Following the surrender of Vicksburg, a Union Colonel was charged with the duty of collecting throughout the area, the bodies of Confederate soldiers. These were re-interred and buried in a section of the Vicksburg City Cemetery, in an area called Soldiers Rest. Also, called Cedar Hill Cemetery.

These graves were numbered and provided with Cyprus markers, which over the years disintegrated. Also the two copies listing the 3000 buried, which were turned over to the ladies of Vicksburg, were also lost.

Sometime in the 1970's, from a list which was found containing the names of some 2000 buried there. VA Confederate markers were obtained and were placed in the cemetery in rows of sections by state of service.

Later, in 1997, Jeff Giambrone, then working at the Vicksburg Old Court House Museum, found in an old volume at the library, a list of another 77 soldiers. Most of these were men from East Tennessee, of which, 40 some were from the 43rd Tennessee Infantry.

One of these was my ggrand uncle, Pvt Isaac Martin, misidentified as with the 48th Tennessee. I worked with Nelma Crutcher of the Nashville UDC Chapter in obtaining the service data for these soldiers in order to obtain VA tombstones. This was not an easy chore as typographical errors abounded in the old list due to ink running and blurred, and holes in the corners of the paper where it had been folded. It was fortunate that I owned the five microfilm rolls containing the Compiled Service Records for the 43rd. Also of help, were two detailed diaries I possessed, which contained information on other East Tennessee soldiers at Vicksburg.

Tombstones were obtained, and on July 11/12, 1998, they were placed in two or three rows in the rear of the Confederate Rest section by members of the local Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) Camp. Gordon Cotton, then Curator of the Vicksburg Old Court House Museum read the service of dedication.

Gordon, by the way, I found out, is a cousin of Shelby Foote, and also, a look alike.

The most recent listing of burials that I am aware of is found in: Confederate Roll of Honor, Known Confederate Dead, Vicksburg Campaign, January 1862 - July 1863,
Gary W. Webster, "Ole Sow" Publications, 1998

Of interest, an eight inch auger was hung from a small Beach Cat, and two 20 inch deep holes were dug for each tombstone, each which weighed 200/300 pounds. After the holes had been formed to receive the stones, the auger was replaced with rope and the tombstones were lassoed and dropped into place. Then the stones were straightened out and the earthwork firmed up. The work took two hot and steamy days. Not conducive to this fellow from the West Coast.