Union Burials in Eastern Kentucky - Lawrence County

This is the second post in a series dealing with Union burials in Eastern Kentucky. It focuses on burials in Lawrence County.

Throughout the years I have received numerous inquiries regarding the burial sites of Union soldiers who died in Eastern Kentucky during the Civil War. Contrary to popular (or logical) assumption the majority of these men are not resting in Kentucky soil but were taken to Indiana to be re-interred in the New Albany National Cemetery. For a detailed explanation, please read my introduction here.

Legend
NANC = New Albany National Cemetery
Sec. = Section
# ABC/XYZ = old/new site number in New Albany National Cemetery

Note: Burial numbers without any additional information indicate unknown soldiers.

Gordon Burgess Farm

Buried in Citizens Graveyard on Gordon Burges farm, 3 miles below Peach Orchard opposite George's Creek on a ridge 1/3 mile north of Big Sandy River. Died on George's Creek but taken to opposite side of River for burial. 350 yards north East of Mr. Burges House and 60 yds North of Sycamore tree ~ Head lying west.
Two brothers, belonged to the same Regiment and Company and died the same month. Were identified by Mr. Burges who was present at burial.

# 2369 James White, Private, Co. I, 39th KY, d. January 1, 1863. ~ NANC, Sec. B, # 992/1245

# 2370 P. White, Private, Co. I, 39th KY, d. January 6, 1863. ~ NANC, Sec. B, # 993/1246

John Borders Farm

(no map)

In citizens Graveyard on Squire John Border's land 2 Miles from Peach Orchard up the river. 1/3 mile from Big Sandy River. 140 paces East of road leading from Peach Orchard to Rock Castle Creek, on side Hill, 19 1/2 paces south of Dead white oak tree and 26 paces North of Beech tree.

# 2366 Joseph Adkins, Private, Co. E, 39th KY, d. April 5, 1863. Died at John Borders' house April 5, 1863 ~ information received from Mr. Borders. ~ NANC Sec. B, # 989/1242

J. W. Hawes Farm

Buried 2 Miles west of Louisa on J. W. Hawes' farm in an old field among some citizens graves, his child is buried on right side facing west, graves marked "C" in plat are Citizens. Apple tree 15 yards N. E. of grave.

# 2457 George Willis, Private, Co. F, 39th KY Inf., d. January 12, 1865. Was murdered at his house by some robbers ~ 1 mile North West from where he was buried. His family has since moved to Ohio ~ was identified by citizens who helped to bury him. ~ His child was buried on the right side of Willis' grave, facing west.
According to his service records, he was "Killed by Rebels."  Lieutenant Augustus Kendrick, Co. F, 39th Kentucky Infantry, stated that the command was just returning from a raid on Saltville, Virginia, and that while on the march, Willis was furloughed to come by his home. He was killed by "Gurillas" on the night of January 12, 1865. Colonel George W. Gallup (14th Kentucky Infantry) who, at the time, was commander of the Military District of Eastern Kentucky, stated that George Willis was killed in the line of duty. His house was approximately 1/2 mile from camp but still within the vidette line. Gallup, with a detachment of cavalry, went in pursuit of the guilty parties who were subsequently captured. ~ NANC Sec. A, # 16/16.

Peach Orchard

Peach Orchard, Lawrence Co. Ky. 20 miles above Louisa on East side of river ~ 900 feet North East of Peach Orchard, 12 feet South of Oak tree.

# 2367 Wm. Cavens, Private, Co. C, 14th Ky Inf. Head stone marked "W. C." was identified by Citizen who was present at funeral ~ NANC Sec. B, # 990/1243

86 feet South of above ~
# 2368 Recorded as John S. Sipples, Corporal, 39th KY Inf., d. Feb. 7, 1863. Head stone marked "E. J. S." ~ was identified by a Citizen who took care of him until death and was present at funeral. (According to regimental records, this was Florentine John Sipples, Corporal, 39th KY Inf., d. Feb. 7, 1863, Peach Orchard)  ~ NANC Sec. B, # 991/1244



Helpful Sources and Links

Union Burials in Eastern Kentucky - Louisa

Roll of honor; names of soldiers who died in defense of the American union, interred in the national [and other] cemeteries. 27 volumes. (Available on Hathi Trust Digital Library)

Burial Ledgers. The National Cemetery Administration, Washington, D.C. (Original records transferred to NARA: Burial Registers, compiled 1867-2006, documenting the period 1831-2006. ARC ID: 5928352. Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 1773–2007, Record Group 15. National Archives at Washington, D.C. (Available on Ancestry.com) 

Nationwide Gravesite Locator
National Cemetery Administration, US Department of Veterans Affairs

New Albany National Cemetery
New Albany, Indiana


Article researched and written by Marlitta H. Perkins, February 2018. Unauthorized use and/or duplication without express written notice by the author is strictly prohibited. 

Marlitta H. Perkins © 2018. All Rights Reserved

A Future President Comes to Visit!

One episode in the history of the Garred-Burgess House

The Garred-Burgess House, April 2004

On May 9, 2012, Lawrence County, as well as Eastern Kentucky lost an integral part of its history with the destruction of the Garred-Burgess House. Burned, bulldozed and torn down, with obviously little regard to its importance as a historic landmark, not a trace remains of the once stately home. A familiar sight for many generations of Eastern Kentuckians, it stood for nearly 170 years like a beacon on the Levisa Fork of Big Sandy River, near Patrick Gap in Lawrence County, Kentucky. The house had a rich history and served, among other things, as a hotel and maintained a reputation during the late nineteenth century "second to no other hostelry in the valley". Its final inhabitant was Dr. Francis Elam “Doc” Burgess, a much beloved local physician and poet.

And once upon a time, the Garred-Burgess House also sheltered a future president within its stone walls which is a little known fact.

In 1820, David and his wife Jennie (Graham) Garred, originally from Monroe County, Virginia, arrived in Kentucky and first moved to the falls of Tug River. The couple later settled on the property situated on the banks of the Levisa Fork and built a log house where they raised three sons and eight daughters. David Garrett died about 1838 and his wife in 1853. Both are buried in a stone vault above ground, located on top of the hill across the highway from the house. The entrance is of Vermont marble which was shipped to Kentucky from New Orleans by boat up the Mississippi, by push boat up the Big Sandy, and ox team up the hill. It was the first stone vault in the Big Sandy Valley, and could be seen two miles up and down the river - steamboat captains used it as a landmark.

After the death of their father, sons Ulysses and David W., continued to live with their mother in the log house, and began construction of the stone house. Built by slave labor, the native sandstone was brought by ox team from a quarry site one mile distant. The two Garred brothers later divided the farm and property. Ulysses retained the stone house and surrounding lands, while David W. received the adjacent property to the south where he built a two-story frame house.

Eastern Kentucky historian William Ely noted in 1887 that Ulysses Garred, "has been ranked as one of the foremost citizens of this section" and "a model farmer and trader.” He was elected to the State Legislature in 1848, and again served from 1873 to 1875. He "filled many other offices of note in his county, always with satisfaction to the people."

During the early stages of the Civil War in Kentucky, Union Colonel James Abram Garfield, future president of the United States, arrived in Louisa on December 22, 1861, to take command of the 18th Brigade, consisting of the 14th and 22nd KY Infantry, and 40th and 42nd OVI. His given objective was clear - to drive the Confederates under General Humphrey Marshall, whose advance up the Big Sandy Valley had reached as far north as Prestonsburg, out of Kentucky.



James A. Garfield



On December 23, 1861, Garfield mounted his horse "Billy" and led his forces out of Louisa, consisting of nine companies of the Forty-second Ohio and three companies of the Fourteenth Kentucky. During the night the rain had turned into snow, and an icy north wind had frozen the mud in the roads and made the hills slippery with ice. Garfield's men marched along the Big Sandy, on a wretched road that closely hugged the river. After a march of nine miles, during which the soldiers forded a single stream twenty-six times, they reached the "Stone House".

One soldier in the 42nd OVI noted that Ulysses Garred was, "the only slave owner I have met outside of Louisa, and he is a strong Union man." It was here that Garfield decided to spend the night. He found in Ulysses Garred a congenial host. A fellow Mason, he also had a jovial nature, "knew lots of jokes and was a good mixer."

Meanwhile, the soldiers established their camp in a muddy cornfield adjacent to the Stone House, amid the dreary discomfort of a cold, wintry rain, without tents or food. The push boats, carrying the men's supplies, were expected to keep up with the column but much to their dismay, were nowhere in sight. Thus the boys helped themselves liberally to Garred's chickens and pigs, "which passed away like a vision," and used his fence rails as firewood to warm themselves. The following morning, before taking up their line of march once again, the drums sounded the long roll, and the Ohio boys, sensing trouble, ran to assemble at attention. They formed a hollow square in front of their colonel, who looked down on them from his horse with obvious anger.

"Men of the 42nd, I thought when I left our old Buckeye State at the head of this fine-looking body of soldiers, that I was the proud commander of a Regiment of gentlemen, but your actions this evening, were I not better acquainted with each and all of you, would bitterly dispel that illusion. Soldiers, we came to KY to help her sons free her scared soil from the feet of the rebel horde ... Show these Kentuckians, who are your comrades under one flag, that you did not come to rob and steal ... and hereafter I shall believe that I command a regiment of soldiers, not a regiment of thieves!" After this brief lecture on the sin of confiscation, Garfield paid his disconsolate host for his losses out of his own pocket.

Around noon, the push boats finally arrived and the soldiers filled their haversacks with dry crackers, killed two beeves and distributed them among the men, "giving to each man a small slice which they took and roasted in the fire on the end of their ram rod, as we had no cooking utensils with us." An hour later, the soldiers were on the move. In the late afternoon hours, the column reached the mouth of George's Creek which was the appointed rendezvous for reinforcements and supplies. "Camp George", as the camp was named, served as a base of operations until Garfield was able to unite his brigade and continue his operations against Humphrey Marshall which finally culminated in the Battle of Middle Creek on January 10, 1862.



The Garred-Burgess House, with Flower Moon, May 5, 2012.

Life continued in the Garred-Burgess House for another 147 years. It witnessed the end of the Civil War and slavery, and many other historic events that followed.  On March 2, 2012, it was hit by a tornado but stubbornly withstood the force of the winds. Sadly, the owner determined that it was beyond repair.  I respectfully disagree.  As of May 9, 2012, the Garred-Burgess House, once called "the most commodious stone house in the Sandy Valley", ceased to exist.

Demolition Crew at work, May 11, 2012

However, it will never fade from the memory of those who loved and revered it. It is memorialized in one of Dr. Burgess’ poems – a most fitting epitaph.

An Old Stone House

Homes are many and vary in kind-
All havens of rest for the body and mind.
An old stone house is this kind of home,
Built of colorful native sandstone.
Of stone hauled on a lizard to the building site-
A machine back then was man and his might.
When one's daily bread was more earned than now,
By the hardest of work and sweat of the brow;
When to church on Sunday was a family must,
And in God our Father there was more trust.
Yes, homes are many and vary in kind-
All havens of rest for the body and mind.
An old stone house is this kind of home,
Built of colorful native sandstone.
May it ever proudly stand,
A memory of once a frontier land.

Francis Elam Burgess, M.D. (Echoes From The Highlands, p. 121)


Links of Interest
End of a 150 year legacy in Lawrence County. The Levisa Lazer, May 11, 2012
Photo of the burning structure. Big Sandy News, May 15, 2012
Garred House, Chapel, and Burial Vault (NRHP, text)
Garred House, Chapel, and Burial Vault (NRHP, photos)
Garred House. Photographed by Abandoned.
Dr. Francis Burgess Abandoned House | BluegrassPhotography.Net
Lawrence County (KY) Landmarks - Garred-Burgess House, History
Lawrence County (KY) Landmarks - Garred-Burgess House, Property Tour

Article researched and written by Marlitta H. Perkins, May 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication without express written notice by Marlitta H. Perkins is strictly prohibited. © 2012. All Rights Reserved.