My GreatGreat Grandfather, Hosea Fitzwater b 16 Nov 1830 d 3 Feb 1865 was a saddler in the 7th WV Union Cavalry, Co. K. He enlisted in 1861 at Gauley Bridge and died of typhus at a hospital in Charleston WV 3 Feb 1865. He was from Kesslers Cross Lanes Nicholas Co WV. I am trying to find his place of burial. Would it have been in the Charleston WV area or back home? The war was still going on then so I wondered about his burial. I've searched all on~line cems for Nicholas Co WV and most of the Kanawha Co cems and all of the National Military on~line cems listings and have so far came up empty. Any one know? I have been looking at the WV Archives and am planning a trip there next Summer. Thank You, Lee

Lee,

I know from my own research that families did try to retrieve the remains of their loved ones and their personal effects. For one of my ancestors and for a distant cousin, grave markers were erected (one in the nearest cemetery where many relatives were buried, and one on home ground of his parents). It is possible that his remains were taken home and that he was buried near his parents' home, or on their farm if they owned land. A marker may have been put up 'at home' even if the family could not retrieve the remains.

In these two instances, the families applied for Government headstones when they became available by law in 1879. I looked in the index of these records on ancestry.com and did not find a listing for your man.

An isolated marker on a farm might not be read as a 'cemetery' except by the most diligent of volunteers.

It is also possible that a marker was never erected. This happened with huge numbers of people everywhere. Probably the family intended to install a marker, but for one reason or other never did. If you look at family land records, sometimes a deed selling part or all of a farm mentioned that there was a graveyard on the cite to which access would be granted by the buyer, or excepted sale of the cemetery (often describing its location on the land). Such records would be among the deeds filed in the County Courthouse, which you must search in person or hire a researcher to do so for you.

Good hunting,
Jade

Jade, Thank you for your reply. You have thrown a different light on this search for me. His father died young, when he was a boy of 5 yrs. So, his mother probably had a hard way to go. I haven't been able to find their burial sites either and this could explain where the family could be buried~the old home site. I will check into this when I go to WV this coming Summer. Once again, thank you. Happy Hunting to you too~ Lee