Copy of Original Article that was written in 1931 by Sarah John English who found and visited the grave of Col. John Summers, a veteran of the war of 1812.
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The way of the research worker is over rough and rugged paths, past logs, over barbed wire fences, thru swarms of grass hoppers, hornets, and bumble bee nests, and cockle-burr patches, down into the holes of foxes, waist deep-but Oh the joy of finding the grave of a long lost patriot of pioneer erases all the memories.
In the most out of the way spots we find, beneath the roots of tangled weeds, far out in a country grave yard, lies the owner whose uncrowned deeds have stamped the nation's destiny, beneath the tottering slabs of stone whose tribute moss and moulds efface the calm dust that made us great, the true substance of our race.
John Lazenby called me Saturday to tell me that a Colonel was buried in a graveyard on the farm of Jeff Wilson, about three miles south of Winchester, on the Glasgow Road. Claude Workman had recently lived on the farm, and had turned over the fallen grave stone and noticed that it was a Colonel. We visited farms, and hailed men on the road, but no one could solve the mystery.
After we found the spot, the inscription read..
but no one seemed to know the Colonel. We visited the Scott County Tablet to all war dead, and found his name missing. Curiosity spurred us on, until we found Homer B. Summers, who sent us into Winchester where we found a real son of 1812, Thomas Jefferson Summers, a son of the Colonel. His charming wife and he gave us the following authentic record of the Col. Col John Summers was born in Tennessee, fought in the war of 1812, from La Grange County, Tenn. For his gallantry in resisting British and Indian attacks, he was made Col. of a regiment, when almost a youth. For his service in the war, he was given 160 acres in Illinois. He came to this state and settled, He reserved one acre of land for burial purposes, but now the grave stones are broken by cattle, for the plot is a pasture. Col. Summers' grave stone is broken in three pieces , but retains the flag of Great Britain, and U. S. with their staves crossed to indicate the war of 1812. Col Summers was married three times, first to Sarah Jackson of Tenn, second to Miss Todd, third to Louisa Lankford. By his last wife he had 6 girls and 4 boys, he married his last wife in Scott County, 1843. He also served as a private in the Black Hawk War. Col. Summers died of a fever in 1869 after a few days illness. Real sons are rare and we hold their links with the past as precious.
Submitted by: Dale Summers