The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-04-17
SARGE PLUNKETT
Trying to Find the Friends of Dead
Confederate Soldier.
atlanta Constitution.


near Panthersville thirty-one years
ago.
1t is natural that the approach Of
Memorial Day should stir UP the mem
cries of the war. The people Of my
settlement have pet grave in lonely
wood that is always remembered upon
this occasion. OF course, the poets
are the most enthusiastic over this
grave, and [ have received many verses
about it.
The story Of this lone grave may
not be of so much interest to the gen
eral public, but there is somewhere
somebody that holds in happy remem-
brance the soldier that sleeps so peace
fully there.
In the month Of August, 1864, Sher-
man, with his army, laid siege to the
city of Atlanta. Bands Of the invad
ing army made excursions into the
surrounding country to gather what
ever they could find Of the substance
of the country people. 1t was almost
an every day occurrence for these
cruel foraging parties to make their
appearance in the County Of DeKalb.
They were terror, and no opposition
had ever been offered them until the
heroes of this story organized and
gave them welcome whenever the op-
portunity presented itself. At the
time a conyalescent camp of Confed-
crates was established at Flat Shoals,
on South river. It was from these con-
valescent soldiers that little band Of
volunteers was raised to watch and
meet these foragers. Upon hot day
in August, 1864, the news spread that
a band of these foragers, more heart
less than ever before and stronger than
usual, were stripping the women and
children of the little they had and
making themselves terror to the
Confederates found. This volunteer
band of convalescent Confederates was
soon upon the warpath, determined to
create dread upon the foragers. The
Confederates left the shoals and for
two days they dogged the forages be-
fore the final fight came on in which
the soldier of this lone grave gave up
his life. The Confederates hadgrown
into regiment Of about thousand
strong by receiving into their ranks
any who were disposed to join in their
line Of march. There were two regi-
ments of yankee cavalry upon the
other side and the wagoners that were
turned into soldiers in an emergency.
The fight was at last brought on by
the Confederates making a dash into
the wagon train. The yankees we're
we'll ofhcered, and as hot fight ensu-
ed as was ever seen by such number.
In this fight the soldier Of this lone
grave was killed, and it is easy to see
how his friends have never known of
his fate. Perhaps there was not a
man that he knew among the whole
command of his convalescentregiment,
and thus, somewhere, he is remember
ed only as the soldier that never re-
turned, and has been mourned for by
some dear ones whose hearts may be
cheered by knowing Of these circum.
stances. OF course, many were killed
and wounded upon both sides, but
this soldier having fallen in thick
cluster of pines was left where he fell
under the pines that have grown and
that still sigh above his lonely grave.
Mr.. A. G. Tuggle, now very old man,
was the gentleman that buried this
soldier and he can best tell of the
burial in his own way.
eyes" said Mr.. Tuggle, when ap-
preached upon the subject, 81 well
remember the visits Of the foraging
parties from the army around Atlanta,
and I we'll remember the battle in
which this lone soldier lost his life.
Late one afternoon, upon the day Of
the fight, DR.. 81. j. Fowler came to
my house and informed me that
Confederate soldier had been left un-
buried in the skirt Of woods where the
fight occurred. I at once jumped in
an effort to give the soldier the most
decent burial that the circumstances
would admit Of. Being somewhat of
a carpenter, 1 went to work upon lum-
Der that I had and made a rough plank
coffin. It was late at night before the
coffin was completed; then I procured
the services Of John Fl. Crowley, then
a small boy, together with the assist
ance of an old negro man, and with
the coffin upon our shoulders we start
ed out to find the dead man. We had
no trouble in finding the soldier, as
the place where he lay had been so
we'll described to US by DR.. Fowler.
The times were troublous, we lived in
dread of yankee scouting parties, and
so the burial was performed hastily
and as quietly as possible. We dug
the grave right beside the dead man
so that we would have no trouble in
lifting the corpse. Wrapping his
blanket around him, pulling the cape
of his gray cloak over his face and
putting his cartridge box under his
head for pillow, we lowered him into
the grave. The work was hastily per-
formed and roughly, and we had moth
ing but the moon and stars for a
light"
This is the simple story Of this lone
grave. Mr.. Tuggle was thoughtful
enough to secure all the evidence of
the soldiers identity that could be
had under the circumstances. Ills
name, as learned from a small Testa-
ment he carried, was j. B. Wheeler,
of the Fourth Georgia cavalry regi-
ment. This was all the information
that has ever been found. He was
shot through the head and must have
died instantly. The ball entered just
above the right eye, passing out just
above the left ear.
Thirty-one years have passed since
this soldier fell, and perhaps through
all these years there has been some
one, somewhere, living in sad sus-
pense over the fate of his never having
returned to his home. If there be any
loved ones still living that will feel
cheered over the information here
given, the object of the writer is ac-
complished. Mr.. Tuggle feels especi-
ally anxious that the friends Cf this
soldier should learn these circumstan-
ces, and in case removal of the body
was desired he will lend any assistance