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Near Nancy in Pulaski County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
 

"Confederate Mass Grave"

 
 
"Confederate Mass Grave" Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By David Graff, April 26, 2012
1. "Confederate Mass Grave" Marker
Inscription. After the battle Union troops hastily buried the dead. The Confederate dead were interred in shallow mass graves near where they fell in battle. Some of these graves were so shallow that the bodies in them began surfacing within 48 hours of burial.

This left the gruesome task of reburial to the local citizens. After collecting the bodies, many of which were frozen to the ground and had to be pried loose with shovels, the local citizens brought the bodies to this area (now known as Zollicoffer Confederate Cemetery) and buried them in a mass grave. The large mound to your left and rear is the traditional final resting place for numerous Southern soldiers killed in the Battle of Mill Springs.

The Confederate dead remained unknown and all but forgotten until 1910 when the United Confederate Veterans Association placed the memorial stone marker on the mass grave. The soldiers' names remained unknown until through the use of unit rosters and battle reports, the names of over 140 Confederate soldiers who fell in the Battle of Mill Springs were found.

On May 26, 1997 headstones (directly in front of you) in memory of these fallen Southern soldiers were dedicated. These headstones do not mark individual graves, but serve as a memorial to all those Southern soldiers who were killed or mortally wounded far from their
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homes and loved ones in the Battle of Mill Springs. Although the Confederate dead do not lie in neat rows like the markers, their remains are here on the field (except those of General Zollicoffer and Lieutenant Bailie Peyton, 20th Tennessee Infantry, which were removed following the battle and buried in Nashville). The headstones are arranged by Regiment in the order they marched into battle on January 19, 1862.

Confederate Casualties
Battle of Mill Springs

Compiled by Geoffrey Walden
General George B. Crittenden Commanding**

CS Command & Staff
Brigadier General Felix K. Zollicoffer
Captain Henry M. R. Fogg
2nd Lieutenant Evan B. Shields
15th Mississippi Infantry
Charles F. Bankhead ∙ Capt. R.A. Bankhead ∙ Pvt. James S. Biggers ∙ Pvt. Robert Black ∙ Corp. William W. Brister ∙ Pvt. Elbert L. Burk ∙ Sgt. Joseph Caldwell ∙ Pvt. Theodore Carr ∙ Pvt. James Collins ∙ Pct. Daniel Cox ∙ Pvt. Junius H. Crawford ∙ John P. Curry ∙ Pvt. William C. Dillard ∙ Sgt. Joseph (John)* Edwards ∙ Pvt. Thomas Feely ∙ Pvt. Joseph L. Frazier ∙ William S. Gattis ∙ Corp. Elias G. Gore ∙ Sgt. William B. Harrington ∙ 2nd Lt. Phillip L. Hellam ∙ Pvt. William V. Hunter ∙ Pvt. Thomas Irvin ∙
"Confederate Mass Grave" Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By David Graff, April 26, 2012
2. "Confederate Mass Grave" Marker
At left center, looking south from near the Confederate mass grave.
Pvt. Frances M. Jenkins ∙ John Land ∙ Pvt. Jack Mackey ∙ Corp. Thomas I. McKey ∙ William K. McKinnon ∙ John McSwine ∙ Nathan Miers ∙ George W. Milton ∙ Pvt. David Moore ∙ John M. Moore ∙ William D. Polk ∙ George W. Reed ∙ Jackson W. Rogers ∙ James L. Rushton ∙ H.P. Scott ∙ Pvt. Thomas J. Shuler ∙ Mus. George W. Simpson ∙ Pvt. Timothy P. Simpson ∙ Pvt. James V. Smith ∙ Pvt. John E. Spencer ∙ John C. Wallace ∙ Pvt. Edmund Wilson ∙ Sgt. William T. Wilson ∙ Pvt. James P. Womack ∙ Pvt. William Womack

19th Tennessee Infantry
Pvt. James Carlton ∙ Pvt. Isaac Carmack ∙ Pvt. W. Carroll Carmack ∙ Pvt. Charlie A. Clemenson ∙ 1st Lt. Joseph D. Conley ∙ Pvt. William B. Dunlap ∙ Sgt. Alfred Middleton ∙ Pvt. Joseph D. Smith ∙ Pvt. Leander Welch ∙ Pvt. Joshiah Woodall

20th Tennessee Infantry
Pvt. F.M. Alexander ∙ Franklin Anderson ∙ Pvt. Dave Anglen (Auglen)* ∙ Pvt. Marion D. Brown ∙ Pvt. J.H. Bundy ∙ Pvt. John Cathey ∙ S.R. Claiborne ∙ Pvt. Sheldon Crosthwaite ∙ Pvt. Doe Dean ∙ J.M. Dean ∙ Pvt. Dick Depriest ∙ Pvt. Tom F. Duncan ∙ Pvt. A. John Gant (Gann)* ∙ Pvt. James Gordon ∙ A.J. Gout ∙
Memorial Stone Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By David Graff, April 26, 2012
3. Memorial Stone Marker
Beneath this mound rest in sleep that knows no waking more than one hundred Confederate soldiers from Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama who were killed in the Battle of Fishing Creek, Jan. 19, 1862. We know not who they were but the whole world knows what they were.

These died far from their homes but they fill heroes' graves and glory keeps ceaseless watch about their tomb.


Placed by The United Confederate Veterans Association in 1910.
Pvt. Tom Griggs ∙ J.D.S. Hodges ∙ Pvt. J.W. Huggins ∙ Pvt. A.W. Ivy ∙ 1st Lt. R.E. Johnson ∙ Sgt. T.A. Jones ∙ Pvt. John (George)* Keith ∙ Pvt. James Lowery ∙ Pvt. Ed McCann ∙ Corp. William McCann ∙ Pvt. James T. Madding (Maddin)* ∙ Pvt. Nelson Newcomb ∙ Pvt. Nathan Nichols ∙ Pvt. Jacob Nicholson ∙ 1st Lt. George W. Pettigrew ∙ 1st Lt. Bailie Peyton ∙ Pvt. William Ryals (Rail)* ∙ Jno. E.B. Ridley ∙ Pvt. Harvey Sawyers (Sayers)* ∙ Pvt. William Spurlock ∙ Pvt. Gideon Stewart ∙ 2nd. Lt. W.B. Taxton (Laxton)* ∙ Green Wilford ∙ Pvt. Green B. Wood (Woods)* ∙ Pvt. R.A. Woods ∙ Pvt. Frank Wray ∙ Pvt. R.A. Wright

25th Tennessee Infantry
N.P. Baity (Bailey)* ∙ William Carlin ∙ Ford Gamble ∙ Wesley Graham ∙ Sgt. Andrew B. Hill ∙ Martin B. Lay ∙ J.C. Mathis ∙ Columbus McBride ∙ Benjamin F. Miller ∙ William M. Stephens ∙ Jesse Threat (Street)* Sr. ∙ A.J. Turpin (Terpin)* ∙ James White

17th Tennessee Infantry
W.A. Brown ∙ John Bromfield (Broomfield)* ∙ Nathaniel Carr ∙ C.G. Cribbs (Crebbs)* ∙ George Fuller ∙ T.H. Jones ∙ J.R. Loyd ∙ T.E. Manning ∙ J.H. McCrary (McCraig)* ∙ Sgt. W.N. Norton
United Confederate Veterans Association Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By David Graff, April 26, 2012
4. United Confederate Veterans Association Marker
View #1
∙ J.W. Redden ∙ William B. Word (Ward)* ∙ Corp. Thomas H. Wilson ∙ Marion Young

28th Tennessee Infantry
John C. Anderson ∙ Thomas J. Draper ∙ William B. Shorter

29th Tennessee Infantry
Patrick Brannon ∙ Samuel Bayless (Boyles)* ∙ F. Squire Hunter ∙ Andrew Law ∙ John N. Lawson∙ J.N. Sawyers ∙ Sgt. J.H. Southerland ∙ John Turner

16th Alabama Infantry
2nd Lt. Andrew M. Astin ∙ James Butler ∙ Walker M. Cameron ∙ Isaac N. King ∙ Pvt. John W. McDonald ∙ Pvt. Silas McGhee ∙ William McGhee ∙ James T.J. McKinney

*Names that appear in parentheses are different spellings that also appear in that soldier’s records.
**Not killed in battle.

Presented by Ralph E. “Jack” and Beatrice Prather Turpen and William P. and Janice C. Turpen in memory of Arnold and Anna Combest Turpen and Arthur G. and Cara Wood and Esma Girkey Prather. May 26, 1997

 
Erected 1997 by Mill Springs Battlefield Park.
 
Topics and series. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial SitesWar, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Sons of Confederate Veterans/United Confederate Veterans series list. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1738.
 
Location.
United Confederate Veterans Association Marker and Mass Grave image. Click for full size.
Photographed By David Graff, September 17, 1999
5. United Confederate Veterans Association Marker and Mass Grave
View #2
This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. 37° 3.319′ N, 84° 44.344′ W. Marker is near Nancy, Kentucky, in Pulaski County. Memorial can be reached from Kentucky Route 235, 0.1 miles south of Kentucky Route 761, on the left when traveling south. Marker is at Tour Stop 2: "Confederate Cemetery" of the Mill Springs Battlefield Driving Tour on the north edge of the field of symbolic grave markers. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Nancy KY 42544, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location. Confederate Dead (here, next to this marker); Dawn of Battle (here, next to this marker); Confederate Mass Grave Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Gen'l Felix K. Zollicoffer (within shouting distance of this marker); Mill Springs Battlefield (within shouting distance of this marker); Victory! (within shouting distance of this marker); A Fatal Mistake (within shouting distance of this marker); Felix K. Zollicoffer / "Zollie Tree" (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Nancy.
 
More about this marker. The marker includes photographs of Brigadier General Felix K Zollicoffer, 1st Brigade; Brigadier General William Carroll**, 2nd Brigade; and General George B. Crittenden**, Commander Confederate Forces.

**
Symbolic Confederate Headstones image. Click for full size.
Photographed By David Graff, April 26, 2012
6. Symbolic Confederate Headstones
with the usual spectators in the distance.
Not killed in battle
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on July 24, 2019. It was originally submitted on November 7, 2013, by David Graff of Halifax, Nova Scotia. This page has been viewed 1,481 times since then and 33 times this year. Last updated on January 21, 2019, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on November 7, 2013, by David Graff of Halifax, Nova Scotia. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 19, 2024