Thread: Need research help :

Need research help : a friend uncovered a marble slab which I have recognised as a Civil War era tombstone. It was found when they dug out to put a pool in over the spring and it was fairly deep down. Three lines - is relief, one a name. How would we find where this came from and where should it go ?

There are several Civil War era cemetaries near by and two have been vandalised more then once over the years, we are thinking it came from one of those, but the private ones have no records...

Top line is a number - which would identify the soldier ( I hope ) : 1161
Second line is the name : Thos Burke
Last line reads : Mass

My friend didn't recognise it as a grave marker - no birth or death date.

Now she is freaked out although I pointed out that the bottom edge is broken off so it was likely vandalized quite some time ago. The marble is also stained from the clay, despite efforts to clean it.

Have you tried to google Massachusetts DAR? Daughters of the American Revolution----There should be a state chapter address...They keep records of soldiers..If they have nothing in their records they should be able to lead you or your friend in the correct direction to a place or group that could ID this person and his resting place and get this stone back where it belongs or in a proper place.

Also what about your local historical society or an area museum that has military history experts...Someone should have some history on battles that were fought in your area...They may have aces to lists of battles and the groups of militia groups that fought in the area. I do believe you have in actuality a lot of info--you have a Name and state he hailed from and the # maybe a militia number...I am not surprised there is no DOB as I do think those kinds of records were poorly keep back in those times...

I hope you do pursue this and find out who he was...what a great piece of Americana..and a wonderful mystery to solve..

I posted this info also at another site : some responses so far, the last one is one of the most informative.

Good site for looking up names.

http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/soldiers.cfm

I searched but found nothing under Thos Burke.

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You might could call Port Hudson state park and ask for Chip Landry. He knows more about kind of stuff than anybody I know.

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Contact Dr. Sam Hyde at SLU. He has written books and produced videos about LA and the civil war. He is a really nice guy and I'm sure he would be very interested in helping.

http://www.selu.edu/acad_research/de.../bio/hyde.html

Keep us updated.

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Your soldier is very likely either a Thomas Burke (the inscription Thos is an abbreviation of Thomas) that served in either the 26th Massachussetts (an infantry regiment) or the 3rd Massachussetts regiment (cavalry). Those are the only two units that served in south Louisiana having a Thomas Burke.

Go to the link provided by Paintball and use Thomas Burke and Massacusssetts as search terms and you will find 20 names, followed by regiments in which they served. Further research will show that of the regiments identified, only two served in our area. Both were hard fought units, and Thomas was likely killed in an attack on Port Hudson, or at the battles of Mansfield or Pleasant Hill. Come to think of it, he could have been killed in one of the minor (unless you were in it) engagements around Ponchatoula.

Your marker was likely from one of the nearby cemeteries, and could well have been placed there by a local resident to cover the spring. It is highly unlikely that the headstone marked a grave at the spot it was found.

PM me and I can give you a lot more information. I actually have found relics from a small engagement in which the 3rd Massachussetts cavalry fought (and admittedly got their ass kicked by Stockdales Mississippi cavalry).

WOW How exciting to have found out so much already...It would really be neat find out more and maybe track down a surviving family member and get his marker back where it belongs or in the hands of family...

Thanks for keeping us posted..

Originally Posted by Taterbo

It would really be neat find out more and maybe track down a surviving family member and get his marker back where it belongs or in the hands of family...

Would anyone in Mass be interested in helping me track this down ?? Further research confirms that Thomas Burke of the 3rd Massachussetts calvary regiment and was buried in the Baton Rouge National Cemetary. The marker was broken at some point and replaced. The marker we found was a "discard" and was supposedly destroyed. The cemetary isn't interested in it... and it seems wrong to just dispose of it.

Originally Posted by Jolie Rouge

Would anyone in Mass be interested in helping me track this down ?? Further research confirms that Thomas Burke of the 3rd Massachussetts calvary regiment and was buried in the Baton Rouge National Cemetary. The marker was broken at some point and replaced. The marker we found was a "discard" and was supposedly destroyed. The cemetary isn't interested in it... and it seems wrong to just dispose of it.

Jolie, I have the name and email of a Civil War historian here in MA. I'll PM the info to you.

Your inbox is full so I sent the info along to your FB.

This is all so fascinating. I can't wait to hear the final dissolution of this tale.

If you keep hitting brick walls I'd contact your local news stations... this kind of thing is a big deal around here and they'll jump on it quick... especially if they can find descendants who would want this kind of thing back in their family... I find it just absolutely disturbing that the cemetery wouldn't want this piece of history back... I think that's horrible.

Originally Posted by justme23

I find it just absolutely disturbing that the cemetery wouldn't want this piece of history back... I think that's horrible.

Not really - it should have been destroyed when it was replaced. They have no room for broken, discarded markers... this is a duplicate of a marker that is in place. They are destroyed rather them have them vandalized or desecrated. I should be treated with respect - I don't want to see it used as a piece of someone's patio flooring or a doorstop ( even if he was a dang Yankee ! This is the Deep South LOL )

I think it would be nice to place it in the hands of the desendants - they may not be able to travel to Baton Rouge to visit great-great-great-great granddas's grave... but could put this in a family plot or something like that.