5/19/2023 0 Comments Co aytchAnd steps from his grave stands one of those ubiquitous (and addictive) Civil War Trails tablets. Atop the 1st Tennessee veteran’s gray-granite marker sit tokens of remembrance left by visitors: pennies, nickels, dimes – even a pen knife, which seems a bit odd.īehind us stands historic Zion Presbyterian Church, Watkins’ longtime place of worship built, in part, by slaves. Clearly, Watkins – one of the “stars” of Ken Burns’ 1990 Civil War documentary – is not forgotten. On a steamy Tennessee afternoon, Ruth Hill McAllister and I meet in-person for the first time, at Zion Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Columbia, where the remains of her famous ancestor rest along with his wife, Jennie. This image of Sam Watkins hangs in Ruth Hill McAllister's I promise to rectify that, especially now that I have a copy of the latest version, signed by Watkins' great-granddaughter. Like this blog on Facebook | Follow me on TwitterĬonfession: I have not read Company Aytch, Confederate soldier Sam Watkins’ classic memoir, which puts me in a minority among my Civil War friends, acquaintances, and hangers-on according to an informal poll. Ruth Hill McAllister at the grave of Sam Watkins, her great-grandfather.
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