Family • History • Remembrance
Their Names Shall Not Be Forgotten
Our mission is to honor and preserve the names and stories of the often-forgotten soldiers whose lives helped shape our regional character and family histories.
Behind every name is a life lived, a family raised, and a story worth passing down to the next generation.
Here, we honor those who came before us and try to ensure their stories are not lost to the passing of time.
In Remembrance
Those Who Came Before Us
We rightly honor the great generals of our Southern resistance. The names of Jackson and Lee are written on our hearts. Along with these famous generals marched farmers and laborers--people who wouldn't become famous, but whose families remember their courage and sacrifice. These are some of their stories. More biography snapshots of brave southerners will be added soon.
Family photograph of James Allen Barnett (Center)
Family Remembrance
James Allen Barnett
This is my great-great-great-grandpappy, James Allen Barnett.
He enlisted to defend the Southland and served as a Private in the 9th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry, during the American Civil War. Following the Battle of Nashville, he was held as a Prisoner of War.
Outside of his military service, James was a hardworking farmer. He toiled the land and raised children. He taught his children and grandchildren to honor the Lord and honor the Southland.
Family lore claims that for generations afterward, the men in our family would not wear any blue article of clothing--to avoid looking like a Yankee.
In remembering James, we preserve not only the account of his service, but also the story of the man, the farmer, and the ancestor whose memory has been carried forward by his descendants.
Unidentified Confederate soldier with his wife and baby, 1861–1865.
Faces of the Forgotten
A Soldier and His Family
Behind every soldier was a life beyond the battlefield. There were wives, children, parents, and loved ones whose own stories became part of the war.
This surviving photograph depicts an unidentified Confederate soldier seated with his wife and infant child. Although their names remain unknown, the image preserves a moment in the life of a nineteenth-century family.
Photographs such as this offer a personal glimpse into the lives of those who experienced the American Civil War. They remind us that the historical record consists not only of campaigns and battles, but of individuals and families.
Their identities may be lost to time, but this image remains part of their story.
Unidentified young Confederate soldier, circa 1861–1865.
Faces of the Forgotten
An Unidentified Young Soldier
His name is unknown. His regiment, hometown, and personal history have not been identified.
Yet his likeness survives in this hand-colored tintype from the American Civil War. Wearing a Confederate uniform and a slouch hat decorated with a plume, he posed for a portrait that would outlast his own recorded identity.
Like so many who served during the conflict, this young soldier represents a life whose individual circumstances are now largely beyond our knowledge.
Preserving images like this is one way of keeping the historical record alive, even when the names and stories behind the photographs have been lost.
Preserving Their Legacy
Every Soldier Matters
History remembers great battles and famous names, but countless others lived, served, worked the land, and raised the families whose descendants are here today.
As we uncover more of these stories, we will continue adding their names to this place of remembrance.
Help us remember the unsung heroes by submitting your own family stories and photos of those who served during the War for Southern Independence. Share their story with us in an email to Businessbelle@civil-gifts.com.
May their memories live on.