David Rohrer died on November 21, 1862 in Nashville. He lived in Johnsville (a community no longer in existence just west of New Lebanon and just a few miles north of Farmersville). David didn't die of battle injuries but rather of disease, common during the war.
I researched him during my years writing for the Dayton Daily News. I was actually attracted to the tombstone first. The text thereon led me to the man.
I have since that time (probably about 2000) placed a flag on his grave each Memorial Day.
While researching David's story, I met a living relative who had a bundle of his letters sent home from the war. I placed scans of them on the net and they can be read here.
David was the son of Simon and Harriet Rohrer. A brother near in age is buried beside him at the U.B. Church in Farmersville. His grave, being west of the church, is one of only a handful that escaped being buried beneath a parking lot behind the church.
Not too many years after David's death his mother followed him to the grave under mysterious circumstances. The family had one tragedy after another, beginning with David's death.
Today, 155 years after David's death, we still remember him. And I will as long as I live.
No comments:
Post a Comment