Francis Lincoln Souther
Together they had two beautiful daughters. Marcella Adams Souther, born 30 Oct 1858 and Annie Delight Souther, born 20 Dec 1860, both born in Quincy, Norfolk, Massachusetts.
Marcella never married and died 18 Nov 1928 in East Milton, Norfolk, Massachusetts.
Annie married twice, first to Captain Edwin Graves on 1 Dec 1881 in Quincy. She married secondly to James Edgar Moore in Brookline, Norfolk, Massachusetts on 17 Aug 1893. Annie died 26 Nov 1903 and is buried in Mount Wollaston Cemetery.
Francis enlisted for the Civil War on 16 May 1861 at Boston Harbor, Boston, Massachusetts; mustered in as a Private on 22 May 1861 and was mortally wounded at Big Bethel, Virginia on 10 Jun 1861 and died the same day after being taken to the Aquia Hospital.
Following is an article found in the Patriot Ledger, Saturday/Sunday November 3/4, 1990.
Fatality in Civil War
N.E. Mysteries by Curt Norris for the Patriot Ledger
"A weathered tombstone peers at passerby from a lonely hollow facing the road in Quincy's Mount Wollaston Cemetery.
Private Francis Lincoln Souther is known in some accounts as the first Union soldier killed in the Civil War. Souther, who came from a Quincy shipbuilding family, was a member of the 4th Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, a three-month regiment that left Quincy on May 17, 1861. But how he came to be known as such remains a question in history.
In early June 1861, the controversial General Benjamin Butler
at Fortress Monroe learned that the rebels had dug in about 12 miles away at a place called Little Bethel. And five miles farther, at a place called Big Bethel, where there was a church, they were entrenching even more firmly.
Union Troops under Brigadare General Pierce and Colonel Dunyen planned to attack Little Bethel at the break of day and then rush to overwhelm Big Bethel. As a precaution, no regiment was to make an attack without first shouting the watchword and the troops planned to wear white bands on their arms so that they could be recognize one another in the daylight.
A short distance from Little Bethel, the New York 3rd Regiment was accidently fired upon by fellow union soldiers, who mistook the head of the advancing column for Confederate Cavalry members. Ten men were wounded and two killed by the barrage. The rebels at Little Bethel heard the firing and fled with news of the action to Big Bethel.
The Union columns found the camp at Little Bethel deserted and rushed on to Big Bethel, where the rebels were expecting them. The Union troops, already disheartened by the earlier incident, found themselves preparing to attack at 10 a.m., knowing full well that they would no longer enjoy any element of surprise.
They fought for two hours, losing about 40 men, including Souther, before retreating.
It is hard to determine just how Souther, who perished at Big Bethel, became known as the first Union Soldier killed in the Civil War since we know at least two others died before he did. We can only assume that he came by the appellation because he was perhaps the first soldier killed by enemy action.
At any event, after his death, Souther's wife and two children had his remains returned to Quincy where he was interred at Mount Wollaston Cemetery, Old Section, in Lot 323, Plot 3 on 26 July 1861, his place in history apparently secure." His wife is buried in Plot 4.
From his Civil War Pension Records located the the National Archives in Washington, D.C., I have learned that the original pension that was dated 16 Nov 1861, was at a rate of $8./month (plus $2./month for each child until age 16) commencing 10 Jun 1861. Also in the file are a series of correspondence in April 1924 between the Honorable Henry Cabot Lodge and the Bureau of Records; apparently Miss Marcella A. Souther of 47 Revere Road, Quincy had requested that he ask the Bureau to return the papers that her mother had submitted to support the pension and the Bureau replied to both her and Mr. Lodge that the papers were then part of the permanent record and as such could not be returned.
One of the most touching pieces I have found concerning Francis is a letter written by his brother, Horace, from Virginia on the day that Francis died. It was transcribed from the original letter in an old scrap book compiled by Francis' daughter, Marcella. It was in the Quincy Patriot Ledger of 29 May 1935. It read as follows:
"Dear Father and Mother:
It is a sad duty that I have to perform now, that of informing you that my brother and your son is numbered with the dead. He was wounded on the field of battle yesterday and died about l8 o'clock last evening. He was perfectly conscious till the last and spoke of you both, of his wife and little ones.
The bullet passed through his right arm, through his body and out through his left arm. The following are the particulars. The day before yesterday I went to Newport News and was put on guard. During the afternoon the orders came to be ready to march at 12 o'clock at night towards a place called Old Bethel where some rebels were camped. Accordingly about 1500 men and two pieces of artillery started at the appointed time and were joined by about 2500 more from Hampton. They came in sight of the enemy's camp about 10:30 yesterday and commenced the attack. About 11 the artillery kept up a constant fire until their ammunition gave out, doing great damage to the enemy's breastworks. The Massachusetts boys then rushed into the parapets, the Quincy boys being the first and their captain the first man. Lieutenant Spear the next. Frank was amongst the first of the privates and it was there he received his wound. He had loaded his piece and fired twice and was loading the third time when the bullet struck him. He fell back into one of the Quincy boy's arms and was brought off the parapets, when some of the boys took him to carry him to the surgeon, He said, 'Put me down, boys. Let me lay, and do your duty.'
They were then ordered to retreat and they began to come into the camp at Newport News about five yesterday afternoon. Warren Spear was one of the first that came in and brought the news about Frank. He was the one that brought him off the parapets. When Captain Curtis came in he said, 'Horace, we have brought his body back to you. That is all we could do and God knows, if I could only have brought Frank back alive, I should be perfectly satisfied, for he was one of the best men in the company and fought like a tiger. He was within 10 feet of me when he fell.'
He then wrote me a pass to come down to the fort. Daniel French was with Frank all the time. He said he did not suffer but little and spoke of you all; and the chief nurse said this morning that he was a soldier, every inch of him.
It is too hard to think that he was picked out of the whole company and not another one was scratched.
Your Loving Son,
Horace"
Thus died Quincy's first and possible the Union's first soldier during the Civil War. Wrapped in an American flag, the body was sent home in a few months and buried at Mt. Wollaston Cemetery."
It is only befitting that the Square at the corners of Washington and Edison Park were dedicated in 1868 and named "Francis Lincoln Souther Square."
Note: Although his certified Death Certificate from Quincy says he died on 9 Jun 1861, I have left the date as the 10th. I believe that his own brother's letter and every newspaper article states that he died on the 10th. Frank was shot on the 9th but did not die until the next morning.
Francis was the 6th Great Grandson of Pilgrim John Alden.
Photographs are from the collection of the Quincy Historical Society.
Battle of Big Bethel - 10 Jun 1861
Company H - "The Hancock Light Guard" was under the Fourth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia
Find out about other Southers who served in the Civil War
I hereby give to you my humble award, to be placed on your awards page.
Best Regards, Pvt. Dale Campbell, 7th Wisconsin, Company I
Thank you Private Campbell for the kind comments about my site and for the Cyber Bivouac Award.
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