This document is the official discharge of Morgan B. Ramsey from the Grand Army of the Republic. Morgan B. Ramsey was a corporal in the Union Army, Kentucky Company 49, Mercer County.
He was born in 1844 and died in 1930, the son of Madison Ramsey (b.1814) and Sarah Burdette (b.1808). He married Lucy Jane Preston after his service to the Union.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~kymercer/CivilWar/Union/49inf/49inf-5.html

I know of none in my lineage who actually died in battle.
All of that being said, I do honor three in my line this day. According to a family genealogy that my grandfather located, Thomas Browne served in the Revolutionary War. (As an attorney I must admit that we would be hard pressed to prove it in a court of law at this point. Any help from genealogical or war researchers would be greatly appreciated!)

My namesake, Ignatius Brown served in the War of 1812. Again, we would be hard pressed to prove it legally. My father often heard it from his grandfather, who was telling history that he heard from his grandfather.

That exhausts my Brown Vet stories. I will now turn my attention toward my Hickman lineage, which contains a bonafide Veteran.

My dad's mom is the youngest child of Benjamin Harrison Hickman (born 1890) of Benham, Virginia and Nell Shockley of Berea, Kentucky. Nell was the daughter of William Shockley and Sally Alice Ramsey. Sally Alice was the daughter of Morgan B. Ramsey.

Thus Morgan B. Ramsey is my great, great, great, grandfather.


My grandmother, who was raised in a home that displayed the document pictured above, sent a picture of said document to the War Department back in the 1980's and got Morgan B. what time had not bestowed upon him -- an official government-issue veteran's headstone. Mom is searching for a picture of the same, and once she finds it I will post it here.

We cannot say for certain that Morgan served on the battlefield, although it is highly likely given his dates of service and the following from Wikipedia:

Kentucky was the site of fierce battles, such as Mill Springs and Perryville. It was host to such military leaders as Ulysses S. Grant on the Union side, who first encountered serious Confederate gunfire coming from Columbus, Kentucky, and Nathan Bedford Forrest on the Confederate side. Forrest proved to be a scourge to the Union Army in such places as the towns of Sacramento and Paducah, where he conducted guerrilla warfare against Union forces. Kentucky, being a border state, was among the chief places where the "Brother against brother" scenario was tragically prevalent.

Pictured above: Morgan B. Ramsey's great, great, great granddaughter holding his more than 140 year old discharge rom President Abraham Lincoln's army. .

It is difficult to read the document online, so here is what is written on it. Green was printed on the form, "red" was filled in with a fine hand (calligraphy).

Fraternity, Charity and Loyalty
This is to certify
that
“Morgan B Ramsey”
entered into the service of the
UNITED STATES
on the “Twenty Eight” day of “December” 186”2”
and served
“Served Two Years in Co.D, 49th KY”
and was honorably discharged
on the “Twenty Sixth" day of “December” 186 "4" and
Mustered as a Comrade of
“Capt. James West Post No. 171”
Grand Army of the Republic
Department of
“State of Kentucky"
on the "Twentieth" day of "August 18 [illegible]”
“L.G. Duncan” ”
Adjutant
“Arthur Madison
Post Commander
(Under Picture of Lincoln)
The Soldier’s Friend

I have located little on the web about Captain James West, other than that which follows:


http://www.civilwarhome.com/atlantaorderofbattle(union).htm
The Atlanta Campaign
Union Order of Battle
Organization of the Union Field Forces
Maj. Gen. WILLIAM T. SHERMAN, Commanding
4th Kentucky e (mounted infantry):
Col. John T. Croxton.Lieut. Col. Robert M. Kelly.
Capt. James H. West. Lieut. Granville C. West.Capt. James I. Hudnall.