Sgt. Uriah R. Gillihan, (CSA)

URIAH GILLIHAN, Sergeant 28 Tennessee Infantry (2 Mountain Reg't Tenn. Vols.) Confederate States of America.

Uriah R. Gillihan from Jackson Co. TN and T.W. Phillips from Overton Co. TN had been members of the 28th Confederate Infantry and had fought in several major battles such as, Shiloh, Fishing Creek, Stone's River.

Both had been either wounded or sick and were furloughed from the army. Gillihan and Phillips met in Putnam Co in the spring of 1865 while on the way home. Lee had surrendered in April but they were not aware of it. They attended a dance at Buffalo Valley and became involved in a dispute. Fearing for their lives they left Buffalo Valley and went to the home of Charles F. Burton, arriving about daylight.

Mr. Burton being a Southern Sympathizer fed the two boys and sent them to hide in a cabin down in the Tom Hollow.

They were discovered by the Home Guard who marched them around the area, then physically tormented them with bayonets. They were then tied to separate trees and shot by the Union men. When the two bodies were discovered Charles F. Burton had them wrapped in blankets and buried.

Mr. Burton had a rock wall built around the graves which he kept clean and decorated with flowers for the remainder of his life. There are descendents of the Burton family, and the Lewis Fletcher family, who helped bury the soldiers, still living in the Chestnut Mound area who are knowledgeable about this event.In the 1970's Guy Boyd, grandson of Lewis Fletcher, that helped build the wall around the gravesin 1865, was instrumental in getting stone markers placed at the graves.

Sources; Film Number M231 roll 16 http://bgill1963.tripod.com/ourgillihanclan/id14.html