Here is an article published in the Dallas Morning News 02-08-99, re: searching Confederate graves. ******************************************************* Union soldier's descendant sees him honored Reburial in State Cemetery ends quest lasting 17 years 02/08/99 By Terrence Stutz / The Dallas Morning News Around Central Texas AUSTIN - For James Briones, it's a new grave from an old war, a monument to properly honor his great-great-grandfather - the lone Union private in a field of Confederate grays. Last month, six decades after his death and 134 years after he served his nation in the Civil War, Antonio Briones received a full military burial in the Texas State Cemetery. How the old soldier's remains came here is a story of perseverance by his great-great-grandson, who searched for years for his ancestor's grave and then labored to get him the recognition he deserved. Unlike most of the other Civil War veterans buried nearby, Antonio Briones fought to preserve the United States as a member of the First Texas Cavalry of the U.S., the only Texas military unit that fought for the Union. Only one other identified veteran of the Union army is buried in the cemetery - the man who was Mr. Briones' commanding officer and later a governor of Texas, Edmund J. Davis. The graves of nearly 2,000 Confederate soldiers lie between the two in the gently sloping cemetery in east Austin. James Briones began the search for his forefather more than 17 years ago, after his own father died. His father had told him that his great-great-grandfather had fought in the Civil War, but there were few details, and no one knew where he was buried. He and family members scoured cemeteries in Central Texas on and off for years without luck. He also sought information from the State Archives and military records authorities. "I was pretty discouraged," he said in a recent interview. "Everyone I went to had no information." Finally, about five years ago, while walking with his daughter at the Oakwood Cemetery in east Austin, a groundskeeper told him of an old headstone with the name Briones on it. "When I saw the name on the headstone, my heart dropped," he recalled. The dates showed that his great-great-grandfather was born in 1845 and died in 1938. After taking photographs of the headstone, he returned to the State Archives, where a staff member told him of a mistake that had prolonged the search. "He told me that the military unit listed on the grave fought for the Union," Mr. Briones said. "All along I thought he fought for the Confederacy, and the records I looked through were for Confederate soldiers." The information was confirmed by the National Archives in Washington. The First Texas Cavalry fought in the Rio Grande Valley, Louisiana and Mississippi. Convinced that his great-great-grandfather deserved a more fitting resting place, Mr. Briones began asking about the possibility of re-interment at the State Cemetery. "This man fought in the Civil War. We were very proud of him and felt he deserved this, even though he died many, many years ago," he said. His efforts were aided two years ago when the Texas Legislature passed a law that changed the eligibility rules for the State Cemetery. For most of this century, burial sites were available only for former governors, statewide officeholders and legislators. One could also be admitted by special proclamation of the governor. But lawmakers in 1997 appointed a three-member State Cemetery Committee to oversee the grounds and consider granting other burial sites for individuals who've made a significant contribution to the state - based on recommendations from legislators. After learning about the new rules, Mr. Briones approached Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos of Austin and asked him to recommend a site for Antonio Briones. The request was made, and the cemetery committee gave its approval last fall. "One of the most interesting things about his case is that most people assume that everybody from Texas who fought in Civil War was in the Confederate army," said George Christian, a longtime Austin political consultant and a member of the cemetery committee. "Of course, that was not the case. Texas furnished many good soldiers for the Union. People have even forgotten that Sam Houston was thrown out of office for refusing to swear allegiance to the Confederacy." The State Cemetery, created in 1854, at one time contained the graves of about 60 Union soldiers who served in Austin during the Reconstruction period after the Civil War. But, according to Mr. Christian, their remains were moved to the national cemetery at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio just after the turn of the century in 1900. That left Gov. Davis as the only identified Union soldier in the cemetery for nearly a century, until Antonio Briones was buried about 150 yards from his one-time commanding officer on Jan. 27. Every day now, Mr. Briones, 56, passes the cemetery on his way to work as a city bus driver. He visits the site when he can and believes Antonio would approve of his final resting place. "It is one of the few places in the cemetery where you have a clear view of the Capitol," he said proudly. Stutz is based in the Austin Bureau of The Dallas Morning News. ************************************ Harold Williams, Rootsweb Sponsor Mesquite, TX (Dallas suburb) willhn@flash.net