Decoration Day

Posted on Mar 22, 2018

Decoration Day at my family cemetery, Haynes, has taken place on Mother’s Day weekend for as long as anyone can remember – which includes the recollection of my 94 year-old dad. As a boy, he chopped brush and pushed a reel mower to prepare the grounds.

Haynes is located in the Scribner Mill community of Maury County, Tennessee. My dad grew up on a farm across from Haynes which, by the 1930s, was a resting place for several of his kin – among them his beloved grandmother Ophelia Tennessee Davidson White and his best friend, cousin Doug White, who died at twelve.

Decoration Days, into the 1950s, featured a long wagon loaded down with potluck dishes, sweet tea, and desserts – a Sunday lunch followed by a gospel singing. Wooden folding chairs, hymnals, and church hand fans were provided by the nearby Smyrna Church of Christ. It seemed like there were 100 people in attendance. My grandfather’s brother Fred White, Doug’s father, led the singing.

Back row: Bob and Hattie White, with daughter Margaret Dee; Mary White, Katie Belle King White, Fred White. Front row: Tom, Kathryn, Jack, Doug, and Ann Louise White.

Eighty-six years after the photograph on the left was taken, Jack White lays flowers on Doug White’s grave.

Since Memorial Day soon follows Mother’s Day, in addition to flowers adorning graves, traditionally tiny flags are posted by the markers of military veterans. A vivid memory is a scene of small flags fluttering in shadow beneath ancient cedars bordering the graves, while elderly men and women dressed in their Sunday best, sing from songbooks. Most of the people were from Smyrna, where they prided themselves on their shape-note singing. Every bass, soprano, and alto note was in tune and on time.

Haynes Cemetery is nearly 200 years old. The first person buried there was John Baldridge (1754-1823), a close friend of Joseph Haynes who fought side by side with him in the Revolutionary War.

Baldridge was married to a remarkable woman, Isabella Luckey, who also served the Revolution by feeding, clothing, and never ceasing “to pray for the success of the American Armies.” Twenty years after her husband’s death, Isabella Luckey Baldridge applied for a Revolutionary War pension. It was April of 1843 and she was 82 years old.

She explained to the Secretary of War and Commissioner of Pensions, that she was applying 60 years after the war because her “large family of children, who all [are] very proud of the memory of their beloved father,…insisted that my becoming a pensioner would be derogatory to his memory & to their standing in society.” Incidentally, between the ages of 20 and 50, Isabella gave birth to twelve children.

Yet despite her family’s protestations, Mrs. Baldridge contacted the War Department. She had enjoyed unusually robust health until that Spring and was now unable to work and needed “the liberal bounty that a generous Country considered her husband and her justly entitled to.” Her husband Captain John Baldridge had never received or applied for a pension or land grant.

She could have mentioned, but didn’t, that she was surrounded by neighbors who had received war pensions. John’s friend Joseph Haynes, for instance, received $60 per year until his death in 1845, for his service as a private in “Captain Falls’ Company, Colonel Davis’s Regiment, North Carolina Line.”

Isabella’s application illustrates John Baldridge’s military career and the couple’s life during the Revolution.  She states that in seven years of the war (1776-1783) he served under such officers as Generals Griffith Rutherford, William Lee Davidson and Casimir Pulaski, as well as, Colonel John Barber and Major Walter Carruth. Additionally, she recollects he took part in the following battles:

  • The Battle at Ramsour’s Mill “near Lincoln Court House against the Tories,” with General Rutherford’s Brigade.
  • The Battle at “Mrs. Torrence’s Tavern in Iredell County in North Carolina.”
  • The Battle at Purrysburg in South Carolina.
  • The Battle at Cowan’s & Beattie’s Ford in North Carolina under General Davidson.
  • Moreover, “…There were a great many Tories in Lincoln County North Carolina and in the adjacent Counties…[Baldridge] was always said to be particularly expert in capturing & punishing them. He often marched into South Carolina, and was at almost every battle in North Carolina, during the seven-years.” During that time, he always held a Captain’s rank.

Battle of Cowan’s Ford

At Cowan’s Ford, during a heavy rain, General Davidson was killed and his army of 900 forced to retreat under the onslaught of cannon and 5,000 British soldiers. After the retreat, Baldridge sought out Isabella, “procured horses and carried her off into a more remote & less dangerous portion of North Carolina.” They were “so closely pursued by Cornwallis that she once in the flight had a full view of the British Army.”

When it was safe to return home, Isabella found that a wagon and livestock had been stolen and their house plundered.

Another traumatic event was the discovery of General Davidson’s body — which Isabella witnessed. His clothes and possessions had been stolen by British soldiers. Many years later his wallet resurfaced in the Public Records Office in London.

Besides General Davidson, another commanding officer much admired by the Baldridges was General Francis Marion, “The Swamp Fox.” Isabella mentions that John was with the General when he presented a horse, saddle and bridle to a young boy who warned him of an impending attack.  Although Baldridge never seems to have been under direct command of Marion, he was “often in his Company during the War and in some engagements…[to witness] his gallant soldiers and…his daring acts of generalship & bravery.”

General Francis Marion

After the war, the Baldridges moved to Tennessee, first settling in Davidson County in 1798, then establishing a farm in Maury County in 1813.

In her application, Isabella states that John “was one of the very best of husbands, a pious Christian,…an industrious & frugal man [who] secured a decent living for himself & family.” She goes on to say that his old war comrades often told her that he was “one of the very best Whigs of the day & a brave & skillful officer & soldier & rendered his Country very many important services.”

Happily, the application was successful, enabling Isabella to draw a Captain’s pension until her death five years later at age 87. She rests beside her husband at Haynes.

Since, John Baldridge’s passing there have been at least 36 military veterans who have joined him at Haynes Cemetery. It is our privilege to honor them by placing flags by their headstones.

The flags are provided by American Legion Post 39 of Lewisburg, Tennessee for which my uncle William Edwin Scott served as commander on at least two occasions. For years, Post Commander Larry Hastings spearheaded this effort which is now being carried forward by Rick Roberts. This year, with invaluable assistance from Lynda Potts of The Marshall County Historical Museum. research was conducted to identify veterans at local cemeteries. As a result, more than 2,500 flags have been distributed to 53 cemeteries, an increase of more than 900 from 2017. Incidentally, Mrs. Potts personally places 900 flags at Lone Oak Cemetery in Lewisburg.

Presently, we know of at least 37 veterans who rest at Haynes – among them, 2 Revolutionary War soldiers, 1 War of 1812 veteran, 8 from the Civil War, 4 from WWI, 17 WWII veterans, 2 Korean War soldier, and 3 Vietnam veterans. What follows is a list of these men. If you have additional information about these gentlemen that you would like to share, please contact me at john@pointingdogsocialclub.com. Also, if you know of a veteran buried at Haynes who has not been included in this list, please contact me.

Decoration Day 2018 takes place at Haynes on Saturday, May 12th, at 2 p.m. Although, some of the traditions of Decoration Day have faded away, tall cedars still stand watch over our loved ones, casting long shadows across the green turf adorned by American flags.

 

 

Haynes Cemetery Veterans

  1. Agnew, Herman Grady (1894-1918) 31st, 8th Training Battalion, 157th Brigade, WWI.
  2. Agnew, J. M. (1841-1926) Private, Company E, 53rd TN Infantry, Civil War.
  3. Ashton, Thomas Jefferson (1915-1977) Served in military, 1942-46 WWII.
  4. Baldridge, John (1754-1823), Captain, Volunteer Company of Riflemen, Lincoln Co., NC, Revolutionary War.
  5. Bryant, James “Jimmy” (1939-1917) 1957-1959, Marine Corps.
  6. Bryant, Thomas (1922-1983) Private, U. S. Army, WWII
  7. Corder, Irvin Lewis (1914-1984) Tech 4, U.S. Army, WWII
  8. Crabtree, William A., Jr. (1925-2003), U.S. Army, WWII
  9. Dillehay, William Gilliam (1835-1926), Corporal, Company E., 53rd Tennessee Infantry; POW, Civil War.
  10. Foster, Robert Allen, Jr. (1918-2003) Master Sergeant U. S. Army, WWII
  11. Fox, Roger Gene (1947-2017) U.S. Army, Vietnam War.
  12. Garrett, John G. (1966-1984) U. S. Army
  13. Gipson, Joseph Harrison (1842-1929), Company A, 28th TN (Second Mountain) Infantry, Civil War.
  14. Gipson, William Clyde (1898-1965) PFC, Co. D, 14th Engineers Battalion, WWI.
  15. Hardison, John Lee (1922-1997) Corporal, U.S. Air Force, WWII.
  16. Haynes, Joseph (1749-1845) Private, North Carolina Line, Revolutionary War.
  17. Head, John T. (1836-1916) Private, Co. B, 11th TN Cavalry, CSA; later, Private, Co. A, 4th TN Mounted Infantry, Union, Civil War.
  18. Howell, Jesse C. (1844-1925) Private, Co. H, 53rd TN Infantry; POW at Alton, IL; Private, 19th (Biffle’s) Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, Civil War.
  19. Hulsey, Harold R. (1918-1979) Tech 4, U.S. Army, WWII.
  20. Jones, Wallace E. (1894-1966) Private, Company K, 117th Infantry, 30th Division, WWI.
  21. Lee, Bobby B. (1932-1996) Private, U.S. Army, 1953-55.
  22. Lee, Edward James “Ed” (1917-2004) U.S. Army Air Forces, WWII.
  23. Lee, Samuel Edward (1922-2017) U.S. Army, WWII.
  24. Martin, Lexie Keith (1889-1946) Private, U.S. Army, Blacksmith, Army Remount Depot, WWI.
  25. Parrish, Howard Edward (1922-1995) Private, U.S. Army, WWII.
  26. Pinkston, Jasper Newton (1835-1920) Private, Company E, 53rd TN Infantry, Civil War.
  27. Roberts, J. D. (1920-1961) Private, U.S. Army, WWII.
  28. Roberts, James Everette, Jr. (1932-2004) Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, Korean and Vietnam Wars.
  29. Savage, Ernest Edward (1911-1943) Private, U.S. Army, WWII.
  30. Scott, William Edwin (1920-2015) Sergeant Technicians, U.S. Army Signal Corps, WWII.
  31. Turner, William (1792-1865) Private, 5th Regiment of East Tennessee Militia (Col. William Metcalf); Captain Bird S. Hurt’s Company, War of 1812.
  32. Tyree, David W. (1833-1917) Served in the 55th Tennessee (Brown’s) Infantry, Civil War.
  33. Tyree, Gerald Wallace (1927-2006) PFC, U.S. Army, WWII.
  34. Tyree, James Freeland (1924-1945) Sergeant, 673rd Bomber Squadron, 417th Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Forces, WWII.
  35. Welch, James Washington “Wash” (1841-1923) Served in the CSA (widow applied for pension), Civil War.
  36. Smith, John J. (1918-1997) SP6, U.S. Army, WWII, Korea, Vietnam
  37. White, Thomas B. (1918-1966) Sergeant, Battery A, 181st Field Artillery Battalion, Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart, WWII.

Sergeant Thomas B. White

Author: Our Southern Living

Share This Post On