James Nealens, 53 KY Infantry

Headstone, Evergreen Cemetery

James Nealens was a member of Company G of the 53rd Kentucky Infantry regiment. This unit formed in Covington, Kentucky in September 1864 and spent time guarding railroads between Covington and Lexington. This regiment did later participate in George Stoneman's raid into Virginia, and fought at the battle of  Saltville It then returned to Kentucky, serving in various posts until mustering out in September 1865.

Kentucky Times Star

November 1, 1919

James Nealeans, 81, veteran of the Civil War and former well-known resident of Newport, died Friday at the Soldier’s Home in Dayton, O. He was a brother of Miss Alice Nealeans, former teacher in the Newport high school. The body arrived Saturday morning and was removed to the chapel of Charles A.Smith and Son. Funeral services will be held Monday afternoon at the residence of his sister, 131 West Eleventh Street. Another sister, Mrs. Lydia Martin, resides in Cincinnati.

Rest in peace, soldier

August Seiter (Seither), 23 KY Infantry

I originally posted this on my Civil War Obsession blog (see this link ) but think it deserves to be on this site as well, as it was his headstone at Evergreen Cemetery that led me to this find. I had planned to rewrite it for this blog, but think I'll just add it as is, with a couple small edits.

A family member contacted me and thinks the different spelling of his last name may have been an attempt to make it appear "less German" during World War I.

As I was at the library one day, looking up obituaries for various Civil War veterans who are buried nearby and hoping to find something interesting, I made what is probably the most fascinating and intriguing discovery I have ever made.

The story is about August Seiter (or Seither) and is from the Kentucky Post of September 1, 1930. It describes how, August, the youngest of 4 brothers at 15 years of age, snuck into a local Civil War camp, passed what the article described as a "meager physical and mental examination" and convinced the recruiters he was 18 years old, allowing him to sign up for service.

He did so because two of his older brothers had just recently enlisted in this unit, the 23rd Kentucky Infantry, including one who left behind a wife and 5 children.

What they did not realize at the time was the oldest brother, Jacob, who had left home previously to go to New Orleans to work on a boat prior to the outbreak of war, was now a part of the Confederate army, after his boat left Cuba and returned to New Orleans following the declaration of war.

Until 2 years after the end of the war, when Jacob returned home to John's Hill in Campbell County, KY, nobody in the family knew what had happened to him, and presumed him to be dead.

It was a surprise to find out he had been fighting against the rest of the family, but this article says that the family compared battles and figured out they had not been on the same battlefield at any time.

Jacob had lost his right arm at the battle of Malvern Hill, and the others suffered as well. George, who had left his wife and kids to enlist, lost his right arm as well, at New Hope Church in Georgia, and Conrad suffered a wound to his right hand at Round Mountain, Tennessee. August, the baby of the bunch, had a bullet pass through both his thighs during the fight at Missionary Ridge near Chattanooga.

Jacob returned to his home to participate in the Grand Army of the Republic's encampment in September 1898, marching in his gray uniform alongside his three brothers in blue.

According to August, "Of course, the spectators could not understand Jacob in the gray, but we brothers did and we were proud of each other despite the fact that Jacob was against us in the war."

The phrase "brother's war" is often thrown around during discussion of the Civil War, and many examples of this exist - in Kentucky, alone, famous families like the Breckenridges and the Crittendens had family members on both sides, and perhaps no better example of this phenomenon exists than the Todd Family, the in-laws of President Lincoln, who had 5 members side with the Union and 9 with the Confederates (according to "All that Makes a Man: Love and Ambition in the Civil War South" by Stephen William Berry.)

I just never expected to find such a clear-cut example so close to home, and this find has excited me as much as anything else I have ever found. I make no pretense of being a professional historian, but I have done research on several projects, and this story is just as fascinating as any of them. (The only one that might be close is the discovery of John Clark as the last Civil War veteran who lived in Campbell County.) When I found all 4 brothers' names in the soldiers and sailors website this morning (the Union men as "Seiter" and the Confederate as "Seither"), it absolutely thrilled me as that struck me as confirmation of the accuracy of the basic story.

I also found August Seiter's obituary (that's how they spelled it, as does his headstone) and it indicated he was the last surviving member of the William Nelson Camp of the Grand Army of the Republic. I know some people in the Nelson-Garfield Camp of the Sons of Union Veterans fo the Civil War and hope this information will interest them.

Finding this story - of which I had never heard anything at all - really thrilled me. I know I have repeated that sentiment, but I could easily do so all day, as it really is a neat story.

Rest in peace, August, Conrad, George and Jacob Seit(h)er.

A local cemetery preservation story

Story

I realize this is not about a Civil War soldier or even about a cemetery in Campbell County, but it is an appropriate story for this blog and I am glad to see people trying to restore the resting places of some of Cincinnati's earliest residents.  I wish them the best in their efforts.

John Neal, 193 OH Infantry

Headstone, Evergreen Cemetery

John Neal was a member of company K of the 193 Ohio Infantry, which formed in March 1865. It served at Harper's Ferry and then throughout Virginia before mustering out in August 1865

Kentucky State Journal

November 23, 1894

Death of Captain John W Neal

Captain John W. Neal was taken to the Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati yesterday morning to be operated on for a cancerous growth in his left eye. He was placed under the charge of Dr. Conner. The operation was performed, but Captain Neal died in a few minutes thereafter. Captain Neal was a soldier during the late war. Until recently he had been an inmate of the Soldiers’ Home at Dayton, O. His body was removed to the residence of his son in Dayton, Ky., from which place the funeral will be held this afternoon at two o’clock

Rest in peace, soldier

George Lansdale, US Navy, update

Here is another brief bit of information I found about Mr. Lansdale.

Kentucky State Journal 

October 7, 1890-7-1890

The funeral of the late George W. Lansdale took place last Sunday afternoon from his late residence on Ann street. William Nelson Post No. 1 G.A.R.,  and William Nelson Drill Corps attended in a body, headed by the F.C. Miller Drum Corps. Rev. Dr. Harley J. Steward preached the funeral sermon, after which the remains were taken to Evergreen Cemetery for interment.

Private Cemeteries

Here's an article about care of private cemeteries in a nearby county. I have not worked in any such cemeteries yet, but I know some people at the Campbell County Historical and Genealogical Society who have been trying to find and record as many of these type of cemeteries in our county as they can.

It's an interesting article and topic. You just have to hope that property owners know these areas are on their land and try to take care of them as well as possible.

George W Lansdale, US Navy

2 views of headstone, Evergreen Cemetery

Kentucky State Journal 10-2-1890 

Mr. George W. Lansdale, one of Newport’s pioneer and most highly esteemed citizens, died this morning at his home, 62 Ann street, from the effects of a wound received during the late war, he being struck on the leg by the burst of a shell while serving in the navy. The deceased leaves two sons and a daughter.

Rest in peace, sailor