I had known for years that my Great Grandfather,
James Knox Polk Burnett from Sharps Chapel
fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War.
James was buried in Browning Cemetery & moved
with other family members by the TVA in 1935 to
Big Barren Cemetery. The year of birth was
engraved incorrectly on his head stone. I never
really had the burning desire to find out more
about him or other members of our family until a
few years ago when my mom, Bonnie Burnett
Sanford, indicated she wanted to find out more
about her heritage. Growing up as a youngster in
Union County our family seldom talked about
their past and when questions were asked of my
grandparents, Cleatus and Della Jane McBee
Burnett, and other relatives the typical
response was “Why do you want to talk about that
for?”
On one particular visit back home to Union
County, about three years ago, I met Lynn Sexton
at Big Barren Cemetery where he gave me an email
address of a man who was researching the
Burnett’s. He told Lynn the date of birth was
incorrect on James’ marker. Impressed with this
information, I contacted Eric Beeler. I found
he was a Confederate Civil War Re-enactor, from
Knoxville & a 4th great grandson of Martin
Burell Burnett. Eric had found in his research
quite a bit of information including several of
the Burnett brothers Civil War Pension
Applications. Eric indicated that Martin and
William Burnett were also buried in Big Barren.
He also knew the exact location of John
Burnett’s grave in Ousley-Graves Cemetery in
Sharps Chapel. Eric though had not been able to
find the pensions or graves of Pleasant or
Daniel Franklin Burnett. He felt Daniel was
possibly captured then sent to Camp Morton
Confederate Prison in Indianapolis, Indiana &
died there. Martin Burnett and some of his
brothers were captured by the Union Army & sent
to the same prison.
Returning home I began searching for Pleasant
and Daniel Franklin Burnet. After several months
and untold countless hours of research via the
internet as well as phone calls, through the
grace of God, I finally located the burial
places for both Pleasant and Daniel. Soon
afterwards I made a trip home to visit their
along with the remaining brothers grave sites
and place Confederate Flags on each grave.
Daniel Franklin’s grave was the only one marked
with a Confederate Military Veterans marker. I
ordered the remaining brothers markers via the
Veterans Administration and had them delivered
to my home in Indiana.
Martin and James Knox Polk’s applications were
denied because their graves were already marked
so I had a marker made for James. In March of
2007 I met Eric Beeler in Middlesboro where he
helped me proudly place the markers there & in
Union County, TN. The following morning My Mom,
Uncle Milus Burnett, cousins, Sue & Hilda and I
met in Big Barren Cemetery and placed James Knox
Polk Burnett’s marker in front of his family
head stone.
All six sons of Bayless Sylvester & Louisa
Miller Burnett were born in a part of Claiborne
County which is today Sharps Chapel, Union
County. They all fought for the Confederacy
during the Civil War. Family versions state
Bayless, who was a Confederate Scout, went to
Cumberland Gap to take ID tags he made for each
of his sons and to fight with them. A battle was
just ready to start & Bayless was sent to the
rear because he was too old. He rode off and was
shortly killed by or for his horse. Another
family version is he was captured by the Union
Army and hung for treason. Burial locations for
Bayless & his wife Louisa are unknown.
Update Sept. 4, 2011: A Burnett reunion was
started in Rose Hill, VA. August, 2008. The
reunion was moved to Sharps Chapel, TN. August
2009. At our August 2011 reunion it was approved
to take reunion funds & purchase a Confederate
marker For Martin as well as memorial markers
for Bayless and Louisa Miller Burnett. The
decision was made to place Bayless & Louisa’s
memorial markers in Ousley-Graves Cemetery,
Sharps Chapel. After the Civil War ended Louisa
lost her home & land. . It is believed she moved
in with her son John Burnett who lived nearby.
John & his wife were laid to rest in Ousley-
Graves Cemetery. Louisa may be buried there in
an unmarked grave.
Martin Burell Burnett, born 30 Dec. 1830, died
29 Dec. 1899. Served as a Private in Carter’s
1st, Tenn. Cav. Company L. Buried in Big Barren
Memorial Cemetery, Union County, TN.
Martin was captured at Cumberland Gap, TN. taken
to Camp Morton, Indianapolis, IN. . It is
documented he was absent from his command in
March, 1864 Martin was later exchanged for Union
Prisoners. Martin did not take the Oath Of
Allegiance at the surrender at Cumberland Gap.
Martin married Louisa Jane Lay on 17 Mar 1861,
then Surelda Jane Phipps on 07 Jan 1873.
John Burnett, born 12 June 1832, died 23 Dec
1905. Served as a Private in Carter’s 1st, Tenn.
Cav. Company L. Buried in Ousley-Graves
Cemetery, Sharps Chapel, Union County, TN. In
the Battle of Piedmont VA., John was wounded in
the right forearm by a gunshot breaking his
radius and dislocating the ulna at the lower
extremity causing loss of use of his right arm.
He was left wounded in the battlefield and when
found taken to a house and from there to a
hospital in Arlington, VA. The attending
surgeons were Dr Hoffman and Dr Lightfoot. John
a prisoner of war remained in the hospital until
Lee surrendered. John took the Oath for
Protection. John married Emily (Emeline) Sharp
on 10 Jan 1856.
Pleasant Burnett, born 02 Feb 1837 died 16 Dec
1915. Served as a Private in Ashby’s 2nd.
Tennessee Cavalry. Buried in Colson/Middlesboro
Cemetery, Middlesboro, Bell County, KY.
Pleasant was never taken prisoner nor was he
listed as injured during the war. Pleasant took
the Oath of Allegiance at the surrender at
Cumberland Gap on the 5th of May 1865. In
Pleasant's wife’s, Matilda Jane Barker Burnett,
pension application as stated by witness Steve
Owsley that he was with Pleasant when they were
cut off from their command by the enemy about
six months before the surrender. Pleasant
married Matilda Jane Barker on 08 Mar 1868
Dr. William M Burnett, born 06 Jun 1840, died 16
Jan 1914. Served as a Private in Ashby’s 2nd.
Tennessee Cavalry. Buried in Big Barren Memorial
Cemetery, Union County, TN. William was not
wounded but developed diabetes during the march
from Clinton to Monticello, KY in March 1863.
Chronic diarrhea and rheumatism was contracted
in Georgia in the spring of 1864.William was
incapacitated for duty due to these illness and
was not discharged from the Army, he was sent to
GA for the purpose of resting up and nurturing
his health. William was furloughed from Dalton,
GA for 14 days to get a horse for service and
furnished transportation to Bristol VA.. William
could not get back to his command because the
enemy was between him and his command and he
could not travel at night. William then found
and was attached with Col. Carters 1st Tennessee
Cavalry and served until the end of the war.
William was captured and taken to Camp Morton,
In and paroled on May 5th 1865.by US Army Col.
W. Y. Dillard. He was a medical doctor. William
married Cordelia A. (Cordie) Monroe on 19 Aug
1869.
James Knox Polk Burnett, born, 06 May 1842, died
03 Jan 1929. Served as a Private in Carter’s
1st, Tenn. Cav. Company L.. Buried in Big Barren
Memorial Cemetery, Union County, TN. James Knox
Polk Burnett filed a Tennessee Soldier's
Application for Pension on 8 Sept., 1913.
Louisa Angeline Carter Burnett, wife of JPK
Burnett, filed for Civil War Widow's Indigent
Pension on 4 Feb. 1929. In his State of
Tennessee Soldiers Application for Pension dated
Sept. 8th, 1913 James listed his date of birth
as 6 May, 1842. He received a flesh wound in the
hip. Their unit was disbanded in 1865. In this
Civil War pension application James indicated he
did not take the Oath of Allegiance. A Knoxville
Journal death notice which ran in 1929 indicated
James was the last surviving Confederate Soldier
left in Union County at the time of his death.
James headstone is engraved he was born in 1882
which is incorrect. James married Louisa
Angeline Carter on 21 Dec 1882.
Daniel Franklin Burnett, born 20 Feb 1845, died
29 Mar 1918. Served as a Private in Carter’s
1st, Tenn. Cav. Company L.. Buried in
Nurseries/Old Thompson Cemetery, Rose Hill, Lee
County, VA. No pension or Widows pension has
ever been found for Daniel Franklin or his wife
Rhoda Bales Thompson Burnett. His name is listed
in the roster of Tennessee Confederate Soldiers
and his grave was identified by a Confederate
Bronze Civil War Marker. Daniel married Rhoda
Bales Thompson on 01 Aug 1867 then Sarah M
(Sally) Hobbs Robinson after 1913.
Some of the battles the Burnett brothers fought
in are: Piedmont, VA. in 1864, Winchester TN,
Jefferson Springs, La Vergne, Nolensville,
Murfreesboro, Cumberland Gap, Kingsport, Dalton,
GA, Marietta, GA 20 June 1864 & New Hope Church
VA., 27 Nov 1863 - 2 Dec 1863.
After the war ended & during reconstruction,
some of the brothers not protected by the Oath
of Allegiance fled into Southwest VA. as they
feared for their lives. They returned to Union
County in the last 1860’s.
It has never been found any of the Burnett
brothers owned slaves. They were poor farmers
and barely had enough to feed themselves. They
fought for the South, for the homeland they
dearly loved.
The following was communicated on 28 July 2005
From 1st. Sgt E. Beeler 63rd. Tenn. Inf. who is
the 4th great-grandson of Martin Burell Burnett
to his cousin, Don Sanford, family researcher
and the great grandson of Martin’s brother,
James Knox Polk Burnett.
"My dear sir, why would I fill uncomfortable
with that with what you have gathered; now
Martin and his brothers will live forever and
another generation that I have never seen will
know their hardships. The information I did give
you, but without your own free will, you would
have never emailed me. You took the journey that
James has asked you to take. There is a reason
you search for these answers, there is a reason
I reenact the war that cost us so dearly. I am
50 percent southern and 50 percent Cherokee and
in the Cherokee belief, if you forget of these
men and what they tried to protect, then they
are dead, but if you and I and the ones that
read what you have written then they will live
forever in our hearts and minds. If we forget
what they witnessed, then our children, our
grandchildren will repeat the same mistakes. I
am much honored that you mention me in your
history and so is Martin. Hard times they lived
in cuz, the war cost them everything. They died
poor and we people of the south still fill the
scares of the Great War today. Teach your
children and grandchildren of the horrors and
pain these great men went through."
Don Sanford
Anderson, IN
email
ohno2311@comcast.net
