AL Civil War Soldier Buried in my front yard...

Viper21

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Found this interesting, thought others might as well.


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Lt. Andrew Jackson Buttram, The Last Confederate Casualty in the War Between the States: In April 1865, the South was just about overrun. Still, brave defenders stood up to the invader and defended their country, their states and their communities. Lt. Andrew Jackson Buttram, the defender of Munford, was one such man. Lt. Buttram and a contingent of 500 citizens, invalids, and home guards faced a hostile invader numbering approximately 2500. The defenders didn't have much hope but stand they did! During the short battle, Lt. Buttram and two invaders were killed. It is not known how many were wounded. The dead were buried where they fell. After the war, the invaders were disinterred and carried home. Lt. Buttram remained in his wartime grave. Much later, the soldiers who served with him and members of the community erected a monument to Buttram. The monument stood as his headstone until 1972 when it was, for some unknown reason, moved across the street. Now Lt. Buttram's grave is unmarked and lies in the front yard of a private residence. The Town of Munford and the Samuel C. Kelly SCV Camp 454, are working together to finally give Lt. Buttram the funeral he deserves. The University of Alabama Archaeology Department will disinter Lt. Buttram from his now unmarked grave and he will be given a full Confederate Military Funeral when he is reburied at the foot of the monument honoring his sacrifice. April 17-18, 2020, rain or shine.

 
155 years under the ground with no coffin...

From the Facebook page Lieutenant Andrew Jackson Buttram Funeral-

"Yesterday was a day of days! As a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, I have over the years been afforded many opportunities to engage in my true passion, the preservation of history. But nothing will ever compare with yesterday when we found the grave of Lt. Andrew Jackson Buttram the last Confederate casualty in Alabama and east of the Mississippi. It was an honor I cannot describe.

The general location of Lt. Buttrams grave was known but the exact location had been lost over time. His grave, in the front yard of a private residence, had no visible marker. His monument, which was his original headstone, had been moved across the street because it had become too close to a road that was not there when it was placed. Our great fear, after over 150 years, was that Lt. Buttram had literally returned to the earth and nothing would be there. After several tense hours of looking, we found him! He was still there! His grave was terribly close to the road with his feet resting just under the edge of a drainage ditch!

The good citizens of Munford, the community he died defending, had buried him honorably, (no coffin) facing east with his arms crossed across his chest. He was originally buried about two feet deep but over the years his grave became deeper because of overfill. He was wearing a uniform and those buttons were recovered. He was wearing his boots and spurs, there were tiny remains of the leather but the spurs were deteriorated beyond recovery. Most amazingly, the legend of his demise was proven to be true. He was shot in the hip, the bullet hit the femoral artery and he had no chance. He died and was buried where he fell. And yes, the bullet was still there. All that was recovered Will BE REBURIED with him. All of his remains were recovered and now temporarily reside at a local funeral home.

Join us as we reunite Lt. Buttram with his monument and give him a proper final resting place and a full Confederate Military funeral, Saturday, April 18, 2020, Munford, Alabama."
 
Found this interesting, thought others might as well.


View attachment 348995


Lt. Andrew Jackson Buttram, The Last Confederate Casualty in the War Between the States: In April 1865, the South was just about overrun. Still, brave defenders stood up to the invader and defended their country, their states and their communities. Lt. Andrew Jackson Buttram, the defender of Munford, was one such man. Lt. Buttram and a contingent of 500 citizens, invalids, and home guards faced a hostile invader numbering approximately 2500. The defenders didn't have much hope but stand they did! During the short battle, Lt. Buttram and two invaders were killed. It is not known how many were wounded. The dead were buried where they fell. After the war, the invaders were disinterred and carried home. Lt. Buttram remained in his wartime grave. Much later, the soldiers who served with him and members of the community erected a monument to Buttram. The monument stood as his headstone until 1972 when it was, for some unknown reason, moved across the street. Now Lt. Buttram's grave is unmarked and lies in the front yard of a private residence. The Town of Munford and the Samuel C. Kelly SCV Camp 454, are working together to finally give Lt. Buttram the funeral he deserves. The University of Alabama Archaeology Department will disinter Lt. Buttram from his now unmarked grave and he will be given a full Confederate Military Funeral when he is reburied at the foot of the monument honoring his sacrifice. April 17-18, 2020, rain or shine.

This is the Most AMAZING Story/ news ive yet to see!
Found this interesting, thought others might as well.


View attachment 348995


Lt. Andrew Jackson Buttram, The Last Confederate Casualty in the War Between the States: In April 1865, the South was just about overrun. Still, brave defenders stood up to the invader and defended their country, their states and their communities. Lt. Andrew Jackson Buttram, the defender of Munford, was one such man. Lt. Buttram and a contingent of 500 citizens, invalids, and home guards faced a hostile invader numbering approximately 2500. The defenders didn't have much hope but stand they did! During the short battle, Lt. Buttram and two invaders were killed. It is not known how many were wounded. The dead were buried where they fell. After the war, the invaders were disinterred and carried home. Lt. Buttram remained in his wartime grave. Much later, the soldiers who served with him and members of the community erected a monument to Buttram. The monument stood as his headstone until 1972 when it was, for some unknown reason, moved across the street. Now Lt. Buttram's grave is unmarked and lies in the front yard of a private residence. The Town of Munford and the Samuel C. Kelly SCV Camp 454, are working together to finally give Lt. Buttram the funeral he deserves. The University of Alabama Archaeology Department will disinter Lt. Buttram from his now unmarked grave and he will be given a full Confederate Military Funeral when he is reburied at the foot of the monument honoring his sacrifice. April 17-18, 2020, rain or shine.

Thank Yall for posting This news story! This is an Amazing post!!
 
This is the Most AMAZING Story/ news ive yet to see!

Thank Yall for posting This news story! This is an Amazing post!!
I'm glad you like it. I thought it was a pretty cool story myself. Was hoping others would appreciate it, as well.

Wish I lived closer. I'd go to the service next month.
 
I'm glad you like it. I thought it was a pretty cool story myself. Was hoping others would appreciate it, as well.

Wish I lived closer. I'd go to the service next month.
Absolutely Viper!! now how often do yall hear of something as Historical as this!! altho i didnt know what to think of the mayor when she said she didnt know anything of it i would think having a historical site as such you would know at least something at least thats the impression when she spoke... Thanks ! its great! very Much Appreciated!
 
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Absolutely Viper!! now how often do yall hear of something as Historical as this!! altho i didnt know what to think of the mayor when she said she didnt know anything of it i would think having a historical site as such you would KNOW at least something Ahaion Thanks ! its great! very Much Appreciated!
The mayor had her vision set on the future of the town, budgets, attractions, etc. She seemed really level-headed to me, and I believe she knew somewhat more, but why take the role of what their own profession offers, expertly. A very touching performance of southern grace.
Lubliner.
 
155 years under the ground with no coffin...

From the Facebook page Lieutenant Andrew Jackson Buttram Funeral-

"Yesterday was a day of days! As a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, I have over the years been afforded many opportunities to engage in my true passion, the preservation of history. But nothing will ever compare with yesterday when we found the grave of Lt. Andrew Jackson Buttram the last Confederate casualty in Alabama and east of the Mississippi. It was an honor I cannot describe.

The general location of Lt. Buttrams grave was known but the exact location had been lost over time. His grave, in the front yard of a private residence, had no visible marker. His monument, which was his original headstone, had been moved across the street because it had become too close to a road that was not there when it was placed. Our great fear, after over 150 years, was that Lt. Buttram had literally returned to the earth and nothing would be there. After several tense hours of looking, we found him! He was still there! His grave was terribly close to the road with his feet resting just under the edge of a drainage ditch!

The good citizens of Munford, the community he died defending, had buried him honorably, (no coffin) facing east with his arms crossed across his chest. He was originally buried about two feet deep but over the years his grave became deeper because of overfill. He was wearing a uniform and those buttons were recovered. He was wearing his boots and spurs, there were tiny remains of the leather but the spurs were deteriorated beyond recovery. Most amazingly, the legend of his demise was proven to be true. He was shot in the hip, the bullet hit the femoral artery and he had no chance. He died and was buried where he fell. And yes, the bullet was still there. All that was recovered Will BE REBURIED with him. All of his remains were recovered and now temporarily reside at a local funeral home.

Join us as we reunite Lt. Buttram with his monument and give him a proper final resting place and a full Confederate Military funeral, Saturday, April 18, 2020, Munford, Alabama."
19thGeorgia I commend you on this posting the above!
It stated the historical facts, without name-calling, and vitriol of "invaders", "hostile invader"...it makes the story so interesting one wants to dig more into the history of this event!
Nicely done. :thumbsup:

Kevin Dally
 
19thGeorgia I commend you on this posting the above!
It stated the historical facts, without name-calling, and vitriol of "invaders", "hostile invader"...it makes the story so interesting one wants to dig more into the history of this event!
Nicely done. :thumbsup:

Kevin Dally
I agree. Looking further than just this story, it makes me wonder, how many more of similar circumstances are there..?

Even beyond that, how many more soldiers from the war are hidden in neighborhoods, unbeknownst to the current residents..? I would imagine plenty. Though most will never be found.
 
19thGeorgia I commend you on this posting the above!
It stated the historical facts, without name-calling, and vitriol of "invaders", "hostile invader"...it makes the story so interesting one wants to dig more into the history of this event!
Nicely done. :thumbsup:

Kevin Dally
Kevin - I understand what you are saying, but we need to remember that from Lt Buttram's viewpoint, that's what they were.
 
Kevin - I understand what you are saying, but we need to remember that from Lt Buttram's viewpoint, that's what they were.
A lot of the southern viewpoints back then were flat out wrong. Following those erroneous viewpoints cost the whole Country dearly. I hope we have learned from that.
But, I see everyday many pro southern folk still carry those same wrong viewpoints. Time will eventually rid us of those.

Kevin Dally
 
A lot of the southern viewpoints back then were flat out wrong. Following those erroneous viewpoints cost the whole Country dearly. I hope we have learned from that.
But, I see everyday many pro southern folk still carry those same wrong viewpoints. Time will eventually rid us of those.

Kevin Dally
Well - that's all according to your point of view.
 
Even beyond that, how many more soldiers from the war are hidden in neighborhoods, unbeknownst to the current residents..? I would imagine plenty. Though most will never be found.

Plenty - I'm reading a diary right now that travels from West Virginia down to Alabama. And a lot of it isn't even fighting - just sickness and accident. They buried one poor Union soldier on a lonely hill top in West Virginia in a lone grave from accident. And they just got to a battlefield, a few days after the battle. The CSA soldiers are already buried, well out on scrub land with wooden stakes marking the graves. One grave, away from the others has a felt hat on the stake. There's no gloating here. The major says, in a year the heavy vegetation will over grow these poor graves and they will be lost to anyone trying to find them. There were about 30 he counted in the bush. Imagine the lone ones, like the one he to dig for the accident victim in West Virginia. There must be 100s of those if not 1000s that were never marked and no one knows.

I imagine a lot of these places are now developed or are fields for pasturage or roads. The mounds, stakes, markers long gone with the elements and the bones turned to dust.
 
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