The melody you are listening to is "A Soldier in the Colored Brigade" by George Cooper.
The Grave of a Forgotten Soldier
by Herman R. (Buck) Seibert, Jr.
(Re-Printed from the pages of Northern Kentucky Heritage)
With the generous permission of Buck Seibert, thanks Buck!
PO Box 641
Cov., Ky 41012
In a beautiful little out-of-the-way valley in Northern Kentucky there lies a
forgotten soldier. Surrounded by trees and beside a lovely stream lies the
grave of William Monday. Few persons visit his grave other than a farmer
herding his cattle or an occasional passing hunter or hiker. Although
other graves are nearby, only his is marked with a headstone. He was most
probably an ex-slave who served his county in its most terrible war in the
company of friends and relatives whose names and stories are lost in time.
The cemetery is located on a farm adjoining my own in Pendleton County, and
after some difficulty, the locally fabled slave cemetery was found. The
cemetery is just a series of piles of stones. Some stones are neatly
stacked and others are helter-skelter. On the edge of the cemetery nearest
the stream, behind a fallen tree, is the resting place of William Monday.
His stone is aged and moss-covered and leaning slightly to the side. The
inscription however is easy to read:
WM. MUNDAY
CO. D
100 U.S.C.INF.
At first, the "U.S.C.INF." inscription was puzzling. Recalling
the segregated nature of the military forces, it became clear that "U.S.C.INF."
meant United States Colored Infantry.
To investigate Mr. Monday's story, his pension records were requested from the
National Archives. After studying these documents, it appears that his
last name was mispelled when his stone was engraved. The records show (or
at least it is assumed) that the correct spelling was Monday.
William Monday was enlisted on May 23, 1864 by a Captain Berry at Covington,
Kentucky. He next appears with the rank of Private on the Muster and
Descriptive Roll of a detachment of U.S. Colored Recruits commanded by a Captain
Mussey at Nashville, Tennessee, dated June 8, 1864 in Louisville, Kentucky.
The record says he was born in Penington, Kentucky (surely a corrupted spelling
of Pendleton, the county in which the grave is located). He was 20 years
old, occupation, farmer. He enlisted for three years. Height six
feet, eyes, hair and complexion - black. He then appears on the records of
Company D. 100th Regiment, US Colored Infantry in Nashville from September 1864
to December 1865. He next appears on the Company's Muster-out Roll dated
December 26, 1865. The record shows he owed the U.S. $1.44 for Ordnance in
September and October 1864 and that he was charged 65 cents for a canteen and 65
cents for a haversack in May 1865. No explanation was given for these
charges. The muster-out record indicated that he was last paid through
April 30, 1865 and his clothing account was in arrears by $62.06!
The only mention of engagements involving the 100 U.S. Colored Infantry with the
enemy was at Murfreesboro, Tennessee on September 3rd., 1864. Of course,
there is no way of knowing if William Monday was involved. Murfreesboro
was the location of numerous battles and skirmishes, the most important of which
occurred from December 31, 1862 to January 2, 1863 (Battle of Stones River -
ed).
Monday's Pension Record shows that on August 20th, 1887 he appeared before the
clerk of the Pendleton County Court and applied for an Invalid Pension.
The declaration states that he was 48 years of age and a resident of Falmouth,
Kentucky. He states that he is the same William Monday who enrolled on the
20th of May, 1864 in Company D. of the 100th Regiment commanded by Captain
Wright and was honorable discharged at Nashville, Tennessee December 28th, 1865.
His personal description is given as 6 feet, one inch, complexion dark, hair
black, eyes brown.
The following statement is verbatim from his service record:
.."while a member of the organization aforesaid, in the service and in the
line of his duty at Nashville, in the state of Tenissee (sic) on or about the
15th day of January, 1865, he had his rite foot frozen causig the flesh to rot
under the Toes of the rite foot drawing leaders of his Toes and the ends of his
Toes to Rot off and that he received a baynett (sic) wound in his left (leg) in
the fight at Nashville and that he contracted lung affection (sic) of the rite
(sic) lung, is badly afflicted--- that he was never treated in any hospital
while in the service."
He went on to state that since leaving the service he had resided in the town of
Falmouth, Kentucky and his occupation has been that of a laborer. That
prior to his entry into the service he was a man of good sound physical health,
being enrolled a farmer. That he was now half disabled from obtaining his
subsistence by manual labor by reason of his injuries, above described, received
in the service of the United States. He appointed William L. Southgate of
Falmouth, Kentucky his true and lawful attorney to prosecute his claim.
The record does not state if a pension was granted.
On May 21, 1891, William Monday again submitted a Declaration for Invalid
Pension under the Act of June 27, 1890. In this declaration he is again
listed as 48 years of age and a resident of Falmouth. He stated that he
was enrolled on the 21st. day of May, 1864 in Company D, 100th Regiment of
United States Colord (sic) Infantry Volunteers. Discharged on 26th day of
December, 1865 at Nashville, he was now two-thirds unable to earn a support by
manual labor by reason of "Disease of his feet the result of being frozen
whil (sic) in service and baynett (sic) wound of his left leg, Rhumatism and
disease of Breast and General Debilitation." His application for
pension was given No. 620713.
A letter appears in the record from the Commissioner of S. E. Division,
Department of the Interior to the Adjutant General, U. S. Army. It
requests a full military and medical history of William Monday stating that the
report from the Adjutant's office dated July 24, 1888 with other papers having
been lost, it becomes necessary to build the case up de novo. The letter
goes on to state that on that account, the case is to be considered special.
Two general affidavits appear in the record to support William Monday's request
for a pension. One is from Peter Euwell, aged 47, a citizen of Cynthiana,
Kentucky:
"I was personally well acquainted with William Monday the Claim (Claimant)
was a member of the same company. I was standing near the Claimant in the
fight near Nashville, Tennessee in December 1864. I saw the wound in his
leg and saw the blood running freely. I also saw the Claimant in January
when his feet was frozen. One of his feet especially was very badly
frozen. I think it was his right foot. He complained of misery in
his breast and coughed violently at said times. I have known the Claimant
from boyhood. He was a stout ablebodyed (sic) man when he entered the
Service. I was present and know the facts from personal
knowledge----"
The second affidavit is from Aaron Bradford aged 54, a citizen of Falmouth,
Kentucky:
"This Affiant Aaron Bradford states that he has known William Monday at
least 40 years. And he and William Monday enlisted together in the same
Company. And when he enlisted he was a sound ablebodyed man. When in
the Fight at Nashville, Tennessee he received a baynett (sic) Wound in on (sic)
of his legs. I am not certain now but to the best of my recollection it
was his left leg. He also had had his feet frozen while in the Service and
line of his duty. My means of knowing this fact is I was a private in the
same company and know these facts from personal knowledge. I have also
known him every (sic) since our discharge from the army and that he has
complained of the baynett wound and also his frozen feet. He is often laid
up and unable to work on account of his Injuries ever since his Discharge from
the Army."
Bradford further declared that affidavit was written in his presence and from
his oral statement and in making the same he did not use and was not aided by
written or printed statement or recital prepared or dictated by any other person
or persons.
Another form was submitted to the Department of the Interior dated December 1,
1897. It stated that William Monday is married - his wife was Susan
Monday, maiden name Susan Ramey. They were married August 11, 1886 by Rev.
John Henderson at Falmouth, Kentucky. William stated that he was never
previously married and had no children and never did have any.
William Monday died on August 12, 1899. Susan filed a claim for a Widow's
Pension. She stated therein that William died of apoplexy, paralysis and
general debilitation. She stated that neither she nor William owned any
real or personal property except for a few household goods or furniture worth
not more than fifteen or twenty dollars. She was destitute or without
means of support except for her own manual labor. Her rent was $4 a month.
She had no prior marriages and had no children. Apparently Susan was
granted a pension of $8 a month. She was removed from the pension roll on
April 20, 1901 because of death. The pension record does not state the
date of her death. A shallow depression in the ground near the headstone
of William Monday no doubt marks the resting place of Susan Monday. She
has no stone to mark her grave.
History has not recorded any great or brave deed attributable to this man.
He did indeed serve his country when the need arose and he no doubt spent his
remaining years in lingering pain as a result of that service. No children
or grandchildren remained to celebrate his memory or mourn his passing. He
now rests peacefully in the beautiful, quiet little valley with the small creek
running through it in the hills of Pendleton County.