COURTLAND
The United Daughters of the Confederacy’s Jerusalem chapter prepared a ceremony in St. Luke’s Episcopal Church cemetery this past Sunday to honor the soldiers and volunteers who fought in the American Civil War.

During the group’s Confederate Memorial Day on April 26, there was also a special presentation planned for a recipient so humble that he had to be tricked into believing he would be escorting his wife, Patsy Bradley, or he might not have shown up. Chapter president Rhonda Copeland presented UDC’s Stonewall Jackson Medal to William Bradley, who did a large amount of the research that enabled the group to honor 11 people buried in St. Luke’s cemetery.

“The Jerusalem chapter knew there were Confederates buried in this cemetery. But much to our surprise, members found names of 11 from various sources,” Copeland said. “Billy Bradley, please accept our heartfelt appreciation for your tireless research on these confederate soldiers buried here. Without your diligence, today’s celebration would be much shorter.”

Chapter members read the names and what portion of their story that could be recorded of all 11. They were Capt. Joseph Williamson Urquhart, Sgt. Anselm B. Urquhart, First Lt. John Julius Kindred, Gen. William B. Shands, Capt. James Henry Rochelle, Maj. Littleton R. Edwards, Pvt. Charles Cooper Williams, Pvt. George Wyatt Williams, Lt. Joseph Brown Prince, Sgt. Benjamin Franklin McLemore and Second Lt. William Walter White.

“There may be other confederate service individuals unknown to us in this place,” said Jean Kirkland, the committee chair for the program. “Today we salute all confederates and all service personnel who have served that our great nation remains free. God’s blessings on all and may God continue to bless America.”