The Elkton Cemetery in Elkton, TN, will be the location of a Confederate grave marking dedication ceremony Saturday, October 28, at 11 a.m. Rita Birdsong of the Joe Wheeler Chapter No. 291 of Decatur, Alabama has organized the event honoring 14 Confederate Soldiers and one Confederate Page.  The Confederate grave marking service will be held in conjunction with the Volksmarch sponsored by the Elkton Historical Society, according to Carolyn Thompson, President.

 The following Confederate soldiers will be honored with a gun salute and tributes for their dedication to our Southland: Private James A. Bowers, 3rd Tenn. Inf.; Private John James Martin, 3rd Tenn. Inf.; 2nd Lt. William J. Ridgeway, 3rd Tenn. Inf.; Private John Morris Branch, 16th Tenn. Cav.; Private Andrew Pleasant Griffis, 9th Ala. Cav.; Private George Lafayette Hughey, 9th Ala. Cav.; Private John Calhoun Grigsby, 11th Ala. Cav.; Private Thomas Lee Ham, 11th Ala. Cav.; Private Andrew Lewis Glaze, 6th Tenn. Inf.; 1st Lt. Presley W. Nave, 6th Tenn. Cav.; Private Andrew Hopkins Chambers, 39th Tenn. Inf.; Private Elon Henry Ezell, 19th Ala. Inf.; Private Wilbur M. Stevenson, 32nd. Tenn. Inf.; Private Joe Murphy Wright 41st Regt. Miss. Volunteers; Confederate Page- Collis Odell Wynne.

One of the soldiers, Andrew Hopkins Chambers, was the builder of the water power dam on Richland Creek known as the Vinta Mills. Elon Henry Ezell in his younger years drove cattle for the armies of General Custer, Reno, and Crook in the Indian Territory and was only 20 miles away at the time of the Sitting Bull massacre of Custer and his entire command near the Little Big Horn River.

The ceremony will begin with the Posting of Colors. Rita Birdsong will have the opening remarks.

“I have alot of people to thank in the Elkton Community I appreciate everyone’s help with this project,” Birdsong said. “I have worked on this dedication for the past year, getting it together and

George Newman, president of the Giles County Historical Society, has been so nice and helpful. He along with Andrew Cleveland and Josy Demps helped place all the markers for me, except for the Confederate Page. That marker will be placed this weekend.”

Confederate Page C. O. Wynne was not old enough to serve and his father was serving in the Confederate Congress as a “Door Keeper” so he became a Page.

The Invocation/Benediction will be given by Tim Morrison from the Holman-Boone Camp #152 from Lincoln, County. A greeting from Cathy Wood, president of Giles County No. 257 UDC, will be given. Greetings from Alabama Division President, Loraine Ennis, Glendora James, president of Gen. Joe Wheeler No. 291, Decatur, AL; and Carmack’s Pledge to the South by Adjutant Gerald Moore, Col. Egbert J. Jones Camp #357, Huntsville, AL will be presented.

Special music from Ross Moore of Ross Moore Entertainments from Tullahoma, TN will be a part of the ceremony. And then there will be tributes on the soldiers and the one Confederate Page.

A 21-gun salute will be done, directed by Commander Greg Posey, with his special ceremony of his sword. He is with the Col. Egbert J. Jones Camp #357 of Huntsville, AL. Then there will be the cannon salute, probably between the rifle salutes. This will be by Commander Dan Schmidlkofer and the Freeman’s Battery, Forrest’s Artillery Camp # 1939, Haleyville, AL. Dixie and Taps will be played at the end.

“Each and every story of these Confederate Soldiers have wonderful acts of heroism and love for their Southland,” said Birdsong. “This is just 3 of them. Three doctors who served in the “War Between the States”. Dr. Joe Murphy Wright, a prominent dentist in Elkton, was wounded at Chickamauga and shot through the shoulder. He was also shot through the foot at the battler of Munfordville, KY.

“Dr. Andrew Lewis Glaze was a doctor in Elkton and connected with the medical department of the Confederate Army during the War and served directly under that fearless leader General Bedford Forrest.

“Dr. James A. Bowers, a skillful surgeon in Elkton area, served in the capacity of chief surgeon after being appointed in 1862 and appointed inspector of hospitals by Gen. Joseph I. Johnston. After the War, he represented the 39th General Assembly in the House from 1875-1877,” Birdsong added.

Everyone is invited to come and bring a covered dish for lunch at the Elkton Baptist Church Fellowship Hall.

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