I decided to go out to the cemetery to give my respects.
Brought my favorite author Larry Brown along.
Plenty served but I am looking for a Confederate soldier.
Boy, it's hot in this Mississippi Sun! 
Let me ask my pal Stark Young.
Known Stark since Ole Miss, I roomed with him while in NYC.
He introduced me to all his literary friends; alas, no one signed me.
Finally, we found him!
Edward Ganes White
Born June 16, 1840
Killed at the Battle of Shiloh
April 6, 1862
Thanks for your service Veteran White!
While visiting today go see Ken at Giant Robots Make Me Nervous! He wrote an excellent multi-media review of Michael Shaara's Pulitzer Prize winning book titled The Killer Angels.
Happy Memorial Day!
9 comments:
I've walked the Shiloh grounds several times and have a special place in my heart for those who suffered that particular battle...on both sides of the line. My maternal grandmother's grandfather was wounded at Shiloh as a member of a unit from Louisiana.
God Bless all of our soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice.
I'm woefully under educated in the Civil War department and was thrilled to find Mr. White in our small cemetery, Sam. It was kind of sad, though. We were the only ones there.
My maternal grandfather's maternal grandfather was a doctor, and one of these days I hope to find records linking him to the Civil War. We lived near the Kentucky border, so it is possible he served on either side.
I might be shamed. :)
My father lost his father in WWII, and I'm sure he wonders what life would be like if his daddy had come home.
Amen to your blessing...
I've immersed myself in WWII movies all day. "Since You Went Away" with Claudette Colbert is one I finally watched all the way through. Cried and hoped right along with the characters.Followed that with "Four Jills and a Jeep"...much lighter fare. It is a special and important day.
On a lighter note, I do love the way you carry Mr. Faulkner around.So funny!
I love Claudette Colbert! I'm amazed at her ability to keep that little girlish figure throughout her career. The Egg and I is one of my all time favorite movies.
It would be nice if Memorial Day became a memory, but not in our lifetime.
Have you read Crazy in Alabama, Susie? All I need is a hat box for Faulkner... ;D
R.I.P..
Edward Ganes White might be considered one of the "luckier" soldiers to fall at Shiloh because his body was identified and he is in a marked grave. Thousands of soldiers, both Confederate and Union, did not have i.d. when they died on this battle ground. It seems they were buried in trenches where they fell, some 7 bodies deep. (I spent yesterday afternoon totally immersed in the Civil War--still being fought by some southerners--in Tony Horwitz's "Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War.")
It is a special day, Paul
That makes me wonder if he is really buried there or if that is just a marker, Stella? Oh, and we are reading Confederates in the Attic as a discussion book in August. I really can't wait to get my mitts on it! Look forward to your review!
I loved your post. What a neat way to honor and commemorate all that the day means. We went to Church on Sunday and the minister, when speaking to the children, asked did they know what day is was and one of them said it was the day we honored soldiers. The minister agreed and explained how it is called Memorial Day but it means to be in Memory of our soldiers (and so on) and one little boy said, "Then why don't we call it Memory Day?" I liked that! From now on it will be Memory Day to me!
That is nice Anon. Thanks for sharing. :)
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