hours of December 31, 1862. The Union casualty rate was exceptionally high as the Confederates moved through the collapsing lines of defense.
But the factors of identification start to come into play as the battle progresses and in the events in the days and weeks afterwards. Consider the following:
Unfortunately, even with all of these positive factors, unknowns still occurred. Mass graves did happen eliminating the possibility of specific matching of names and bodies. Bodies were harmed beyond recognition. Uniform coats were taken by Confederate troops for warmth taking pinned name tags with them. Local residents and Confederate work details did bury bodies, especially in the relative calm of January 1st.
Murfreesboro
Sections M and O are almost totally burials from Murfreesboro. Pockets of Murfreesboro burials are found in other sections, like in Sections E and F. Although Murfreesboro represents almost the largest group of burials, it has the fewest number of unknown soldiers. Although many soldiers died in the town, almost all of them died from disease or wounds over the three years the Union occupied Murfreesboro. If a soldier is hospitalized, the medical staff normally know who they are treating. The regiments are also keeping track of the soldiers while being treated. If the soldier dies, burial is done in either a local cemetery or a graveyard at the temporary hospital. As long as the graves are properly marked and mapped, most of the bodies will be identified when moved to the National Cemetery.
Some unknowns do occur if the body is buried in a mass grave, especially after a battle or in a rush to prevent the spread of disease, like smallpox. Some of the graveyards at field hospitals were not properly mapped or the documentation was not preserved. If a wooden marker was used to identify the burial, the wood plank was subject to rot and deterioration. Although hospital staff may have known who was buried in the graveyard, they couldn’t say which name was associated with a specific grave.
Considering all of the factors for identifying the deceased, the lack of a large-scale battle ends up resulting in a low number of unknowns.
Other Locations
The next smallest group of unknowns is the catch-all of the burials from all the other locations. When the National Cemetery was established, the orders were to retrieve all the Union dead from the towns surrounding the railroad from La Vergne to Cowan, TN. This would include troops that died during the Battle of Tullahoma as well as skirmishes protecting the railroad. It also would include those soldiers garrisoned in the railroad towns to protect the line that would die from disease.
The Tullahoma Campaign resulted in 83 Union dead, many in the remote gaps in the ridges around Murfreesboro. As the Union forces advanced against the Confederates, they most likely did not remain to bury their dead. This duty would be left to the local residents and would most likely result in unknown burials and mass graves. Only 18 known burials had a date of death during the Tullahoma Campaign. For those dying of illness, the burials in local cemeteries and graveyards should result in known burials as long as the individual graves were properly marked, mapped and preserved. Any burials in mass graves diminishes the chance of having an identifiable burial at the National Cemetery.
Rose Hill
Rose Hill was designated as the depository for all Union dead in the towns near the railroad south of Nashville. Most of these towns were Union occupied for many years with actions limited to protecting the railroad assets, scouting missions and fighting guerilla forces. Again, disease would be the primary cause of death. Any Union dead during this time period should be in known graves, as long as they were well marked, documented and preserved.
Things changed in the last four months of 1864. Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest led significant action against the Union troops and retook many of the towns in northern Alabama and southern Tennessee. Later, the Confederates led by General John Bell Hood battled in Columbia, Spring Hill and Thompson Station. Each resulted in the Union forces withdrawing from the battlefield and retreating north towards Franklin. For each battle, the Union dead would be buried by either the local residents or the Confederates in a mass grave. No one from the Union regiments would be there to identify the dead. Almost all would end up as unknown burials at Rose Hill. Later, all are moved to Stones River National Cemetery and reburied in the left side of Sections A and B and on the right side of Sections H and J.
Franklin
Section I, the “Franklin Section”, is a stark example of soldier identification. The four columns of burials on the left side are all identified graves. All have dates of death in the time period prior to the Battle of Franklin. Again, they died while protecting the railroad assets or from disease while occupying Franklin.
When the bloody Battle of Franklin occurred the evening of November 30, 1864, the Union forces fought hard until they finally withdrew from the battlefield overnight. They lost nearly four hundred soldiers before their retreat. The remains are placed in mass graves by the residents and the Confederates. No one was left to identify them.
An oddity does occur in the Franklin Section. Of the twelve named soldiers with a date of death of November 30, 1864 (the date of the Battle of Franklin), eight are from the Ohio 111th Regiment. This unit was at the forefront of the battle to the west of the Carter house. Of the many soldiers who died during the battle, why was this one regiment able to have soldiers placed in marked graves? Were captured soldiers made to bury their own comrades? Did the soldiers mark their identification on their uniforms and a resident then buried them in marked graves? We will never know why but they are the lucky ones to have names on headstones.
Stones River Battlefield
Although the National Cemetery contains 2303 unknown graves, only 803 are from the Battle of Stones River. An additional 1159 are identified remains from the battle. Although 41% unknowns is a high amount, compare this to Shiloh National Cemetery which contains the Union remains from the Battle of Shiloh and other action along the Tennessee River. At Shiloh, there are 3485 graves and 2359 unknowns, a rate of about 67% unknowns. Although both battles had a large number of casualties, why is there such a large difference in the percentage of unknowns?
It is not surprising to have a large number of unknown Union soldiers considering the large and rapid advance by the Confederates in the morning hours of December 31, 1862. The Union casualty rate was exceptionally high as the Confederates moved through the collapsing lines of defense.
But the factors of identification start to come into play as the battle progresses and in the events in the days and weeks afterwards. Consider the following:
- The rapid Confederate advance left many Union dead far behind the enemy lines by the end of the first day. The deceased wasn’t laying around near the Confederate soldiers so there wasn’t a desperate need to use resources to find and bury enemy soldiers one to two miles away from their current position.
- The rocky land made it very difficult to create a mass grave.
- The three-day battle results in a Union victory and a Confederate retreat.
- The Union takes three additional days to secure Murfreesboro and make sure that the Confederate forces had truly retreated and were not considering a counter-offensive.
- It was the middle of winter with cold weather preserving bodies while limiting activities of scavengers.
- General William Rosecrans decides he needs a forward supply depot and wants to build it in Murfreesboro. This decision means he will not pursue the Confederates pressing them further to the south towards Chattanooga.
- On January 6, 1863, units are given permission to retrace their steps through the battlefield to find dead and wounded comrades.
- Many dead are identified by members of their own regiments and buried in single well marked graves.
- These graves are well documented by the regiments’ chaplains in so-called “ghoul maps”. These maps are specific as to location, names and units. The maps are consolidated by topographers and preserved.
- Chaplain William Earnshaw is provided the ghoul maps to locate battlefield burials.
- The workers from the 111th Regiment U.S.C.T. are able to locate all but less than twenty bodies when the National Cemetery is created.
Unfortunately, even with all of these positive factors, unknowns still occurred. Mass graves did happen eliminating the possibility of specific matching of names and bodies. Bodies were harmed beyond recognition. Uniform coats were taken by Confederate troops for warmth taking pinned name tags with them. Local residents and Confederate work details did bury bodies, especially in the relative calm of January 1st.