Military Monday: Benjamin Franklin Jaggers in the Civil War

B F Jaggers grave at Nashville National Cemetery

Genealogists can be so nice and helpful! About a week ago, I was searching Find-A-Grave for information on where my 4th great grandfather, Benjamin Franklin Jaggers, was buried. I knew that he had died in Tennessee in Civil War and found that he was buried in the National Cemetery at Nashville. However, I was sad to see that nobody had posted a picture of his grave. I figured it wouldn't hurt to post a request for a Find-A-Grave volunteer to take a photo, but wasn't really expecting anything. Lo and behold, a very helpful volunteer named Florence Keels  trekked out into the snow and snapped a photo of the gravestone for me! It's now up on his Find-A-Grave memorial page, and I've included it here, too. Thanks, Florence!

Benjamin Franklin Jaggers was born on June 30, 1832, in Morgan County, Alabama, to Thomas Garrison Jaggers and Martha Vest. He was one of nine children, and grew up a farmer in Alabama. He married Nancy Catherine Sandlin on February 15, 1852, and they had three children, including my GGG grandfather, Jesse James Jaggers.

As many young Alabama men did, Benjamin joined the Confederate Army, enlisting on July 21, 1862, and mustering in at Huntsville, Alabama, on August 18, 1962. He was 30 years old and a Private in the 1st Alabama Cavalry. Benjamin would not get to see much, if any, action during the Civil War. Less than two months after he joined up, he died on October 16, 1862, of measles (also known as "Rubeola") in Hospital #14 at Nashville, Tennessee. He is buried at the Nashville National Cemetery in Section A, plot 4518.

Here are some of Benjamin Franklin Jaggers' Civil War records. My favorite is the one that tells us a little bit about him, including:

• He was 5'10 1/2" 
• He had a dark complexion (there's legend of Cherokee genes on that side of the family, but I've yet to prove it)
• He had light hair and blue eyes
• He was 30 years old at enlistment
• He had enlisted for a term of  three years