![]() One day my father introduced himself to a man as they sat before a hotel.The man repeated the name and said it was the first time he had heard that name since 1862 that a young soldier of that name had been fighting beside him at the Battle of Malvern Hill and been decapitated by a cannon ball. One report was relayed by his niece,Mamie Jemison Chestney,in a family history she compiled for her own nieces and nephews.In it,Chestney states: “While his parents knew where he died, it was many years before they knew the details. Two almost identical accounts claim Private Jemison’s life was snuffed out by a cannonball. A misconception perpetrated in 1906, however, has led many scholars astray as to the exact cause of his death. It is how he died that eludes us.And we want to know-we want to learn his fate.That he died during the Peninsula campaign as his regiment attacked Union positions in the July 1, 1862,Battle of Malvern Hill is an established fact. and he enlisted in the 2nd Louisiana when he was 16 years old. ![]() Jemison, Company C, 2nd Louisiana Volunteers, killed at Malvern Hill,has appeared in countless books and articles.His obvious youthful innocence has conjured up strong emotions in many who had seen the photo.To many, his face is a tragic icon of the Civil War,and a symbol of the lost generations and lives cut short by all wars.But despite the image’s popular use,a mystery surrounds the Confederate soldier.ĭetails of his life can be found in numerous records-he was born in 1844, one of five children born to Robert and Sarah Jemison the family lived near Monroe,La. The haunting photograph of Private Edwin F. The recent discovery of an eccentric veteran’s horrific tale of his demise seemed to bring closure. ![]() For years he was misidentified and the manner of his death remained unknown. This vulnerable young private’s face has long been an icon of the Civil War. The Mystery of Private Edwin Jemison Close
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