The Civil War

In 1966, after Civil War high school speech, classmate named Hall told me his father had a notched stick from Civil War ancestor. As soon as I saw notched stick handed to me by Mr. Hall, I knew it’s a rare Civil War item called a “battlestick” (having notch for each battle owner experienced.) Told stick from Murlin Hall who’d enlisted from Neptune, Ohio. (He’d said Murlin Hall owner, but initials on stick’s handle M.M.?) Mr. Hall said stick was made by owner from limb of cherry tree in his farmyard. Never finding in my research of area’s 71st OVI, a Murlin Hall, I stored battlestick in my collection.

In 2016, after Civil War speech, woman told me about ancestor named McKendree Murlin from Neptune who’d served in 71st OVI. My mind jumped! M.M. from Neptune! He’d been in seven battles (seven notches) and in 8th battle of Nashville, Tenn. he was wounded in stomach and died on Dec., 1864. Family lore tells how McKendree’s wife sees him leaning aginst tree in farmyard, runs out to greet him, but he wasn’t there! This had been at the moment he’d died in war! It had been his ghost under cherry tree from which he’d cut his battlestick!