Confederate veteran's tombstone

This is the tombstone of William Billy Poore, 1848-1913. Interestingly the middle name is not a nickname, but part of his given names. William enlisted in the 16th Mississippi Infantry in April 1863 when he was 15 years old, thus the reason for the Confederate flag on his grave. The 16th Mississippi served in the Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee.

William, his wife and many of his children and other relatives are buried in the Union Seminary Baptist Church Cemetery in Jasper County, Mississippi. One of the reasons they are all buried together is that they also were members of Union Seminary Baptist Church.

You can read more about William and his Civil War exploits and that of his two older brothers in Poore Boys In Gray or on the companion blog.