Those who have watched Ken Burns documentary of the Civil War which sometimes I refer to as the chick flick of the WBTS might remember the name of Major Sullivan Ballou of the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry who was killed at 1st Manassas. Ken Burns thought one of his last letters home to his wife was so romantic and patriotic that he kept the letter in his wallet and read the letter on the television show.

Today while searching for something else I noticed while reading an old newspaper on microfilm at the Louisville Public Library I came across an article that mentioned trying to find Major Ballou at Manassas in March of 1862 so they could take him home. A Union POW taken at 1st Manassas remembered where they buried Major Ballou at the hospital which the building no longer stood but were able to find the grave site. And when they opened his coffin they were in for quite a surprise. I'll post the newspaper article relatively soon but it is hard to read and may have some missing words.