I saw this on the Missouri Civil War list and thought it might be of interest to some on this list. ----- Original Message ----- From: <JOJO52023@aol.com> To: <MO-CW-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 01, 2002 3:45 PM Subject: [MO-CW] CONFEDERATE SOLDIER GRANTED DYING WISH > The following article was published April 29, 2002 in the Associated Press > from Laurens, SC. > "Captain's remains buried in hometown" > "Capt. William Downs Farley had one request before he died June 9, 1863, to > be buried at home in Laurens City Cemetery. On Saturday, the Confederate > soldier's dying wish was finally granted. > Farley, a South Carolina volunteer killed at the Battle of Brandy Station, > was buried after a memorial service attended by 1,000 people in Public > Square. Many wore period uniforms and paid their final respects to a native > son who was one of Confederate Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's most trusted officers. > Police blocked downtown streets as a horse-drawn caisson carrying Farley's > remains edged along the streets. A color guard and honor guard flanked > Farley's casket. > Farley was fatally wounded by a Union cannonball in 1863. He was 27. He > was buried in Fairview Cemetery in Culpeper, VA. Many soldiers at that time > were buried near the battlefield where they fell, rather than at home. > Virginia attorney Ed Gentry, founder of the Museum of Culpeper History, > spent 18 years researching Farley's background and war record, and worked to > have his remains brought to Laurens. > On Saturday, Gentry poured dirt from Farley's Culpeper grave atop the > casket. "Closure is an overused word," he said, "but it is certainly > appropriate this weekend." > Farley joined the 1st Carolina Infantry Regiment as a private and was > promoted to lieutenant by the fall of 1861. He fought at the first battle of > Manassas, VA, spent time as a POW in Washington and became chief scout for > J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry. > J.E.B. Stuart IV, a descendant of the general, said his ancestor and > Farley had a relationship built on admiration. Stuart said that Gen. Stuart > once ordered his soldiers to stop a Union supply train and that Farley > grabbed a shotgun, chased the train and killed the engineer. > After the ceremony, the casket was brought to the cemetery, where taps > played and pallbearers folded a flag draping the casket. The flag was given > to descendent Mary Farley Johnsey, who had granted permission on behalf of > the family in the 1980's to exhume the remains. > In Virginia, Farley ahd been buried in a plot belonging to a family named > Ashby." > > > > Submitted by JoAnne Cole > > > ==== MO-CW Mailing List ==== > "Ah was close to the battle front, and I seen all dem famous men. Seen Gen'l Lee, and Grant, and Abe Lincoln. Seen John Brown, and seen the seven men that was hung with him, but we wasn't allowed to talk to any of 'em, jes' looked on in the street. Jes' spoke, and say 'How d' do. But ah did talk to Lincoln, and ah tol' him ah wanted to be free, and he was a fine man, 'cause he made us all free." > Former slave, Richard Toler > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > >