Wordless Wednesday - Vicksburg National Cemetery

If you read Mississippi Memories today, you saw a photograph of the entrance to Vicksburg National Military Park, site of the decisive Battle of Vicksburg. On July 4, 1863, the City of Vicksburg surrendered to Union troops and virtually lost control of the Mississippi River. I took the photograph posted here on an early Spring morning in 2008, when fog from the Mississippi River still partially blanketed the historic town and the park, both situated along the wooded bluffs of the river. But even the shroud of mist that covered the park that morning does not prevent one from seeing the acres of graves present in the Vicksburg National Cemetery. Of the approximately 18,000 individuals buried in the cemetery, over 12,000 graves are those of unknown soldiers who fought for both the North and the South.

Just Who was Mary J. Byne?

According to her intricately carved gravestone, Mary J. Byne was born in 1790 and died on May 23, 1860, and was "aged about 70 years" when she was buried in Liberty Chapel Cemetery, near Ethel, Mississippi, in Attala County. Mary's gravestone is an interesting one. It shows a young woman in a flowing dress, with her head propped in her right hand, while her right elbow and left hand are resting on a some type of monument that is similar to a tombstone.

An immediate question comes to mind.....what does the far away look represent? Is the image reflecting on years past, or is she pondering her eternal future?

Something about this gravestone made me want to know more: Just who was Mary J. Byne?

So I began a search for something about Mary the person. I wondered if I might identify her relatives, or at least the relative or friend who cared enough for her to mark her grave with such a lovely gravestone. But my search has not yet uncovered that information.

First, there are no other Byne family members buried in that cemetery or others nearby. I found this simple fact alone to be odd, since Mississippi family members were more often than not buried in the same cemetery, especially in 1860. Maybe Mary was unmarried.

Next, I searched for Mary Byne on census records in Mississippi, but I was unsuccessful in locating anyone by that name who was "about 70 years" on either the 1850 or 1860 U. S. Census Records. This finding makes me believe that Mary had not arrived in the U. S. in 1850, perhaps was living in another state, or maybe that she even had another name at that time. The fact that I did not find Mary on the 1860 U. S. Census was predictable, since she likely had already died by the time the census was taken in September of that year. Oddly, I did find a Mary J. Byne, aged 24, who lived in another Mississippi County, with other family members named "Youngblood."

As I continued to search, I found a "Mary Byne" who appears on the 1850 U. S. Census taken in the 8th Ward of the town of Madison in Jefferson County, Indiana. Mary's birthplace, like that of four other household members, was shown as "Ireland." Others enumerated in the household were Catherine, Bridget, Margarett, and Michael. Strangely, no ages and no relationships are shown for Mary or others appearing in that household. I finally located an individual enumerated as "Mary Byne"on the U. S. Census of 1860, living in Stamford (Fairfield County) Connecticut. Since she was already 71 years of age when the census record was made in August 1860, it appears unlikely this person is the Mary Byne buried in Liberty Chapel Cemetery.

Although my search did not reveal the information I sought, Mary continues to lie at rest under the lovely gravestone placed there many years ago by someone who considered her dear.

But I will continue to wonder: Just exactly who was Mary J. Byne?

The Grave of Judge Jason Adams Niles, Kosciusko City Cemetery

The grave marker shown here is that of Judge Jason Adams Niles, who was born on December 19, 1814 in Burlington, Vermont. After graduating from the University of Vermont, Jason Niles became a teacher.

While still a young man, Niles settled in Attala County, Mississippi and subsequently became a lawyer, where he was active in state and local politics for over 40 years.

Judge Niles served as a circuit judge for the 13th Judicial District from 1871 to 1872, and in 1872, he was elected to the 43rd congress, where he served one term. Judge Niles died on July 7, 1894, just a few months before his 80th birthday, and he is buried in the Kosciusko City Cemetery. The diary kept by Judge Niles between the years 1861 and 1864 is a popular tool among Attala County genealogists, since it contains an account of everyday life in Attala County during the Civil War. A link to an electronic copy of the diary, now maintained by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, can be found on the Attala County Memories blogspot, located at http://www.attalacountymemories.blogspot.com/