Page News & Courier
Heritage and Heraldry
A sad tale of two Civil War soldiers, Part 1
Article of May 4, 2000
Have you ever been far away from home and loved ones in a strange and different place? Some who have been in the military can relate to the anguish of a soldier or sailor who has made long deployments. Then too, perhaps you had or have a child or sibling who was far away and you wondered how and where they were. Now, with that in mind, for just a moment, try to recall the coldest of days this past winter. With all of these thoughts collected, proceed to a point back in time over 136 years ago during the middle of the Civil War. You are a soldier from the Carolinas, here in the Page Valley, having been on campaign for nearly 2 years away from your home. If you were lucky, you might have been able, at some point, to obtain a furlough home. Though an odd sort of heaven-sent blessing � perhaps you would become ill or wounded � not too seriously, but just enough to secure that furlough home to see family and loved ones, just one more time. Perhaps it would be the last time.
In the winter of 1862-1863, thoughts of home may have been weighing heavily on the minds of two men that were making their way through Page County with their units. Both would fall seriously ill and die in and around the area of Marksville. Both would be buried in unmarked graves in the Graves' Chapel cemetery � forgotten except by those that laid them in the cold, hard ground of winter � forgotten except by their families that probably continued to grieve and wonder what had become of them.
Today, these graves can be clearly seen from the sidewalk leading to the front of Graves' Chapel. Two depressions in the earth that have remained unmarked and silent testimony to the final resting spots of two Carolina soldiers for over 136 years.
As early as February 1898, the graves received attention in the Page Courier. The article read:
"Mr. John W. Keyser, the Marksville correspondent of The Courier writes us that there are two unmarked graves of Confederate soldiers in Graves' Chapel cemetery, near that place. He knew the men well, and while no marble shafts mark their last resting place, the little mounds have ever been kept green. Mr. Keyser desires to make public these facts in the hope that they may reach some of the relatives and friends of the dead soldiers."
Over eight years later, the graves made another formal appearance in the media. Frederick T. Amiss, commander of the newly formed Summers-Koontz Camp Sons of Confederate Veterans, submitted an article that appeared in the December 1906 issue of Confederate Veterans and made an appeal to all those that knew of any unidentified graves of Confederate soldiers in Page County. The graves of the two Carolinians topped the list.
It was nearly 25 year later before more detailing information was revealed about the two mysterious unmarked graves in the Graves' Chapel cemetery. According to an article written for the June 12, 1931 issue of the Page News & Courier, a Stanley correspondent (Hobson) had asked Mr. J. H. Coffman for the names of the two soldiers that were buried in the cemetery years before. Then a resident of Westmont, N.J., Coffman was only too happy to reply.
More to follow in the next article.
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