Unknown Civil War Soldier

In 2009, a construction project along Columbia Pike 2.5 miles south of here unearthed human bone fragments in an area that was part of the Franklin battlefield. Forensic anthropologists determined that these were the remains of a Civil War soldier. Also found among the remains were six Union tunic buttons and a Minie ball, although it was impossible to verify conclusively if the soldier was Union or Confederate. He was therefore designated an Unknown Civil War Soldier, an American who had died for his country, and he is buried at the center of Rest Haven Cemetery. On Oct. 10, 2009, the community of Franklin honored him with a period military funeral at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. After the service, a horse-drawn caisson and honor guard carried the coffin to the cemetery. Several thousand spectators and national media attended as scores of reenactors conducted a burial, and soil from the 18 states represented at the Battle of Franklin was poured upon the grave. Also present were two actual sons and daughters of Civil War veterans. Original column sections from the Tennessee State Capitol, dating to 1856, mark the grave in remembrance of all unknown soldiers of the American Civil War.

Franklin, Tennessee · United States