Garland Cortez Mitchell

   Cause of his death was train accident.

  General Notes:

The below story posted at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~momonroe/mitchell.htm

(Farmer, Post-office, Holliday)

“Every one who remembers the closing events of the war has a distinct recollection of the sinking of the steamer Kentucky, in June, 1865, on its way from the South after the general surrender, freighted with ex-Confederate soldiers returning home. It was loaded down almost to the water’s edge with brave veterans of the South who for more than four years had gone through the hardships and dangers of one of the most terrible wars of which history gives any account, and who were now on their way back to the loved ones from whom they had been separated so long, and who were watching and waiting at each doorstep to see the care-worn form of the absent ones appear before them. But many of these brave men, after escaping death on many hard-fought field and in the more deadly morasses and everglades of the South, were destined never to see home again. Whilst they were on the boat, their hearts swelling up with fond anticipations as they neared closer and closer to those who were watching for them, the unhappy boat went down amid a mighty rush of waters, and soon all was quiet again, but 700 brave soldiers were buried beneath the waves never more to see home or loved ones, for their spirits had taken their flight from the earth forevermore. Garland C. Mitchell, the subject of this sketch, a brave ex-Confederate soldier, was on the fatal boat at the time it went down, but as by miracle, almost, escaped with his life.

He, too, had been gone for four years and had done his full duty as a brave soldier from the beginning. He enlisted in Capt. Crow’s company, formed in Monroe County early in the war, and remained out until the close of the struggle, taking part in all the terrible death-duels of the war, where duty called. Returning to Monroe County, he resumed the occupation of a farmer, to which he has since continued to follow. November 15, 1870, he was married to Miss Jennie Bierly, a daughter of Christopher Bierly and May (Butts) Bierly. Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell have three children: Eddie C., Mary F. and Effie R. He and wife are members of the M.E. Church South. Mr. Mitchell is a native of Kentucky, born in Oldham county, April 10, 1841. His parents were Charles P. and Rebecca (White) Mitchell, who removed to Missouri, settling in Monroe county, when Garland C. was 16 years of age, where they still reside.”


000000000000 the following taken from http://www.shreveport.com/Disaster_on_the_Red.htm

The Kentucky's Last Voyage

At 6:30 pm on the evening of June 9, 1865, the Kentucky left Shreveport bound for New Orleans with 800 passengers, baggage and provisions. For the most part, the passengers were paroled Confederate prisoners (some with their families), weary veterans of the Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana regiments - the larger portion being Missourians that had defended Shreveport. Most of the prisoners had been paroled two days before and were eager to get home. Among the passengers were Captain Anthony Walton of Glasgow, Missouri, his wife, Mary Winn Walton, and their six children, ranging In age from four-month old Nannie to 18-year old Clemmie. Mary Walton and the children were crowded into the "Ladies' Cabin" on the aft portion of the boiler deck with the families of some of the other soldiers. Many of the paroled were sleeping where they could about the bow or in the forward cabin on the floor. The forward part of the Kentucky's main deck was also packed with 250 horses that the parolees had been allowed to keep after the surrender. To say the ship was over-crowded would be an understatement. Some two hours into her voyage, the boat struck a snag; one of the partially submerged logs that made the Red River notorious. By about 9:30 it was discovered that the boat had about two and a half feet of water n the hold.

No alarm was given to the passengers at first. Survivors of the sinking suggest that the ship's pilot wanted to make for shore but the Federal officer in charge of the transport ordered the Kentucky to keep moving down river. The vessel ran for about four miles after the leak was discovered, but by the time the captain finally turned for shore, the Kentucky had settled so much that he could not get near enough to the bank to put out his landing stage. A stern line was run to shore, but it snapped immediately. The boat swung out into mid-river, where the current is strong and the water deep and the bow was carried under, the boat careened over on side leaving only about 20 feet of the hurricane deck and the stern remained above water. As the boat heeled over, pandemonium broke out in the over-crowded decks below and passengers rushed for the hurricane deck. Adding to the confusion, the Texas deck caught fire as coal oil lamps spilled their contents. A largenumber of passengers were trapped in the forward cabin and drowned; estimates of losses ran as high as 288. The women on board, who occupied the ladies' cabin aft survived but several children were lost (The New Orleans Times, June 15, 1885). The loss of life was unusually heavy for a snagging accident.For some reason yet to be explained, the solders were permitted to remain asleep, in fancied security, while the boat had thus filled with water and was sinking; and thus nearly all of the solders were carried under with the boat. Some who were outside or could easily extract themselves, rose to the surface and swam out; some clambered up the sides and floor of the boat. Estimates of losses ran as high as 200. The heaviest loss occurred among those on the forecastle, composed of many Missourians.

Garland married Virginia Jennie Bierly. (Virginia Jennie Bierly was born in 1847 and died in 1913.)