~ IN MEMORY OF ~

Joseph C. Gray, Capt.

~ GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN ~

Many thanks to Lynn R. Hawkins for photo and data!

VITAL STATS
b 10 May 1825 d 15 Jan 1865 buried Baker's Creek Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Blount CO, TN
son of John & Susannah (Land) Gray, Jr.

m to
Rachel McCall

During the Civil War Joseph C. Gray enlisted 1 Aug 1862 at Maryville, Blount CO, TN into CO F, 2nd TN Volunteer CAV. He was appointed 2nd LT, but on 8 May 1864 he resigned. He later enlisted into the 3rd TN MTD INF REGT, Union Army and was commissioned a Captain. He served as a recruiter and commander of CO H. He was killed by Kirkland bushwhackers on 15 Jan 1865 while home on leave after fighting in the Battle of Lookout Mt near Chattanooga, TN. His grave is marked with a military marker.

Many years after the war, Capt Gray's widow, Rachel McCall Gray, was summoned to the deathbed of the bushwhacker who actually killed her husband. Rachel was asked to come to the home of the man who killed her husband in 1865, because he was then dying. As a last request, he wanted Rachel to visit in order to tell her he was sorry for killing her husband. Indeed, Rachel decided to go see him. When she arrived at his home and went to his bedside, the man said he was very sorry for killing her husband during the war and asked her to forgive him before he died. Rachel bent over him, looked right in his face, and "Dammed his soul to hell." Then, she raised up; and saying nothing more, she left his house and went home. She died years later, without ever forgiving him.

by Lynn R. McR. Hawkins, FS4 Scot., gr-gr-gr-nephew

Public Domain, but please include this site in your sources