Union Civil War Soldier Comes Home

 Corporal John P. Byrne of the 21st MO. Infantry is finally coming home to be laid to rest. He died in 1920 and was cremated. His sealed urn was placed on a shelf in a storage mausoleum waiting for someone to bring him home. After an extensive search by a niece, he was located and will be buried next to two of his brothers, Harrison and Lucian, who also fought for the Union.
Funeral and burial arrangements are being made for Saturday, May 28, 2005. The wake and vigil will run from 12:00 noon on Friday till 12:00 noon on Saturday at the Payne Funeral Chapel and at the Courthouse which sits in the center of the town of Memphis, MO. The Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, 1861-1865 organization is assisting the family with these arrangements to give this soldier a Veteran's service. Since this may be the last funeral and burial of a Union Veteran, the family understands that there may be many who will want to come and pay their honors. They are most graciously permitting us to claim John as one of our own, so that we may use this as an educational example of our Civil War history. Corporal Byrne's funeral and burial will bring to light our plight to save our historic sites, cemeteries, monuments and battlefields. A Memorial Fund has been established to help with this.
We are planning for Friday evening at the Courthouse Square, a time to celebrate the lives of John and other soldiers from the Memphis, MO. area. Some of the historical and educational entertainment programs will be:
· Memphis, MO. during the Civil War.
· The history of the 21st MO. Inf.
· The MO. Medical Brigade explaining John’s war injuries.
· Musicians and singers performing period and patriotic music.
· Gen. John Logan’s Order #11 for Memorial Day.
· The evening will end with John's eulogy.
John not only had two brothers that also fought for the Union, but he had another older brother Charles, who fought for the Confederacy. Charles was living in Virginia at the outbreak of the Civil War and joined the 27th VR. Inf. CSA. To our knowledge, the brothers never met on a field of battle and continued their relationships after the war. The family has asked that we honor all of these brothers. Therefore, Charles will be represented as a pallbearer, with a CSA cannon salute and with a CSA Taps salute.
The Daughters of Union Veterans MO. Tent # 20 and the Sons of Union Veterans MO. Camp #62 are the organizers.  For more information visit http://www.duvcw.org
 
 

Civil War Union Burial

 Corporal John Peyton Byrne, of the 21st MO. Inf. died in 1920, was cremated and has been waiting 85 years to be brought home for a funeral and burial.  Arrangements are being made for Saturday, May 28, 2005. The wake and vigil will run from 12:00 noon on Friday till 12:00 noon on Saturday at the Payne Funeral Home at Memphis, MO. The Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, 1861-1865 organization is assisting the family with these arrangements.  Full military rites are being organized by the Sons of Union Veterans, MO. Camp #62.
 For information visit http://www.duvcw.org
 

MAY 27, 28, 2005 - MEMPHIS, MO.
Last known funeral and burial of a Union Soldier.  Come and be a part of this final chapter of Civil War History.  Corporal John Peyton Byrne of the 21st MO. Vol. Inf. has been found and will be laid to rest with all possible Veteran’s honors.  Corporal Byrne died in 1920, was cremated and has been waiting to be brought home for burial with his family.  He will lay in state at the Payne Funeral Home for a 24 hour vigil and wake starting at noon on the 27th.  A period funeral parade will commence at 1:00 p.m. on the 28th with a 1 ½ mile route to the Memphis Cemetery.  Graveside services will be conducted by the GAR, the SUV and the DUVCW.  For information and ongoing updates please go to http://www.duvcw.org Commemorative items will be available for purchase on the web site.  Proceeds will go for historic preservation.  Organizers:  DUVCW MO. Tent # 20 and SUV MO. Camp # 62.