“When he died, all things soft and beautiful and bright would be buried with him.” ― Madeline Miller
Discovering a lost relative is a wonderful thing, but what if that relative did not have a name? This was the case when we visited Jefferson Barracks earlier this year. We stopped to visit the graves of two Revolutionary War heroes who are my husband’s direct ancestors.
On the headstone of Col. Thomas Hunt was engraved simply “Granddaughter”. Who was this person? Why was their name not known? My husband, the researcher that he is, took hold of this like a bulldog on a bone.
Discovering A Lost Relative – Background And Context
We already knew these graves had been moved from another site, Fort Belle Fontaine. According to the website: “The original site of the Corps campsite and the first Fort Belle Fontaine have been destroyed by shifts in the Missouri River channel.” This included the graveyard, requiring the relocation of those interred there, including an infant grandchild of Col. Hunt.
It is understandable, that somehow, in the mass moving of the gravesites names would be lost. Articles describing this effort state that after the river had flooded the graveyard many buried there were unearthed. Headstones and markers were dislodged as well. One can imagine the mess. I appreciate those who respectfully put things right.
Discovering A Lost Relative Name
So when Col. Hunt was reinterred at Jefferson Barracks, his headstone stated his name, date of birth, and date of death, along with his granddaughter. Interestingly, the child’s date of death was registered as the same as his.
Through digging and some serious detective work, Dr. Dave discovered who this child was. The child was in fact a grandson: Thomas Hunt Snelling. He was named after his grandfather, Col Thomas Hunt, and was the 18-month-old son of Abigail Hunt Snelling.
Abigail was the sixth of twelve children born to Col Hunt and Eunice Wellington Hunt. In 1805 at the age of eight, she resided with her family at Fort Bellefontaine. During this time she met Lewis and Clark who were embarking on their historic expedition.
She married Captian Josiah Snelling(1), a 30-year-old widower at the age of fifteen in 1812. In 1818, the then Lieutenant Colonel Snelling was ordered to the St Louis area. While there, they visited the graves of Abigail’s parents who had died within six months of each other in 1808.
It was during this visit that Thomas Hunt Snelling became ill and died. They buried him beside his namesake grandfather. Infant deaths were not uncommon during this time. However, I am sure the grave was initially marked correctly. Abigail’s story can be read at Abigail Snelling, Military Wife, Military Widow. written for the Minnesota Historical Society in 1994. It is a comprehensive and well-documented paper.
How Was The Gender Confused?
We do not know. One account is that the Hunts cared for one of Zebulon Pike’s young daughters while at Bellefontaine. During this time she took ill and died and was buried at Bellefontaine. Subsequently, an error was made in the confusion of the cemetery flooding and subsequent reinterments.
In anycase, given the documentation uncovered both in the Minnesota Historical Society piece and the St Louis Newspaper, we now know that the child buried with Col. Hunt was a grandson, Thomas Hunt Snelling.
Three Ways A Name Matters
Names are important. Since the beginning of time, mankind has been authorized to name creation. This includes our offspring. It’s in our DNA. When a child is nameless it feels wrong.
A Name Gives A Person A Place in Time And History. It’s by names we know where we are. Names associate us with certain geography at any one moment. Without a name, there is no hook. It gives us presence.
A Name Gives You A Place In A Family. A family tree is populated with people with names. Not numbers, names. Sometimes that place is named after another in the family as a point of connection and respect. Other times, parents choose a name as a statement of a child’s personality or gifting.
Names do matter. Little Thomas Hunt Snelling was my husband’s cousin. He died 10 years after his grandfather in 1818. We are thrilled to know his name.
Do you agree? Are names important? Please comment below.
(1) Fort Snelling, MN is named after this Army Officer.