From: SueTrout@aol.com
To: <skiner@pioneerplanet.infi.net
Sent: Saturday, August 07, 1999 10:50 PM
Subject: Phineas Smith, Co. B, 27th IA Inf.

I'm not sure what the focus of your interest in the 27th IA is, but I have some information on Phineas Smith of Co. B, 27th IA Inf., should you be interested.  I also have a copy of his obituary (he died in 1912).

Smith is buried in Linwood Cemetery in Cedar Rapids, IA (Linn County), and is one of the approximately 185 Civil War soldiers buried at Linwood that I'm currently documenting and compiling personal histories on.   In addition, I designated which markers needed replacement, resetting and/or cleaning, and those projects are ongoing.

If you're interested in the information on Phineas Smith, please let me know and I will supply what I have, or I can send a copy of his obituary.  My sole interest in doing this is to inform.

Regards,
Sue

Hi, Steve Kiner forwarded your message to me.  I do have a website for the 27th Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry.  I would be very interested in having whatever information you have on Phineas Smith (including a picture of his tombstone, if you have it).  I would love to add the information to the website.  I know Steve gave you the URL, but just in case, here it is again:

http://genweb.net/27th-Iowa/

I gathered from your email, that you are not a descendent of his, but rather are working on documenting the cemetery?  Even so, I would give you credit for the submission.  I greatly appreciate you contacting Steve with this information.
 

Elaine Johnson

Elaine,

I will send you a copy of the obituary for Phineas Smith, which was provided to me by someone at the Linn Co. Genealogical Society here in Cedar Rapids.  It appeared in the Cedar Rapids Gazette on Saturday, May 18, 1912, but if you need exact info I will see if that was what the Gazette was called at that time (it might have a slight variation, as The CR Evening Gazette).

No, I am not a descendant of Smith's.  In fact, I am not a descendant of any of those buried at Linwood.  I am simply trying to put together a record of those Civil War soldiers buried there, before records are lost and markers become unreadable. And in my case, I guess, it's also accumulating a community history as most of these men lived and died in this area, which is then another facet of their commonality.  I only wish I had about ten lives so that I might do this at other cemeteries in the area!!  I will send you a photo of Smith's marker. It needs cleaning and resetting, but I can clean it well enough now to get a decent picture, then I'll send one once all the work is complete.  Smith's wife, Ann, is also buried there, and possibly a son born in 1863. The only information I don't have, but would like, is Smith's enlistment and discharge dates.  If you happen to have them, would you mind sending them?  I would really appreciate that as I would like to add the dates to his record, as the SUVCW are also maintaining the records that I send them.  If you don't have them, that's fine as I need to make a trip to the SHSI in Iowa City soon, and can check there.

Thanks, and best of luck with your own research!

Regards,
Sue

Sun 08/08/1999 3:53 PM

Sue, how nice of you to take on a project like that.  Yes I do have some information on Phineas Smith, taken from Iowa Roster and Records of Iowa Soldiers in the War of the Rebellion. 1908-11. Volume 3-4.  Brookhaven Press La Crosse, WI.  I have the entire roster on my website.

Smith, Phineas  Age 34.  Residence Lansing, nativity New York.  Enlisted Aug. 11, 1862.  Mustered Sept. 1, 1862.  Taken prisoner Dec. 20, 1862, near Waterford, Miss.  Paroled and exchanged.  Returned to Company Nov. 28, 1863.  Mustered out Aug. 8, 1865, Clinton, Iowa.

Thank you so much for your efforts.

Elaine Johnson

Elaine,

Thank you so very much for the information on Phineas Smith!  Should we need to order him a new stone sometime in the future, we have all the necessary information, thanks to you!  It is very much appreciated!

The copy of the obituary is in the mail.  It's not too hard to read but a bit blurry across a few lines in the middle. The text refers to the T. Z. Cook post of the G.A.R., which are the words that are hard to read.  Smith's stone states that he was born in 1828 while the obit. says he was born in 1824.  Going by the info you sent, the stone would be the correct one and the obit is wrong.

The obituary doesn't list Smith's wife's name, which was Ann.  Ann was born in 1837 and died in 1901.  There is a stone beside that of Phineas for someone named Harry P. Smith, 1863-1910, and I'm wondering if he might have been a son.  The obit. states that six children survived him, so would not list this Harry, who died in 1910 while Phineas died in 1912.

I'll send the pictures as soon as I get them back!  Again, thanks for your help!

Sue
 
 

Hi, Elaine!

I got the pictures back that I'd taken of Phineas Smith's grave stone and will mail them today.  I think that after I do a proper cleaning of his stone, I will send new pictures but I don't know exactly when that will be.  By the time I did an impromptu cleaning of his stone - I didn't have my usual equipment with me to do a good job - it was getting dark, but they came out all right.  Still, they will be better after I clean his stone properly. I'd like to get a shot that shows his regiment information more cleanly.

Right now I'm working on cleaning a section of stones that old (pre-1900) obituary writers called The Old Soldiers Lot, which contains the graves of 36 soldiers placed in 3 long rows.  I have cleaned 20 of the stones so far, 2 have been replaced, and I have 14 to go.  After that I will start on the larger area that contains Smith's stone.

I sent a copy of his obituary which you should have received by now.

Again, I appreciate the information you sent on Smith.  If I can help you in any way, please don't hesitate to ask!

Take care,
Sue