Buried Micro-Histories:
|
While visiting Camp Butler National Cemetery, located on the outskirts of Springfield, Illinois, I noticed a large number of Confederate headstones - almost 900. Nearly all the states of the Confederacy are represented and I began to wonder by what path these strangers of disparate origins traveled to find themselves resting "at-ease" in their final formation together.
This project focuses on two Confederate soldiers buried next to each other. Nehemiah Pratt, originally from Alabama by way of Arkansas, has a rich and textured family history with strong ancestral roots. The other - H.W. McAdams - seemingly appeared out of the ether to enlist in Tennessee with no lineal trace prior to that date. But the final outcome was the same: sudden and unexpected loss with no notice to a family or community that could properly grieve the loss of their sons.
So meet Sgt. Pratt and Pvt. McAdams.
Follow their routes from their sole major engagement against Federal forces at Fort Donelson to their final destination at Camp Butler Prison.
Read the articles about Camp Butler that details its origins as a Civil War training facility to a national cemetery.
Discover the Battle of Fort Donelson and how this Rebel loss in 1862 set the stage for the fall of the Confederacy three years later.
But most of all, enjoy the rebuilding of history!
"The information and images used throughout this site are, to the best of the author's knowledge, free of copyright. There are appropriate citations used throughout the website to note and give credit to the secondary sources consulted and referenced. If you suspect copyright infringement, please contact the author immediately and the offending section will be removed while the issue is investigated."