George:

I've recently returned from a visit to my family's old home place down near Columbia, and while there, I gathered the information for my three 7th MS Reg'mt ancestors. And while checking one of these graves, I came across two other non-family 7th MS veterans.

I've already forwarded this info to Jamie Roberts and Ron Skellie, but I'll include it here as a means of fully covering the bases.

All five of these gentlemen were of Co. F, 7th MS. (Marion Men), of Marion County, MS.

My ancestors:

William James Thompson (GGGrandfather)
Born 4 Jan 1830
Died 21 Apr 1898
Buried in the Thompson's Chapel Cemetery. This is the cemetery for the Poplar Springs Methodist Church (also known as Thompson's Chapel). The church was torn down many years ago, but its small cemetery remains on my family's ancestral property. William James Thompson deeded a small plot of his land to the church. When the congregation disbanded and the building was torn down, the property reverted to my family. We maintain the cemetery, as many of our forebears rest there. Our property is on Williamsburg Road, about nine miles northeast of Columbia, MS.

Benjamin Franklin Thompson (GGUncle)
Born 18 Feb 1826
Died 20 July 1871
Buried in the cemetery of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, about 12 miles north of Prentiss, MS on Highway 13, about a mile east of the highway. There is a sign on the highway pointing the way to the church.

Interesting to note here that Benjamin died just six years after the war. He was captured at Missionary Ridge and transported through Lexington, KY and on to Rock Island Barracks, IL, where he was imprisoned until his parole at New Orleans on 23 May 1865.

Although Rock Island was a better prison camp than most, it may be that Benjamin's time there may have taken a toll on his health, resulting in his death in 1871.

John W. Thompson (GGUncle)
Born 1 Feb 1827
Died 30 Dec 1912
Buried at the Society Hill Baptist Church Cemetery, on the east side of Highway 13, about 12-14 miles north of Columbia, MS.

All three of these Thompson men rest next to their wives and all are under civilian markers.

Also interred at Society Hill are two other Co. F lads, both resting beneath CS style VA markers. What follows is their information as inscribed on those markers.

Elias Polk
Co. F., 7th MS Infantry
14 Dec 1844
14 Jun 1930

Lewis J. Newsom
Co. F, 7th MS Infantry
1841-1899

Jon G. Stephenson