Memorial Day weekend has arrived along with some much-needed rain. The forecast still looks promising for grilling, cornhole, and my family’s tradition of visiting the resting places of our loved ones.
Memorial Day also brings an annual reminder of the sacrifices many have made and the folklore of my Great Grandfather’s Uncle George Sarvis.
We don’t know a lot about Uncle George, but he wasn’t very tall (none of the Sarvis men were) and he seemed to have a pension for showing off.
George served in the 129th Regiment of the Illinois Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War alongside his brother, William. In the summer of 1864 George and William’s regiment were involved in the siege of Atlanta. The siege lasted from May to September with the Battle of Atlanta occurring on July 22.
This happens to also be George’s final resting place and where the folklore begins since. The Sarvises were “Pennsylvania Dutch” and had migrated to Illinois from Ickesburg, Pa., prior to the war. Keeping tradition, the family prayed in German, almost exclusively, which was viewed as a talent or oddity in their regiment.
Naturally, George was compelled to show this off. Sitting in their encampment, George read his bible in German to his fellow soldiers before a stray bullet found him. This was just two days before the Battle of Atlanta.
His brother, William, returned from the war with his brother’s bible, displaying the evidence of George’s last moments.
While I can’t confirm the validity of William’s story, our distant cousins do still hold the bible and can attest to its bloodied pages – a lasting reminder of the lives lost during those long years of turmoil.
This Memorial Day weekend we remember those who sacrificed everything to give us the freedom we have today.
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