In
the best of circumstances, that pain can be galvanized into action
that may serve the greater good.
Circumstances, then, must have been good in Stewart County over the
past 100 years or so - or maybe it's the people who have been good,
for out of the loss of friends and family members during the Civil War
have come objects and events that have served not to divide, but to
bring folks together. On April 19 in Dover, two such events occurred,
both centered on objects symbolic of love, courage, honor and loss.
In the morning, some 60 people turned out for the dedication of a monument in the Dover City Cemetery. Placed at the site of a mass grave, the monument honors the men of Gen. John A. Wharton's Brigade who fought with Nathan Bedford Forrest in the February, 1863, Battle of Dover.
In the afternoon,
over 75 people from a number of states gathered in Fort Donelson for a
Confederate Memorial Day Service and to celebrate the 75th anniversary
of the dedication of the Confederate monument.
During the Civil War, the union soldiers were by and large buried in
the National Cemetery established following the February 1862 Battle
of Fort Donelson.
Confederate soldiers with no one to claim their bodies were buried in mass graves.
It was this that led to the dedication of the two monuments 75 years apart.
At the morning observance, which lasted about 45 minutes, Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp No. 249 Commander John Crutcher opened with introductions, and then the SCV's Steve Settle detailed how they found the grave.
He said that while reading the official reports from the Battle of Dover, it mentioned that 17 Confederates were killed at the old city cemetery fighting. This was corroborated by an entry in a union soldier's diary. The soldier mentioned digging a trench at the cemetery to bury them.
The SCV members then went to the cemetery and found a fairly large area with no marked graves that was surrounded by other, marked graves from the 1860s-1880s.
Unable to afford the expensive ground-penetrating radar, the Sons used the old but proven method of a witching rod, which identified an area of about eight by 35 feet.
This would correspond to the size needed to bury 17 men.
"Based on this and a scan of the area with metal detectors, which identified a closely spaced row of metal objects, we concluded that this was indeed the mass grave or trench mentioned in the Union soldier's diary account," Settle said.
Randy Rubel was on hand to talk about the history and the details of the seven-hour battle to re-take Dover to the crowd assembled.
Neal Mathis, who with his wife Ruth Mathis purchased the monument, spoke as well about their desire to help with the project.
The Mathises then removed the Confederate flag covering the monument.
Josephine Hill, President of the Tennessee Division UDC, offered her greetings as well, and Settle presented a message from Dr. Michael Bradley, Tennessee Division Commander of the SCV.
At the afternoon observance, Bagpiper Mark Austin played Loch
Lomond as a prelude, and Bonnie Crutcher, President of the Fort
Donelson united Daughters of the Confederacy chapter No. 1582 opened
the service.
Jane Link, UDC Chaplain, gave the Scripture reading from Psalms, and a
number of individuals offered formal greetings, including Josephine
Hill.
Hill, who had an ancestor killed at Fort Donelson, said she hoped that those who lost their lives here would not be forgotten.
SCV Camp #249 Commander John Crutcher said, "I hope we always remember."
Fort Donelson national Battlefield Ranger William "Buzz" Bazar offered greetings on behalf of the National Park Service and Superintendent Steve McCoy. He enjoined those assembled to remember that we still have men and women giving their all in foreign countries.
Stewart County Chamber of Commerce Director Terry Crutcher spoke on the significance of the monument, pointing out that the average age of those fighting was 17; they were mere boys who wanted to be brave. "Many here will remain forever 16 or 17," he said. "They rest here, men who fought and died with honor." UDC Third Vice President Elaine Luton read the poem "Why," detailing why the Confederate flag is not a racist symbol but a part of the heritage of the people.
Austin Peay State University history professor Betty Joe Wallace was the keynote speaker.
She opened by saying that she has spent her life studying the past, and now she is worried about the death and destruction that seems to be signaling the future.
She said that the Union was unprepared for victory, and as a result, many wounded ultimately died, compounding the problem of what to do with the many dead. For the Confederates, mass graves were the solution for those bodies that could easily be located; many others were left in the woods and fields where their bones later were turned up. She credited the UDC for their diligence in securing the funds for the monument.
In 1914 the Tennessee Division UDC decided to petition the US government to have the Fort Donelson battlefield preserved and placed under the protection of the National Park Service. They also decided to start a monument project for Fort Donelson. The Fort Donelson chapter, which chartered in 1915, is a direct result of this project. It took a long time to raise the funds, but in 1933 the monument was dedicated to the memory of soldiers from Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina. Missouri and Texas who fought and died at Fort Donelson. Wallace closed by saying, "We need to remember so that we don't ever have it happen again."
John Crutcher led the crowd in singing Dixie, and then Nelma
Crutcher gave a history of the monument.
She stressed that the records indicate many of the donations were just
a few dollars, but the UDC was able to buy war bonds during World War
I, increasing their bank account.
A matching grant for the $3,500 they had raised was secured, and they were able to go to the Muldoon Monument Co. in Kentucky for the final design.
Two Stewart County residents who were present for the initial unveiling were on hand at the 75th anniversary: George W. Williams and Mary Ann Bruton Scurlock. Williams said that they should pay homage to the UDC both in the past and now, commenting that they accomplished their goal "in the teeth of the Depression." Flags from the seven states represented during the battle were presented, and nine wreaths were presented as well.
Those present were all given a chance to tell the names of their Confederate ancestors, and then Austin played Amazing Grace.
Rev. Don Bailey gave the benediction, closing by asking God to "grant us men and women as brave as those we honor today to defend our liberties." Walsh then closed the ceremony with Taps, a fitting ending for a solemn anniversary and remembrance. Randy Beeler, who attended with other members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans Mechanized Cavalry from Paducah, Ky., said his group enjoyed the service, and they plan to attend next year as well.