Battlefield dead

[Tompre]

As late as 1980 remains were found where Wisconsin Ave joins Confederate Ave, as the intersection there was being enlarged.

 

[Vicksburger]

View attachment 110444 As late as 1980 remains were found where Wisconsin Ave joins Confederate Ave, as the intersection there was being enlarged.

I have always wondered about this issue, frankly the chaos of battle would have resulted, especially on May 22, in a lot of battle field burials I suspect. Do you know of any around the Jewish Cemetery/ 2nd Texas Lunette area?

 

[Tompre]

I have always wondered about this issue, frankly the chaos of battle would have resulted, especially on May 22, in a lot of battle field burials I suspect. Do you know of any around the Jewish Cemetery/ 2nd Texas Lunette area?

There was a Union soldier found by the CCC men in 1939. He was on a hillside close to the 2nd Texas Lunette. And behind the Lunette,on the Confederate side, two officers were found by relic hunters in the 80s. They were appx 100-150 yards behind the Lunette,alongside what is now Grove street, but was Baldwins Ferry during the war, in a wooded area. A friend and I took what bones we could find out of the graves along with some of the dirt, and got a local undertaker and the reenactment group that I was a member of then, and reinterred them. And got a couple of unknown Confederate headstones for them.

 

[Vicksburger]

There was a Union soldier found by the CCC men in 1939. He was on a hillside close to the 2nd Texas Lunette. And behind the Lunette,on the Confederate side, two officers were found by relic hunters in the 80s. They were appx 100-150 yards behind the Lunette,alongside what is now Grove street, but was Baldwins Ferry during the war, in a wooded area. A friend and I took what bones we could find out of the graves along with some of the dirt, and got a local undertaker and the reenactment group that I was a member of then, and reinterred them. And got a couple of unknown Confederate headstones for them.

That is great that they got at least an honorable funeral at last.
Say, I don't know if I asked you already, but do you know of any rifle pits or trenches that are on the "other" side of the "road" ( the old Baldwin's Ferry road that runs beside the Jewish Cemetery)? When I looked the last time I was there (in 2012), it looked all grown up in brush, and I didn't see any mowed paths. But from what I can find on the 'net, there should be a 37th Alabama/ 2nd Texas line marker somewhere out there. But I was wondering if there were any discernible things like a depressed area where the Confederate line was on May 22? (That was where my ancestor would have died, if Ed Bearss's map is correct for location of Company K, 2nd Texas. We don't know if he was buried on the field or in the city cemetery)

 

[Tompre]

That is great that they got at least an honorable funeral at last.
Say, I don't know if I asked you already, but do you know of any rifle pits or trenches that are on the "other" side of the "road" ( the old Baldwin's Ferry road that runs beside the Jewish Cemetery)? When I looked the last time I was there (in 2012), it looked all grown up in brush, and I didn't see any mowed paths. But from what I can find on the 'net, there should be a 37th Alabama/ 2nd Texas line marker somewhere out there. But I was wondering if there were any discernible things like a depressed area where the Confederate line was on May 22? (That was where my ancestor would have died, if Ed Bearss's map is correct for location of Company K, 2nd Texas. We don't know if he was buried on the field or in the city cemetery)

There is some marked trenches there. I haven't looked lately,but they did keep the area around the markers open. Have you ever read William Lovelace Foster's book; Vicksburg, Southern City Under Siege. He was in the 35th Ms,which was in the same brigade as the 2nd Texas. He was a Chaplin who served in the hospital behind the Brigade. The soldiers that we relocated were in the vicinity of this hospital. He stated that the area around the hospital was covered with graves. Most of the burials in the City Cemetery were done after 1866, prior to that time the bodies lay where they were hastily buried.

 

[Vicksburger]

There is some marked trenches there. I haven't looked lately,but they did keep the area around the markers open. Have you ever read William Lovelace Foster's book; Vicksburg, Southern City Under Siege. He was in the 35th Ms,which was in the same brigade as the 2nd Texas. He was a Chaplin who served in the hospital behind the Brigade. The soldiers that we relocated were in the vicinity of this hospital. He stated that the area around the hospital was covered with graves. Most of the burials in the City Cemetery were done after 1866, prior to that time the bodies lay where they were hastily buried.

Interesting, thank you for the information. I have read Lovelace's book, but will look at it again for any details, I may not have thought of the two regiments being in the same brigade. Interestingly, Maurice Simons (Brigade Commissary) recorded in his diary the event ( he says a cannon exploded), and all the boys killed or injured were from his home area, Texana, Texas, and he knew them all of course well. But he never said anything in the diary about where he was buried. My dad says since his brother was right there, he would have had a proper burial in the city cemetery, but it may be a romantic notion and not reality. It was pretty hectic I assume on May 22.
Do you know where exactly the brigade hospital was?

 

[Tompre]

Interesting, thank you for the information. I have read Lovelace's book, but will look at it again for any details, I may not have thought of the two regiments being in the same brigade. Interestingly, Maurice Simons (Brigade Commissary) recorded in his diary the event ( he says a cannon exploded), and all the boys killed or injured were from his home area, Texana, Texas, and he knew them all of course well. But he never said anything in the diary about where he was buried. My dad says since his brother was right there, he would have had a proper burial in the city cemetery, but it may be a romantic notion and not reality. It was pretty hectic I assume on May 22.
Do you know where exactly the brigade hospital was?

it was on the ridge that Mission 66 now runs on, in the area of Clay and Grove Street. Lovelace comments that the hospital was at the limit of the 13 inch Mortar shells that the Union Navy was firing at the main Confederate ammo dump. The ammo dump was in the hill where the old Mercy hospital was located, it is an empty building now. The area along Mission 66 is littered with mortar fragments. The dump was just beyond this ridge, but out of range of the mortars.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

The ammo dump was in the hill where the old Mercy hospital was located, it is an empty building now. The area along Mission 66 is littered with mortar fragments. The dump was just beyond this ridge, but out of range of the mortars.

That is interesting.

Many years ago, an older gentleman gave me a few rusty pieces of iron that he said were from the siege.

"Parts of an exploded canon ball I think" . . . he said.

The gentleman then told me that he had found "a bunch of em" when they were clearing the land for Mercy Hospital during the 1950s.

 

[Tompre]

Samuel Lockett had the depth of a few holes measured where 13 inch balls hit the ground without exploding. They varied from 18-20 feet deep. The East side of Mission 66 in this area has got to hold a number of unexploded shells. The only way these things are found are by grading an area.

 

[Tompre]

I

That is interesting.

Many years ago, an older gentleman gave me a few rusty pieces of iron that he said were from the siege.

"Parts of an exploded canon ball I think" . . . he said. The gentleman then told me that he had found "a bunch of em" when they were clearing the land for Mercy Hospital during the 1950s.

have often wondered if anything is left where the dump was. It was in the front of the hill below the hospital emergency room.

 

[Tompre]

Interesting, thank you for the information. I have read Lovelace's book, but will look at it again for any details, I may not have thought of the two regiments being in the same brigade. Interestingly, Maurice Simons (Brigade Commissary) recorded in his diary the event ( he says a cannon exploded), and all the boys killed or injured were from his home area, Texana, Texas, and he knew them all of course well. But he never said anything in the diary about where he was buried. My dad says since his brother was right there, he would have had a proper burial in the city cemetery, but it may be a romantic notion and not reality. It was pretty hectic I assume on May 22.
Do you know where exactly the brigade hospital was?

If he was fortunate enough to be buried in the City Cemetery when he was killed,, his grave most likely would have been just inside the first gate, on the left of the road.

 

[Vicksburger]

If he was fortunate enough to be buried in the City Cemetery when he was killed,, his grave most likely would have been just inside the first gate, on the left of the road.

It would seem that the Brigade Hospital, if it is along Mission 66, would be pretty far from the Lunette area, if I am thinking clearly? Was there a hospital closer than that? Like a regiment hospital? Is the Brigade Hospital or any temporary hospitals shown on the map at the VNMP? I looked at Foster's book and he said the Brigade hospital was Hospital No. 1, situated about a quarter of a mile behind our lines. Then he talks about a building where the sick remained, and cooking done, was located on a high hill, "a beautiful residence" Anything more known about this, like whose house it was, etc.?

 

[Vicksburger]

If he was fortunate enough to be buried in the City Cemetery when he was killed,, his grave most likely would have been just inside the first gate, on the left of the road.

Actually, Tompre, I think I just found the location you refer to, of the old Mercy Hospital, and it is not that far from the Lunette area, so it makes sense now. So if I understand correctly, the Brigade Hospital was somewhere near the ammo dump, which was on the hill where the old Mercy Hospital is now? Or am I confused? Also, am I correct in understanding that the soldiers that were uncovered by relic hunters, and re-interred, were near this location, (Mercy Hospital)?

 

[Tompre]

Actually, Tompre, I think I just found the location you refer to, of the old Mercy Hospital, and it is not that far from the Lunette area, so it makes sense now. So if I understand correctly, the Brigade Hospital was somewhere near the ammo dump, which was on the hill where the old Mercy Hospital is now? Or am I confused? Also, am I correct in understanding that the soldiers that were uncovered by relic hunters, and re-interred, were near this location, (Mercy Hospital)?

I am enclosing a google image. The old Mercy Hospital complex is shown in between McAuley and Hildegarde. The soldiers graves were on a finger ridge just across Hildegarde Terrace, from the Mercy Hospital. There was once a very high hill
In the vicinity of Buck and Pierce Streets. I believe the Brigade hospital sat on this hill. I do not know who the house belonged to. But as you can see, it was in a direct line of fire for the mortar boats, who were firing at the ammo dump. I will take some pictures of the area.

 

[CheathamHill]

Great photo! Had never seen it before. No doubt hundreds if not thousands of unknown and unaccounted for Civil War dead lay underneath our feet at any given point on Civil War battlefield parks or built over sites.

 

[Vicksburger]

I am enclosing a google image. The old Mercy Hospital complex is shown in between McAuley and Hildegarde. The soldiers graves were on a finger ridge just across Hildegarde Terrace, from the Mercy Hospital. There was once a very high hill
In the vicinity of Buck and Pierce Streets. I believe the Brigade hospital sat on this hill. I do not know who the house belonged to. But as you can see, it was in a direct line of fire for the mortar boats, who were firing at the ammo dump. I will take some pictures of the area. View attachment 110864

Thanks again! It is weird to think these people living in this residential neighborhood may have civil war soldiers buried in their yard!