Samuel McNeese born 1835
and died September 17, 1964 in
Andersonville Prison

         For over 145 years the final resting place of Samuel McNeese born 1835 in Greene County, Tennessee was not known.  Family stories told of him being killed, or captured and died in a prison camp.  But no one ever knew where.

        In March of 2010, while looking through medical records of Andersonville Prison, I found an entry that appeared to be him.  His last name was written correctly but when the records of those who died at Andersonville were transcribed he was listed as "McKeese", and the marker on his grave was written "McKeese.

         A letter has been written to the Director of the National Park Service asking that the marker be changed.   One can only imagine the suffering Samuel and to endure at Andersonville, wasting away and dying of Chronic Diarrhea.    

         It is easy to see how the mistake was made.  In the image below marked Exhibit A, he is listed on line 10.

        Line 10  “12481 McNeese, S Private G Company 8th Tenn”. If you look at the preceding line, it list Mulligan, T. W.  The “g” in Mulligan extends down to the “N” below, and one could easily mistake it for a “K” thus “McKeese” instead of “McNeese”. 
 
       Two additional Hospital records were then located in which his name was clearly written "McNeese".

        Exhibit B - The Hospital Register of Andersonville for September 15-18.  Samuel is listed on line 11 with T. W. Mulligan above. IN this document his death is reported.    The document indicates he died on September 17; however the database (Exhibit D) indicates he died on September 18.

        Exhibit C – Another Hospital Register of Andersonville .  Samuel is listed on line 7.  T W Mulligan is listed 4 rows above him. This record clearly shows the last name as being McNeese.  In all three, he is listed as a private in G Company 8th Tenn, and in Exhibit A and B, he is listed as number 12481.

       In the database of Andersonville his name is incorrectly listed.

Exhibit “D”
Code No:  19140
Grave No:  9140
Last Name:  Mc Keese
First Name: Samuel
Rank:  Private
Company:  G
Regiment:  8
State:  TN
Branch Of Service :  Cavalry
Date of Death:  9/18/1864
Cause of Death:  Diarrhea C.
Remarks*  09/17/1864 [3]
Reference:  p 63 [3]; TN ADG RPT, DEAD ROLL: 684
Status: Died at Andersonville
3 = List of Union Soldiers Buried at Andersonville; Dorence Atwater, 1865.