Mystery Under
Dr. Burrus' Cabin
A National Cemetery Story
by Thomas Zei
Chaplin William Earnshaw, the superintendent in charge of the efforts to find and move the Union dead into the newly created Stones River National Cemetery, faced a daunting task. By the time he wrote his final report on October 5. 1866, before moving on to create the Nashville National Cemetery, Earnshaw stated that he and the 111th United States Colored Troops had found all of the accounted bodies except for less than 50 soldiers.
Over time, additional Union dead were found in various locations within Murfreesboro, Cowan and other locations within the designated original area of the search. Some were found as roads were created or while residents did some digging on their properties. As bodies were found, they were moved to new graves within the national cemetery.
On February 10, 1880, the cemetery’s superintendent Thomas Frame wrote to his supervisor the following:
I would respectfully report that Dr. Burrus informed me a few days ago that the bones of a union soldier was lying exposed on his farm at a place known as Cavespring (sic) about ¼ mile west of the cemetery. The Doctor says there was many union soldiers buried at this place during the fight – at Stone River and he thinks never taken up. I went to see about them yesterday and found about 100 yards west from the spring on high ground an old log cabin occupied by T H Allen and family. Mr. Allen says he commenced today a cellar under his floor of his house and in doing so found a grave and the bones of a union soldier from the fort – that in the grave he found brass buttons with the Eagles on them and pieces of cloth he thought was once blue. He says there are two other graves under his house (graves three in all) which are all thought to be union soldiers. The house was built since the war. Mr. Allen has no objections against the floor being taken up, the graves opened and the remains taken away.
I would respectfully ask for instructions in this case as to what I am to do as from everything I can learn the remains are that of Union soldiers. [handwritten transcripts “Letters sent June 1st, 1877 – July 23, 1883]
I would respectfully ask for instructions in this case as to what I am to do as from everything I can learn the remains are that of Union soldiers. [handwritten transcripts “Letters sent June 1st, 1877 – July 23, 1883]
On March 15th, Frame received permission from the Quartermaster General of the Army to retrieve the bodies and bury them in the national cemetery. On March 22nd, Frame wrote to his supervisor:
I would respectfully report that in compliance with your letter of the 15th, I went Saturday to take up the remains of the three union soldiers reported in my letter of February 21st as being buried under a log cabin on Dr. Burrus farm. After the floor of the cabin was taken up and I had dug into what seemed a grave I found instead a pit or trench out of which I took up the remains of Eleven (11) soldiers. They were buried with their heads East and West packed close together the trench was 9 feet long by about six feet wide some of them was buried north and south on top of lower tier apparently two deep their bones could not be separated.
I cannot certify that they are union soldiers. Doctor Burrus says they are. Some of the Colored people says they are not. I found many Union buttons in the trench also the confederate buttons in equal number as if Union and Confederate soldier had been buried in the trench together.
I have all the bones here at the cemetery in a large box. What will I do with them? I would suggest that they all be put in one grave. But will wait your instructions before doing so.
I employed T H Allen who lives in the log cabin over the graves to help me in taking them up one day at 75 [cents], this is the only expense incurred so far.
P. S. If the remains of these 11 soldiers I have taken up are all put in one grave the number of headstones will be 6135 that is to supplied for them
I cannot certify that they are union soldiers. Doctor Burrus says they are. Some of the Colored people says they are not. I found many Union buttons in the trench also the confederate buttons in equal number as if Union and Confederate soldier had been buried in the trench together.
I have all the bones here at the cemetery in a large box. What will I do with them? I would suggest that they all be put in one grave. But will wait your instructions before doing so.
I employed T H Allen who lives in the log cabin over the graves to help me in taking them up one day at 75 [cents], this is the only expense incurred so far.
P. S. If the remains of these 11 soldiers I have taken up are all put in one grave the number of headstones will be 6135 that is to supplied for them
The response back from the supervisor is not included in the national battlefield’s archives but apparently was approved as recommended by Superintendent Frame.
The correspondence creates so many questions that required investigation. Who was Doctor Burris? Who were the bodies buried under the cabin on Doctor Burrus’ property and why were they there? What evidence could be considered for identifying the bodies?
This series of postings will attempt to solve the mystery. Click the button to see Part Two.
The correspondence creates so many questions that required investigation. Who was Doctor Burris? Who were the bodies buried under the cabin on Doctor Burrus’ property and why were they there? What evidence could be considered for identifying the bodies?
This series of postings will attempt to solve the mystery. Click the button to see Part Two.
(c) 2023 by Thomas Zei. Used by permission by Friends of Stones River National Battlefield and all rights reserved by the author.