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Friday, September 23, 2011

Civil War Photo Friday: Confederate veterans

This week's image comes from Higginsville, Missouri, site of a retirement home for Confederate veterans opened in 1891. More than 1,600 former soldiers and their families lived there and the last one didn't die until 1950. John T. Graves was a veteran of General J.O. Shelby's Iron Brigade, the best cavalry raiders west of the Mississippi.

This photo was taken in the 1930s, I believe. It would have been amazing to talk to some of these old guys and hear their stories.

You can read more about Higginsville in my post Remembering the Confederate Dead.
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2 comments:

  1. Donna VolkenanntSeptember 23, 2011 at 12:02 PM

    Hi Sean,
    Fascinating photo. Even though you can't talk to the old vets, I wonder if the records from the hospital are available somewhere.
    Oh, and I read your interview with Dianna Graveman in the MWG newsletter. Great job!
    Donna

    ReplyDelete
  2. Civil War HorrorSeptember 24, 2011 at 3:42 AM

    When I first went there back in the mid Nineties I heard some of the workers were still alive, themselves now in a retirement home. I wonder if anyone has done oral histories with them?
    I noticed I wasn't alone in that issue!

    ReplyDelete

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