Gravestone of Charles A. Thatcher

Thatcher_Chas.jpg

Dublin Core

Title

Gravestone of Charles A. Thatcher

Subject

Inscription:
Charles A. Thatcher
Capt. U.S. Navy
Killed near the mouth of the Red
River, Louisiana, while in the
service of his country,
commanding U.S. Gunboat
Gazelle
Nov. 26, 1864,
Aged 27 Years.

Description

Lieutenant Charles A. Thatcher, son of George A. and Rebecca Billings Thatcher of Bangor, Maine, commander of the Union gunboat U.S.S. Gazelle, a side-wheel steamers, on the Red River, Mississippi, when he was attacked and killed by two Confederate guerrillas at Raccourci, near Williamsport, Mississippi.  

Lieutenant-Commander John J. Cornwell, U.S. Navy, commanding Second and Third Districts, Mississippi Squadron, reported to Brigadier-General Daniel Ullmann, that the two rebels not only murdered Thatcher but mutilated his body. Cornwell pledged retaliation and carried out an attack against local residents, burning stores of corn, sugar, and molasses as well as the buildings in which the resources were stored.  He also commandeered all the livestock that was found.

Thatcher’s mutilated body was returned by rail to Bangor, Maine for burial using funds from his own estate, which he provided for prior to leaving to serve.  A gold pocket watch believed to be Thatcher’s was also sent to the family, which returned it after confirming that the watch did not belong to the Lieutenant.   Thatcher is buried in the family plot in Mt. Hope Cemetery, located directly across from the Superintendent’s house. 

Creator

[no text]

Source

Stewart, Charles W. (1914). Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Volume 26. Washington, D.C. pp. 745-746. Online.

Publisher

[no text]

Date

Stone: ca. 1864
Photograph: 2012

Contributor

Kimberly J. Sawtelle

Rights

© 2012 Kimberly J. Sawtelle. All rights reserved.

Relation

[no text]

Format

Marble

Language

English

Type

Tablet

Identifier

mhc_2012.7

Coverage

[no text]