The Missouri in the Civil War Message Board

Disposition of the remains of James Wilson, et al.

The following articles specifically state where Wilson is buried, and generally state where the others were buried. The James Wilson buried at Jefferson Barracks is not the same James Wilson who is the subject of our discussion. Since the name James Wilson is only slightly less as common of a name as John Smith, somewhere along the line in the past 144 years a researcher confused Jefferson Barracks James Wilson with Troy Missouri James Wilson. I would hope that when the JB Cemetery corrects their long-standing error that they would not make another in its place. In any event, here you are--

From the St. Louis Republican, 28 October 1864, p. 3
ARRIVAL OF MAJ. WILSON’S REMAINS--
...The remains of the brave and ill-fated Major Wilson arrived in the city last evening on the Pacific railroad, and were escorted to the Court House under guard of the men of Company C, 7th Missouri, under Lieut. Geo Born. In a splendid silver-mounted rosewood coffin, they were laid out in state in the Rotunda, where they remained, under guard, during the night.

The bodies of Major Wilson and the five men who were captured with him were found about thirteen miles from Washington, in the woods....

The names of four of the men murdered with Major WIlson are as follows: Wm. Scaggs, of Perry county, Mo.; Wm. C. Gratz, of Pike county, Ill.; Wm. W. Goley, of Pike county, Mo.; John W. Shew, of Pike county, Mo.

The bodies of these men were all buried near Washington, Mo., by members of the Enrolled Militia, by order of Gen. Pike.

These men were all of company I, (Red Rovers) of the 3d M.S.M. cavalry.

There was another man killed whose name we could not learn -- some say he was of company K, 3d M.S.M., and others that he was bugler of the 2d Missouri artillery.

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From the St. Louis Republican, 30 October 1864, p. 3
FUNERAL OF MAJOR WILSON--
The body of Major Wilson will be taken to his former home in Lincoln county, Mo., for interment. His remains will be escorted from the Court house to the depot of the North Missouri railroad, by four companies of the first regiment National Guard, (seventh regiment E.M.M.) under command of Major Klineschmidt. The following gentlemen will act as pall bearers:

Lieut. Col. J.J. Joslyn, 1st Mo. cavalry; Lieut. Gus Henrichs, 41st Mo. infantry; Maj. A. Bartlett, 3 cavalry M.S.M.; Maj. A. McKinney, Paymaster U.S.A.; Maj. Geo Hoffman, 40th Mo. infantry; Maj. H.F. Deitz, 40th Mo. infantry. The procession will start from the Opera House at 3 o’clock, p.m., tomorrow.

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From the St. Louis Democrat, 29 November 1864, p. 2
THE WILSON MONUMENT
Meeting at the Court House Last Night
A number of officers and citizens met in the Circuit Court room, at five o’clock last evening, to make arrangements for erecting a monument to the late Major James Wilson, 3d Cavalry M.S.M.

On motion of Colonel David Murphy, Colonel Thomas C. Fletcher was elected Chairman, and Colonel G.H. Stone, Secretary....

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From the St. Louis Democrat, 30 November 1864, p. 2
THE WILSON MONUMENT
The following letter, addressed to Governor Fletcher, President of the Wilson Monument Association, was written by Colonel T. Morsey of the 59th E.M.M. Colonel M. was formerly Lieutenant Colonel of the 10th M.S.M., in which regiment Major Wilson first enlisted as a private in company G, Captain Wommack. The 10th was afterwards consolidated into the 3d regiment, of which regiment the lamented WIlson was the Major:

Warrenton, Nov. 23, 1864
Colonel: With a great deal of pleasure I saw in the papers yesterday that an association has been formed in St. Louis, of which you were elected President, for the purpose of erecting a monument in the memory of my late friend and companion in arms, Major James Wilson....

Please find enclosed twenty-five dollars for the purpose set forth in your meeting of the 21st inst.

With high regard I have the honor to be, Colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant.

T. Morsey, Col. 59th E.M.M.

TO COLONEL FLETCHER

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From the St. Louis Democrat, 29 May 1865, p. 2
THE GRAVE OF MAJOR WILSON
Troy, Mo., May 25, 1865
Editors Missouri Democrat:
On Sunday last, in company with some returned soldiers from the army, I visited the grave of Major Wilson, late of the 3d M.S.M. cavalry. I was very much surprised and grieved at the spectacle I there behold. His grave is in the graveyard in the suburbs of this place. It has nothing to mark his last resting place but two old rusty boards, one at the head, the other at the foot of the grave. What has become of the hundreds of dollars subscribed to the Wilson monument fund...?
Signed
One that has been
AROUND THE CORNERS

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From the St. Louis Democrat, 28 June 1869, p. 4
MONUMENT TO THE MEMORY OF MAJOR JAMES WILSON
A Reminiscence
The monument to the memory of the gallant Major James Wilson, of the Third Missouri State Militia, brutally murdered by the rebels while a prisoner in their hands during the Price Raid of 1864, is about completed by Mr. E.W. Warne, of the marble works on the northwest corner of Washington avenue and fifth street. It is to be placed in a fitting spot in the village of Troy, Lincoln county, Missouri -- the Major’s home at the time he buckled on his sabre to do battle for the cause of his country -- and will soon be transported to that point.

The height of the monument, including the base is fourteen feet. The base is of De Soto stone, while the upper portion of the column is of the finest Italian marble, and in good proportion. The shaft is surmounted by an urn of the Grecian style, four feet in height. On the face of the monument is the American flag (with the flat-staff broken), on which is inscribed on a scroll, “Third Regiment M.S.M. -- a body of men which did excellent service in fighting guerrillas, or wherever they were placed....” On each corner of the shaft is an inverted torch, and above the torch is a laurel wreath. On the base, in large raised letters, is the name, “MAJ. WILSON.”

Under the flag, on the face of the shaft, is the following: INSCRIPTION: Erected to the memory of Major James Wilson, Third Regiment Cavalry, M.S.M. Born in Prince George county, Maryland, May 3d, 1834. He entered the Union army May 11th, 1861. Promoted to the rank of Major May 5th, 1862. At the battle of Pilot Knob, September 27th, 1864, he was taken prisoner, and murdered by his captors October 3, 1864. Preserve which he gave his life to defend -- our Nationality!

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NOTE: I have another newspaper article, which I can’t put my hands on right now, that states that the remains were transported by train to Warrenton. From that point a very large mounted honor guard escorted them to the Troy Cemetary. In addition, in regard to the referred to "fitting spot" for the monument, it was placed in the aforementioned Troy Cemetery, where it still stands.--Kirby Ross