Mr. Owens, thank you for your comments. However, the following is from the website of the FLORIDA REENACTORS ONLINE, at http://floridareenactorsonline.com/AugustMag12007.htm and the article even includes a photograph of the offending headstone:
--- "CIVIL WAR HISTORY: TASMANIAN CIVIL WAR VETERAN. The newspaper article below was sent to me by a friend in Australia, Jim Gray. Jim visited our School of the Soldier last year at Crystal River. He is a active reenactor and member of the American Civil War Round Table of Queensland, Inc. The story is about John Fearn Francis, an Australian who was an American Civil War veteran and the acquiring of a headstone for his grave in Louisiana.
Ž The Tasmanian Mercury Newspaper ”V Saturday, April 28, 2007.
It has been a long time coming, but Tasmania”¦s first war hero has been honoured ”V 143 years after his death. The heor was John Fearn Francis, a former convict who was transported to Van Diemen”¦s Land in the 1840”¦s for receiving stolen goods, without knowing they were stolen. Francis subsequently fought and died in the American Civil War, but since 1864 his body had lain in an unmarked grave at Mansfield, Louisiana, where he lost his life in a fire while tending to the wounded. Now, thanks to the efforts of the American Civil War Round Table of Queensland, his grave has a proper headstone recently erected by the Louisiana Sons of Confederate Veterans....."
Note especially the comment about where the headstone was placed. Additionally, the descendant of John Fearn had stated to me that the family never had any evidence that John Fearn and John Francis were one and the same person. Also, how could John Fearn's son, John Thomas be conceived in the heat of battle, as he was born January 15, 1865, which record the descendant also has. He (the descendant) stated that the family has always had doubts about this. If you have any evidence that can counter the statements of the descendant, Mr. Howard Fearn-Wannan, of Melbourne, and show him the evidence, I am sure he would be happy to accept anything you have that will indicate, for one thing, that John Fearn and John Francis were one and the same person, and that John Francis, who died at Mansfield, was from Tasmania. I am also sure he would be happy to accept, as truth, what is stated to be on the back of the marker, that "John Fearn Francis was an Australian who died a hero and gave his life in the service of others" (this is from the FLORIDA RE-ENACTORS ONLINE article quoted).
Mr. Howard Fearn-Wannan was absolutely clear to me that the family were shocked when they learned of the speculation being put out as the truth, especially when it was known to be conjecture. If you do have any documentary evidence to prove that Fearn and Francis were one and the same person, please contact Mr. Howard Fearn-Wannan at 15 Carawatha Road, Doncaster, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (tel. no. 03 98486440), as the family have been waiting years to find out the truth. Additionally, if the headstone is not at Mansfield, where exactly is it? Please at least clear this up, and furthermore, please confirm that what is shown on this headstone is nothing but the truth - that Fearn and Francis were one and the same, and that he was from Tasmania. Thank you for any confirming statements, and I apologise if I was wrong. I have provided a link to the article below, where the statements, as shown, can be read.