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Can you imagine what it’s like to physically hold the remains of your once-enslaved ancestor in the palms of your hands? This summer, I had that extraordinary experience after an archaeology team opened this Civil War hero’s grave in Tennessee.
Five years ago this month, I was stunned to learn that Sandy Wills was buried on a former slave plantation in Haywood County, Tennessee. In 2009, my genealogy research revealed that Wills had emancipated himself from slavery during the height of the Civil War in 1863 and enlisted in the United States Colored Troops with five other enslaved young men who were like brothers to him: James Wills, Andy Wills, Mack Wills, Dick Parker, and Richard Wills. They were all the alleged property of enslaver Edmund Wills. Sandy, along with his friends, were honorably discharged at the war’s end. Sandy married a former enslaved woman named Emma Moore and had nine free children.
My cousin Ethan West and I explained to archaeologist Dr. Jarrod Burks why it was important to rescue this military hero from an unmarked grave, which, luckily for us, had been protected by the descendants of enslaver John Bertie Moore for generations. They helped us in our quest to bring honor to an American hero.
In July of 2022, Dr. Burks and his team from Ohio Valley Archaeology used ground-penetrating radar and other high-tech instruments to get a sense of the number of possible grave shafts at this African Burial ground. No digging, just scanning the surface of a hill on private property. Even though I was born in New York City, I traveled to this rural town repeatedly to oversee this sacred project.
The results were jaw-dropping. My great-great-great grandfather was probably buried in one of the 25 graves identified … but which one?
After obtaining permission from a local judge in Haywood County, Dr. Burks returned to this hallowed ground with his team in April 2024. This time, they opened graves that had been sealed shut for more than a century. Thanks to a bit of detective work with clues from Sandy’s enlistment record, which noted his height at five nine and a half inches tall, Dr. Burks pin-pointed Sandy’s grave. The U.S. military confirmed his findings.
On August 9th, they conducted the final exhumation of this Civil War Veteran. His mostly dissolved remains and nails from his original wooden coffin, fit in the palms of my hands, which I proudly placed in a brand new shiny casket: the best that money could buy!
135 years after his death, the United States Military held a recommittal ceremonial at West Tennessee State Veteran’s Cemetery in Memphis, which is about an hour from Haywood County. At last, Sandy Wills was finally buried with full military honors, including a 21-gun salute. On November 11, 2024, an American flag was planted on his fresh grave for the first time in 135 years. He’s now at eternal rest with his comrades. It was an honor to accomplish this sacred mission on behalf of my ancestors who served in chattel slavery.
Source: www. Cherylwills.com
