James Keeling - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

James Keeling was a private in the Thomas Legion of the Confederate Army on the night of November 8, 1861, He was assigned to protect a vital railroad bridge at Strawberry Plains, Tennessee. During the night the bridge came under attact by Union Troops and Private Keeling true to his orders single handedly defended the bridge an repulsed the Union Attack. As a result of his actions Private James Keeling was awarded the Confederate Medal of Honor. Following the war Private Keeling lived the remainder of his life in the Bristol, Virginia – Tennessee area. James Keeling died on February 12, 1895 and is buried in the East Hill Cemetery in Bristol, Virginia-Tennessee.


The text of his Confederate Medal of Honor Citation reads:
"With instructions to guard the railroad bridge at Strawberry Plains against all marauders, Private Keeling single-handedly defended his post against an overwhelming enemy force intent on burning the bridge. Armed with but a single-shot pistol and a Bowie knife, Private Keeling killed the first enemy at point-blank range. In the desperate hand-to-hand fight that followed, Private Keeling was shot in the left elbow, the right arm, and the right hip, suffered three sabre cuts to the neck and scalp, and had his left hand severed at the wrist. Despite these wounds, Private Keeling
shashed to death two of his attackers and seriously wounded an undetermined number of the enemy before they fled the bridge."

NOTE: The Date of Birth is unknown. I was able to fine on bit of information that said he was about 28 years old when the event at Strawberry Plains occurred. The date of birth listed below is only an estimate and is not accurate.

Description: On September 20, 2008 the Bristol Herald Courier published this story by local historian BUD PHILLIPS, which details the story of Private James Keeling. At the beginning of the Civil War, James Keeling was a tenant on the farm of Frank Butler, which was a part of the old Shady Plantation. The East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad passed through this plantation. That railroad was of great importance to the South. The destruction of the bridges along that line during the war became a prime interest to the Federals. The railroad hired Keeling to guard the bridge located on the plantation site in what is now Strawberry Plains. He did his farm work by day and likely slept at the east end of the bridge during the night. About midnight on Nov. 8, 1861, a group of 40 Federals from Sevier County, Tenn., led by William C. Pickens, attempted to burn the bridge. Pickens was shot by Keeling, but he was not mortally wounded. Others of the group attacked Keeling. During the hand-to-hand struggle, Keeling was shot. His left hand was almost severed, his neck was gashed and scalp cut open to the skull, and his right arm was slashed near the wrist. The attackers thought they had killed him, and then, having no matches to complete the mission, rode away. In spite of his condition, Keeling walked nearly a quarter mile to the home of William Elmore, who sent for Dr. Robert Sneed. This doctor amputated the injured hand of Keeling. According to her diary, Sarah Stringfield, a granddaughter of Sarah King Williams, made a silk bag for the severed hand and early next morning, it was buried in the family cemetery at the feet of her father, Rev. Thomas Stringfield. In spite of these severe injuries and blood loss, James Keeling survived. Word spread of his heroic deed, and soon he was regarded as one of the southern Confederate heroes. John G. King, youngest son of Bristol’s Rev. James King, later visited his relatives at Strawberry Plains. While there, he learned that this southern hero was not doing so well economically. He moved him to Bristol and settled him on a small farm northwest of Bristol, Va., on or near the Benhams Road. At the best, life was hard for this handicapped man. He was barely able to eek out a living on his small farm on which he was settled. Old timers remembered that he survived winters by hauling firewood to town to sell. One highlight in a deprived and dreary life was that he was always a highly honored and respected guest at local Confederate reunions. These old veterans often referred to him as “The Horatius of the South” (which was a Roman historical legend about a hero who defended a bridge). Shortly before his death, Keeling moved into a small cottage in Bristol, Tenn. He died of pneumonia there on Feb. 12, 1895. He was buried in historic East Hill Cemetery in an unmarked grave near his fallen comrades. For years, the grave was neglected. At the annual memorial meeting in East Hill Cemetery on May 30, 1908, Dr. William T. Delaney started a movement to mark the grave of Keeling and gave the first donation. Others followed suit with donations of their own, ranging from 10 cents to $5, and soon the amount grew to around $400. A marble obelisk was then erected at the grave. At the annual memorial meeting in 1909, the Keeling monument was dedicated. On it, he is called the “Horatius of the South.” Date of birth: 01/01/1833 Date of death: 02/12/1895 Area of notoriety: Historical Figure Marker Type: Monument Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Daily - During Daylight Hours Only Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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