Alberta cemeteries are the resting place for many veterans of the US Civil War

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Author, photojournalist and former Calgary Herald reporter David Bly has written many historical pieces for the Herald over the years. The following story was written in 2005.

Many US Civil War veterans are buried in Canadian cemeteries

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Calgary Herald
Sunday, October 9, 2005
The author David Bly

William Hatcher Barnett fought in many battles as a private in the Confederate Army.

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He was captured by the Union Army near Richmond in 1862. He was released a few months later in a prisoner exchange to fight other battles, including Pickett's Raid in 1863, dropping his gun and taking up the flag. fired color bearer. Confederate soldiers suffered heavily expenses in that battle, but Barnett returned to his lines with the flag.

In 1933, at the age of 90, he came from Virginia to Alberta to visit his sons. Perhaps exhausted from the journey, he died on July 17, 1933, and was buried in Bottrell Cemetery, an hour northwest of Calgary.

It is one of dozens of U.S Citizenship War veterans are buried in Canadian cemeteries, says Calgarian Kathy Brown Citizenship War history.

His interest Citizenship The war veterans spark came when an American friend asked him to check on an ancestor buried in Alberta. This great-grandfather was William Barnett, whose grave lay unmarked for 60 years.

In 1993, members of the 8th Texas Military Reenactment Group dressed in Confederate uniforms and helped dedicate a grave marker sent to Canada by the US government.

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“The US government sends tombstones to anywhere in the world where American veterans are buried,said Brown.

He made a list Citizenship Veterans of the war buried in Canadian graves, biographical information about each veteran. Whenever he could, he checked them out Citizenship War service through US military records.

He could not confirm John Glenn's military service, but said local history indicates he served in the war. Citizenship War, first the South, then “galvanized Yankee” — a southerner who switched sides.

Glenn and his wife Adelaide Belcourt settled along Fish Creek in 1873 and are considered Calgary's first Aboriginal residents.

Reports indicate that Glenn, an Irishman, was drafted into the Confederate Army in Waco, Texas, in 1861, then left near Vicksburg, Miss., because he refused to allow slavery. Apparently, he later joined the Union regiment.

He died of pneumonia in 1886 and is buried in the Pioneer Section of St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Calgary.

Historian Hugh Dempsey said it would be natural Citizenship War veterans to find their way to Alberta.

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“During the settlement period, there was a large migration of Americans,” he said. “Of course it would be Citizenship Among them are war veterans.»

Not all were savory characters. as Citizenship The war ended, and the whiskey trade began.

“Some soldiers did not want to go home when the war ended.Dempsey said. “Many drifters decided to go west.»

Dave Akers was one of them, but Brown did not open official records for him. It is said that he died of thirst in 1864.

In 1874, Akers was the owner of Fort Whoop-up, near present-day Lethbridge, when the Northwest Mounted Police arrived to drive American whiskey traders out of Alberta.

Akers was shot and was killed 1893 when he dismounted at Tom Purcell's ranch at Pothole Coulee near present-day Magrath. Apparently, he and Purcell had argued over cattle and Purcell is afraid for his life. One report suggests he served three years for manslaughter.

Two Citizenship War veterans are known to be buried in Calgary's Union Cemetery.

“The northern part is buried in the southern part, and the southern part is buried in the northern part.said Brown.

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George H. Gowen served with the 4th Georgia Cavalry, seeing action in Georgia, Alabama, and the Carolinas.

Brown isn't sure when Gowan came to Calgary, but believes he followed his children here. He died in 1910 and was buried in the Evans family plot.

The North Man in Union Cemetery is Francis Marion Hall, who served in the 5th Illinois Cavalry. He came to Alberta in 1903 and lived in De Winton, Hanna, Gleichen and Launsburg near the Three Hills. He died in 1916 at the Calgary General Hospital.

According to Brown, about 60,000 Canadians served on both sides of the United States Citizenship War.

One of them was Quebec-born Edmond Brosseau, who served in the 2nd New York Cavalry.

After the war, he tried himself good luck Before settling in northern Alberta in the Cariboo gold fields of California and BC, he ran a dry goods business and named the village of Brosseau after him.

He became ill while vacationing in Minnesota and died in 1917 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He was buried in Brosseau.

Aaron Franklin, who served in the 11th Illinois Cavalry, came to Alberta with his sons who settled in the Cremona area in the early 20th century. His main source of income was himself Citizenship War pension. He died in 1933 and was buried in Didsbury Cemetery.

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Albert F. Miller served in the 12th Wisconsin Infantry and was discharged in July 1865. He lived in Wisconsin and Illinois until 1924 when, apparently widowed, he moved with his married daughter to Red Deer. He died in 1925 and was buried in the Red Deer Cemetery.

The three Sherans were brothers Nicholas and Michael and their cousin James Citizenship War veterans who died in Alberta.

Second Lieut. Nicholas Sheran enlisted in the 99th New York National Guard on July 11, 1864 in New York City. After the war, he went west and worked as a whiskey salesman with the Healys in Montana.

He came to Alberta in 1870 and dug the first coal mine along the Oldman River. It was sunk by Oldman in 1882; his body was never found.

Michael came to Alberta to take over the family business after his brother's death. He served in the 69th New York State Militia for several months in 1862.

He died and was buried in August 1885 at the age of 46 Holy Roman Catholic Cemetery at Fort McLeod.

Michael's death brought James Sheeran to southern Alberta to run a coal business. He enlisted in 1861 and served in the New York Infantry.

In addition to being in the coal business, he farmed on the west side of Oldman River. He died in 1924 and is buried in St. Patrick's Catholic Cemetery, North Lethbridge.

“Maybe even more” said Brown, who has a listCitizenship war mongers,” men mentioned in biographical information Citizenship War Service, but could not find additional documents for it.

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