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| Baxter B. Fite III (#47203738)
 | member for 3 years, 6 months, 12 days |
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April 2010. I am a soon to be 56 year old genealogist and historian that especially loves tracking down the Civil War Veterans who came from Central Illinois. My primary interest, since 1985, has been to find the last resting place of the 992 men who served in the 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. I have traveled extensively to photograph the tombstones of veterans of the 86th, but, I have always been aware that I was never going to get pictures of all of their tombstones. But. then someone told me about Find A Grave. In the five months that I have been a member of Find A Grave, Thanks to the many wonderful people who use Find A Grave, I have seen pictures of tombstones of veterans of the 86th that I never dreamed that I would ever see pictures of. I can't begin to tell you how Thankful I am for all of the wonderful people that have helped me see pictures of those monuments to veterans who gave so much to preserve our union. I will forever be indebted to all of you. Thanks for all you have done!!
Baxter
September 2011. Through the years, there has been a poem which explains why I have been doing what I have been doing. It is one of my favorite poems and I have read it countless times at Memorial Day service and Veteran's Day services. It is now our job to not let people forget "our Boys in Blue."
"When the Boys in Blue Are Gone" by John Hendricks
When the comrades have departed,
When the veterans are no more,
When the bugle call is sounded
On that everlasting shore.
When life's weary march is ended,
When campfires slumber long;
Who will tell the world the story,
When the boys in Blue are gone?
Who will tell about their marching,
From Atlanta to the Sea?
Who will halt, and wait, and listen,
When they hear the reveille?
Who will join to swell the chorus,
Of some old, Grand Army song?
Who will tell the world the story,
When the boys in Blue are gone?
Sons and daughters of this nation,
You must tell of triumphs won;
When on earth our work is ended,
And the Veteran claims his own.
You must all cherish Old Glory,
And its teachings pass along.
You must tell the world the story,
When the boys in Blue are gone.
To that flag, our country's emblem,
You must pledge allegiance, too.
To that flag, our nation's emblem,
May your hearts be ever true.
That the nation be protected,
'Gainst injustice, and all wrong;
You must tell the world the story,
When the boys in Blue are gone.
You must keep your country's honor,
From each stripe withhold all stain;
You must take the Veteran's places,
And repeat the roll of fame.
You must keep your country's honor,
And your flag above all wrong,
Then we'll trust you with the story,
When the boys in Blue are gone.
John Hendricks was the last living Veteran of the 89th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. The poem expresses his concern that the Union Soldiers,
the "Boys in Blue", not be forgotten by future generations. And since 1985, I have been trying tel tell their story and will continue to tell their story until the day I die.
I have walked through hundreds of cemeteries in my first 57 years and hope the Lord allows me to walk though a few more. It saddens me to think that most of these people have been forgotten about by too many of us. Ben Franklin once said, "One can tell the morals of a culture by the way they treat their dead." I have walked through many a cemetery over the years where it truthfully doesn't look like we remember or care for our dead at all. The Old Methodist Church Cemetery in Eureka, where Private John Adams, of Co. A, is buried, and the plowed over cemeteries or overgrown cemeteries that I have seen and walked through are examples of this.
THE CEMETERY PHOTOGRAPHER
Wandering among the stones I see
The stones so weathered and worn
‘Tis difficult to find the date
On which the babe was born
I stare at the stone and am struck with awe
At the life that I knew was gone
This was someone's child, a babe so sweet
With loved ones to carry on
So I take a photo for all to see
For the family that remains
An everlasting memory of
A child of God's domain
I brush the weeds back from the stone
And say a silent prayer
For the babes that had no chance to live
And for mothers everywhere
The dove calls out it's mourning song
Among the stones so still
Echoes of the woes, through time
The choirs of despair
The stone will someday perish
The flowers will be gone
But a photo now remains of this
Their memory lives on!
And so my friend, don't hesitate
To film the weathered stone
Those who live within your hearts
Are never truly gone.
Author Unknown
I just want to Thank the creators of Find A Grave for creating this site. It has been a wonderful place for me to leave some of the information that I have accumulated over the past 26 years about the 86th "Boys in Blue." I also again want to Thank all of the photographer volunteers who have taken their time to search out and to photograph so many tombstones of 86th veterans, that I KNEW, that I was NEVER going to see in person and that I was NEVER EVER even going to see a picture of. Thanks for getting those pictures for me and for all who have an interest in them in the future. It is GREATLY APPRECIATED!!
On August 1, 2012, I went to the Find A Grave site of Richard Dial, a member of the 86th Illinois. His site was added by Beverly Sweeney. Whe I went to her site, I sadly found that Beverly had passed away. In going through the many notes that were left for her, I found the following poem which was left by Janet Milburn. Though I do not agree with everything in the poem, it reminds me how close our family that have passed on before us and the veterans who have passed on before us still are. We need to always remember the sacrifices that the men and women who have worn the uniform of our armed forces have made for us and to keep their names on our lips. We need to continue to tell their story. I like to think that the Lord allows people to see that they have not been forgotten.
Here is the poem left by Janet;
~~Death Is Nothing At All~~ I have only slipped away into the next room, I am I ...and you are you... whatever we were to each other that we still are..... call me by my old familiar name, speak to me in the easy way which you always used..... put no difference in your tone .... wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.... laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.... pray smile, think of me.... pray for me. Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.... Let it be spoken without effort without the trace of a shadow in it .... Life means all that it ever meant ....it is the same as it ever as.... there is unbroken continuity..... why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am waiting for you somewhere..... very near, just around the corner....... All is well....Anonymous~~~
A PROUD MEMBER OF ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE,
Baxter
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| Virtual Cemeteries
Co. A, 86th Illinois (105)
Co. B, 86th Illinois (98)
Co. C, 86th Illinois (104)
Co. D, 86th Illinois (97)
Co. E, 86th Illinois (97)
Co. F, 86th Illinois (98)
Co. G, 86th Illinois (103)
Co. H, 86th Illinois (100)
Co. I, 86th Illinois (116)
Co. K, 86th Illinois (109)
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| | Messages left for Baxter B. Fite ... (895) | [Leave Message] |
Pam Saba
 | Weldon H Reagan
Hi Baxter,
Yes, almost certainly, it is the same Weldon Herschel Reagan, (10 Mar 1883-31 Mar 1915 in Hastings, Adams Co., NE) buried in the Greenfield, Adair Co., IA Cemetery next to His wife, my Great Aunt Nellie Quinn Reagan Bates. She had him reburied there :His body was brought back to Greenfield at the time of death, later re-buried in #5 of Nellie's plot so she could be buried between her 2 husbands; at Greenfield Cemetery, Adair Co., IA (24 y after his death...possibly from elsewhere in the cemetery)Added by Pam Saba on May 23, 2013 12:58 PM | | | memories live on
 | RE: Blundell Family in Parkview
You are very welcome always glad to help. | | | Nancy
 | RE: Garrett P. Wyckoff & John Wykoff
Not sure if that is possible...took pics on my Ipad and they were upright when I downloaded them and they turned sideways on the website. Is there a way to remove these if I find a way to chane the orientation?Added by Nancy on May 22, 2013 7:47 AM | | | Rhonda_RMS
 | RE: Joel B. Chambers
You're welcome. | | | cj
 | Mamie Shinn
I have linked Mamie to her parents and also to her husband. Thanks!Added by cj on May 20, 2013 11:57 AM | | | Ann Maree
 | This brothers
I have some information on this family you may find interesting. There is another brother whose name is Eugene S. This (Find A Grave Memorial# 110640705) He did not join the 86th possibly because he was living in St Louis (Carondelet) at the time his brothers joined. Nevertheless, one year later he did sign on in Missouri. I will leave it to you to find the details of his military service. The This family came to the US (New Orleans) from Havre France on the ship Leonidas on 13 June 1847. A large group including Mary Thonant's father Martin (note the spelling of the last name on the manifest differs from the gravestone) and many children from Francois This (believe this is "Stephen"?) and his apparent brothers Dominique and Jean. There are three This families traveling together on the ship. You can find naturalization records for many of the family from after the war. So, there you go...not another member of the 86th, but a brother--a hometown boy from that county that served in the Civil War although in another company. | | | Erin Dent
 | RE: Jeffery Clough
I would love to exchange information with you! Sounds good to me! My email address is erinkdent@gmail.com
Thank you!
Erin | | | Erin Dent
| Jeffery Clough
Hello!
Jeffery Find A Grave Memorial# 102551754 is my great great grandfather. Could you please transfer this to me? Thank you so very much!
Erin (Clough) Dent | | | @ngel
 | RE: Mary Johnson
Hi Baxter,
You are very welcome for the photo. Glad I could help.
AngelAdded by @ngel on May 14, 2013 11:00 PM | | | Margo Troyer Hollingsworth
 | 86th IL -- John B & John Wesley Selders
We've corresponded before abt the pblms w/ my g-gf's tombstone located in Old City/Evergreen Cem, Bloomington IL. The tombstone at the gravesite of my g-gf John Wesley Selders is one that should rightfully be in Chillicothe IL for John B Selders. John W did not serve in the 86th IL. Our family is working to obtain a new headstone w/ proper info on it. We'll ntfy you when the new stone is set; hopefully, we can relocate John B's stone to his burial site in Chillicothe. Since the pblm is identified & is in process of resolution, would you pls delete references to my g-gf and the details of his svc/death from the site of John B? I believe it will help relieve some of the confusion surrounding this unfortunate mistake made in 1931 and so both of these men can rest in peace.Thank you and we'll keep you posted on our progress! | | | | [View all messages...] |
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