Notes, Obituaries, etc... |
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Martin Rufus Beam |
When my friend Ed first mentioned his Grandfather's knife, I was greatly confused. How could this 60 year old fellow be the grandson of a Confederate soldier? That question was explained by Mr. Beam's multiple marriages. Ed brought the "knife" for me to see, along with a typed copy of Mr Beam's obituary. Ed said his Grandfather used the knife to cut hay after the war, and it had been lying under his kitchen sink in past years. A quick look into my copy of "Echoes of Glory, Arms and Equipment of the Confederacy", a publication of the Time Life Books, identified Ed's knife as a Confederate Navy cutlass. Wonder how an artillery man, from the foothills of NC, ended up with a Navy cutlass? Mr Beam had carved his initials in the handle, and the blade shows some wear, but the cutlass is in remarkable condition. I told Ed not to put it back under the sink!
We believe the obituary was published by one of the Cleveland County newspapers, but its name was not on the typed copy which reads: "MR. RUFUS BEAM In the death of Mr Rufus Beam of Fallston the county loses one of its best citizens, a noble and consecrated Christian, and one of the bravest and most honored Confederate veterans. After a long and continuous attach of kidney trouble, which for a long time did not seem dangerous, he succumbed to its fatal effects Friday morning at three o'clock. Sixty-five years old, he had lived a long life of usefulness and consecration to duty. He had been married twice, the first time to Miss Sallie Warlick and the second time to Miss Mattie Whitworth. From the first marriage were born nine children and from the second, five. His wife and five children are left to suffer his departure. Mr Beam was a Confederate soldier with a record for bravery and country devotion rarely surpassed. A member of the immortal seven of Captain Dickson Falls' company who were in active service till they laid down their guns at Gettysburg, he was a soldier loved by his comrades and confided in by his superiors, and a man always at his post. Till his death he and Rev A G Gantt were the only surviving members of this famous seven. His remains were laid to rest at Pleasant Grove graveyard; Rev A G Gantt, his old friend and comrade preaching his sermon. Around his coffin at his funeral were gathered his old Captain, Dickson Falls of Blackland, Mississippi, and his old comrades Lieutenant T D Falls and Lieutenant P Y Carpenter. His death is not alone a great loss to his family, but a loss to the county, for such men as he are the backbone of the state. We sympathize with the bereaved family and greatly deplore the loss." Mr Beam died December 9, 1904. My friend Ed & I wonder to whom the "immortal seven" refers? Why were they called by the name? Did they perform some really heroic deeds during the war? If you can give us any clues to this please contact me. Update 27 Aug 2005: Click on Captain Falls above to learn about the immortal seven. Ed passed away. We buried him the day before Christmas Eve, 1998, at Palm Tree Methodist Church in Lawndale, NC, near his Mom's family. It was an honor to be counted among Ed's friends, and we miss him terribly. Rest in peace gentle soul. |
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Marcus Parker |
Uncle Mark enlisted in the Militia, the
90th Regiment, 22nd Brigade, District 2, in Cleveland County on "CAPT. MARK PARKER DEAD Early Sunday morning Capt Mark Parker died at his home at Pearl. Although he had attained the ripe old age of 82 years his death was not yet expected for he had always been possessed with remarkably good health and was apparently well and strong up to the time he received the deadly summons. He had lived a long life of toil and family devotion and his death is a great shock and loss to his children and grandchildren. The father of nine children, six of whom are living, he was devotedly loved and respected by all of them and even looked to by them as a comforter and protector. Five of the living are girls, and in his death they undergo a heavy loss. His services during the war won for him the distinction of captain, and never was he known to shirt a duty. He leaves only one brother, Mr Devenney Parker, himself a Confederate soldier who lost an arm fighting for the lost cause. The remains of Capt Parker were buried at Zion Baptist church Monday at 2 o'clock, Rev Z D Harrill conducting the funeral services. May the great Comforter and Healer console and protect his people in their hour of sorrow and bereavement." If my Uncle Mark is on your tree, or you can offer any suggestions where to find his military records which are not in the NC Archives, I would love to hear from you. Also, his mom's maiden name is one huge brick wall for me, any help there would be most appreciated. |
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Two Confederates in Cleveland, Officers in Two Big Battles |
"The Cleveland Star, Shelby, NC Friday, May 10, 1929 Two Confederates in Cleveland, Officers in Two Big Battles 'Capt Dickson and Lieut Parker Served at Gettysburg and Chickamauga Battles' (By Prof W E White, Cleveland County Historian) As the tenth of May arrives the minds of Southern people naturally turn to deeds of valor and heroism. This is Memorial day in the South and our minds rever to the gallant, bravely championed, the "Lost Cause".
My quest is to find the exact date Uncle Devanie died. He was blind, infirm, and living in the Old Soldier's Home in Raleigh, North Carolina in the late 1920s. He is buried at Union Baptist Church, on Highway 226, near Polkville, in Cleveland County, NC. His marker is a Confederate memorial with no dates. If anyone has access to the Soldier's Home records, I would appreciate any information you could give on Uncle Devanie. I have found no obituary written for him during the years following Mr. White's article of 1929. How we do forget..... Back to Uncle Devanie's salute. |
© 1998 Judith Parker-Proctor, All rights reserved.