I have a Cival War Soldier buried in my yard.His tombstone reads:James Drenning

31st MO Infantry

CO C
There has been a story about how he came to be buried here,
that has been told by the family that owns the house I live
in.Their ancestors were the first to settle in this area.
A wagon train was crossing the river below the hill I live on.And as they were trying to cross the river James drowned.
The people from the wagon train carried his body up here and
buried him under a Shagbark Hickory Tree.The wagon train traveled over a couple of hills to set up camp for the winter.During the winter a sickness went through the camp &
killed six more of the people.When the spring thaw came they brought those people here to be buried also.Their identities are unknown.
A couple of years later two men came here saying they were
James brothers & had a tombstone made that they wanted to
put on his grave.They said they would like to return at a later date & exsume his remains to bring back to their home for burial.They were quite old at that time,& never returned
I have been taking care of his gravesite every since we moved here.I would love to find any information I can about
the man whos grave I tend.Where he came from?Does he have any living relatives?
I ran onto a pension record for a Polly A. Drenning online.
And I believe he enlisted in the town of Moselle,Mo.across
the river from here.But that's all I have been able to find.
I would appreciate any info anyone has.

Thank You!

Rhonda