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Erroneous Epitaphs
With its wagon
wheel shaped landscape and its peaceful atmosphere, the Beaufort
National Cemetery holds a secret. A secret not
intentionally hidden but still unknown but to a few.
During The War Between the States, not all southerners were for
the secession from the Union, nor believed in the Confederate
cause. In northern Alabama, the rugged terrain didn’t support
a plantation style economy. The people were poor but
independent and didn’t “cotton to” fighting and dying for their rich
neighbors. On April 16, 1862 the Confederate Congress passed
the Conscription Act. Many of those unwilling soldiers fled to
the wilderness to avoid being forced into service to a government
they did not recognize. The 1st Alabama Union Cavalry was formed
soon after and were mustered into Federal service December of
that same year.
In March of 1864, George W. Smalling and Samuel J. Gordon
enlisted in the 1st Alabama Cavalry. They were both wounded
six months later at the Battle of Balls Ferry, Georgia. Their
military records show that Sgt. Samuel J. Gordon died of those
wounds in the military hospital at Hilton Head, South Carolina on
December 27, 1864. Pvt,. George W. Smalling died January 4,
1865 in Beaufort. Both are buried in section 53 of the
Beaufort National Cemetery.
Today, as you walk through the quiet and tranquil cemetery, you
would never know that buried behind the strong and solid memorial to
the sacrifice of the Confederate soldiers lies two Alabama
men. Not Confederate soldiers, but Union.
Ryan Dupree (Webmaster of www.1stalabamacavalryusv.com)
and Glenda Todd (Author of First Alabama Cavalry, USA: Homage
to Patriotism) have tried unsuccessfully so far to have these men
given the proper headstones. The policy of the United States
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is to not replace headstones or
markers that are over 50 years old because of their historical
significance unless they are no longer legible or they are damaged
beyond repair . In the cases of Sgt Gordon , Pvt Smalling and
others in National Cemeteries around the United States, we have
United States soldiers buried under a foreign flag. Ryan, Glenda and
others have been in contact with the VA for many years trying to get
this corrected. They are still waiting while the VA researches
these men to establish that they are indeed, Union soldiers.
In the mean time, visitors to the Beaufort National
Cemetery have no clue that any of these men in section 53 are
anything other than Confederate soldiers. These young men who
died in service to the United States are seen as the enemy of the
very cause they sacrificed for.
LOIS ANDERSON
Freelance Writer and Amateur Genealogist
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