Shellie
The inscription on the UDC monument at Camp White Sulphur Springs Cemetery reads;
"To lowly dust and ashes,
Though mortal flesh is gone,
No grave can ever hide them,
Their lives live on."
James M. Tykes
Benton Musgraves
James A. Matthews
There is no other verifiable information.
These names were submitted to the David O. Dodd Chapter of the UDC, because of an advertisement in the UDC magazine in 1912 asking for the anyone who knew of men who died at Sulphur Springs to submit their names to be included in this monument. They only recieved these three names and as far as can be determined there was no record made of any varification of their service in UDC records. No other record can be found of any service recorded for any of these men.
Now that is the official story in a nutshell.
Now Then. My research of the events at Camp White Sulphur Springs has lead me to the following conclusion that these three mens records were in fact lost during the organization period between June and September of 1862, because of the epideamic of Measles and Pneumonia during that period while newly recurited companies were being organized in regiments. Hence they fell through the cracks.
I have found no mention of the other two men.
But in Benton Musgraves case I have found a hint. In the Missouri State Adjuntants Generals 1866 report of men who died from the State of Missouri during the war list a Benton Musgraves. But does not give a regiment that he may have belonged to. Or any other details as to when or where he died. He is mearly a name on a list.
But, You say that Benton was from Polk County Arkansas What was he doing in a Missouri Adjuntant Generals Report?
Well here is where it get deep and I hope you can follow along.
Benton Musgraves was the son of James Anderson Musgraves born in Hardeman County Tennessee 1839. In June of 1862 under the Conscrip Act of that year a company of infantry was formed in Polk Co, which became Company "D" of Dawson's 19th Arkansas Infantry. Two men named Musgraves emlisted in that Company.
MUSGRAVES, F.M. (Francis Marion) Pvt
Enl 1 Jun 1862 in Polk Co, AR. In arrest at brigade guard house Aug 1863. *Co D, 19th AR Inf
MUSGRAVES, ALVIN Pvt
Enl 1 Jun 1862 in Polk Co, AR. In arrest at brigade guard house Apr 1863. *Co D, 19th AR Inf
Francis Marion Musgraves listed about was Benton's cousin according to information on Rootsweb.com. Benton being of conscription age would have most likely have joined this Unit which moved to Sulphur Springs in June of 1862. Many men of this regiment became ill with Measles due to close contact with others and Pneumonia due to exposure.
During this period many died at Sulphur Springs before they were organized into their regiments and exact numbers are still unknown. The 19th Ark was overstrenght and many of it men especially those in the Hospital were transferred to other organizing regiments like Portlock's 24th Ark. or Crawford battalion.
In any case Benton's records may have been held at the hospital when the 19th Arkansas left Sulphur Spring and went to Arkansas Post were they were captured January 11th 1863 in that battle. Francis and Alvin appearently missed that battle and the regiments fate because they also probably were sick in the hospital at Sulphur Springs.
Anyway those men not captured at Arkansas post were again reorganized at Sulphur Springs in Hardy's Regiment in February '63 like Francis and Alvin. By late summer '63 Hardy's regiment was attached to BG Daniel Frost Missouri Brigade with Mitchell's 8th Missouri Infantry and Clark's 9th Missouri Inf.
It is at this point that I believe that Benton's records became attached to the Missouri State records as a person who died in the Hospital.
Of interest is that after the fall of Little Rock in September '63, Francis Marion Musgrave, who you will note was in the Missouri Brigade Guard House in April '63, joined the 1st Arkansas US Infantry, along with Benton's father James Musgrave and a couple of their cousins.
I hope this gives you a lead that may point you to some sort of record which will support or disprove this.