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Franklin’s adopted Civil War son, Harold Becker, turns 92 today. You will recall his father, Charles Conrad Becker, fought in the 128th Indiana at Franklin. I’ve blogged on Harold and the reburial event we had recently many times before.
Funny story . . . Harold told me he was born on October 30th and his brother was born November 1st. For years his mother always celebrated BOTH their birthdays on Halloween, October 31st. He told me he was much older before he even realized his birthday was actually on October 30th!
Civil War sons James Brown, Sr. and Haorld Becker
Picture courtesy of Al Wagner Photography.
Here are some highlights of some of the very interesting things we learned about Mr Harold Becker this weekend:
- Harold admits he was the “most spoiled kid” in Michigan growing up, essentially being raised by three old maids.
- He attempted to get into the military in the early 1940s but his right eye was bad and was designated for “limited service”. Harold was not happy about that, claiming, “Gimme a rifle and I’ll show you I can out shoot all those boys!”
- Harold’s grand-father came to America from Germany in the late 1840s and headed off to San Francisco in 1849 during the “Gold Rush”. He was never heard from again.
- He was a personal friend of then-Congressman Gerald R. Ford, while maintaining that friendship even when Ford was President.
- Harold’s first car was a Model-T Ford passed down to him from his father.
- He has been married to Dorothy for 68 years. The secret? “Make sure you kiss your wife before you go to bed, and don’t go to bed mad.”
- Harold says his favorite baseball player of all-time was Ted Williams.
- He attended the Chicago World’s Fair – Century of Progress – in 1933 with his Dad.
- Harold still has his father’s – Charles Conrad Becker’s – original Enfield musket. It was used at the battle of Franklin.
- He told me that the events of this weekend were a “real highlight” of his life.
We took Mr and Mrs Becker to the Carter house grounds before they left for Michigan this morning. Here are some highlights of our visit. We also took him to a spot at Lewisburg Pike, and to McGavock Cemetery.
Harold Becker at Carter grounds.
Mr Becker was very impressed with the bullet damage in the Carter smokehouse building walls.
Mr Becker's father - Charles Conrad Becker - was a rifleman for the 128th Indiana.
Mr Becker was just amazed with the Carter grounds.
James Brown, seated left, and Harold Becker, seated right, attend the graveside service for an unknown Civil War soldier in Franklin, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. Brown, 97, of Knoxville, Tenn., is the son of a Confederate soldier who fought at Shiloh and Gettysburg, and Becker, 91, of Grand Rapids, Mich., is the son of a Union soldier who fought in the Battle of Franklin. The unknown soldier’s body was accidentally unearthed from a shallow grave by construction workers. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Civil War sons Harold Becker and James Brown, Sr., meet for first time.
My wife and I hosted a dinner tonight with Mr and Mrs Harold Becker (married 68 years) – Harold is a true living Union veteran’s son; and Mr James Brown, Sr., and escort Mary Cushman. Mr Brown is a true living Confederate veteran’s son.
Mr Becker got to our home several hours before Mr Brown did. I asked Mr Becker if he had ever met a living son of a Confederate veteran before. He said, “No.” I then asked, “What are you going to do when you meet Mr Brown tonight?” Mr Becker threw out a big smile and said, “I’m going to give him a big hug!”
Well . . . . a Confederate-son and a Union-son met in my living room around 6:00 pm tonight. All in attendance stood speechless with our eyes glued to the two men – both in their nineties – as they greeted one another. You could have heard a pin drop.
It seemed like these two men bonded in seconds as they immediately started sharing stories about their fathers – who literally fought on opposite sides in the Civil War.
What did they say first? They both immediately talked abut how their fathers did not hold grudges after the war.
Union-son Harold Becker (left) meets Confederate-son James Brown, Sr., (right) meet for the first time in Franklin, TN.
Brown and Becker became instant friends.
Charles Conrad Becker, 128th Indiana
If you’ve been following this blog for the past several days you know that our Franklin community is re-burying an unknown Civil War soldier this Saturday. The soldier’s remains were unearthed during construction in May and the long process of properly re-burying this American soldier comes full-circle after five long months.
A living true-son – Harold Becker (age 91) – of a Union Civil War soldier will be an honored guest in our ceremonies. Mr Becker’s own father, Charles Conrad Becker (1846 – 1934), was a member of the 128th Indiana (1864-1865).
Immediately after the Civil War ended the U.S. government assigned several Union regiments to attend to the ghastly task of re-burying Union soldiers who had died and were hastily buried in mass trenches in Confederate prisons. One of those prisons was at Salisbury, N.C. Charles Conrad Becker, a native of Crown Point, Indiana, was assigned with his 128th comrades to re-bury thousands of Union soldiers in Salisbury.
Charles’ son, Harold, says that his father never wanted to talk about that experience. Who could blame him? What could possibly be more ghastly and horrifying than digging up decomposed, diseased-ridden bodies in a defunct Confederate prison camp? The peace that Charles Becker could not find in re-burying Union Civil War dead nearly 150 years ago might finally come full-circle this weekend when his son Harold participates in a fitting and honored tribute and re-burial of the Franklin unknown Civil War soldier.
For more info:
Drawing on right was of inside barracks in August of 1862
As I have been involved in the past couple of weeks communicating with and learning about the two living sons of Civil War soldiers coming to visit Franklin for our reburial event this weekend I have been struck by the graciousness of the two sons and especially their fathers (who actually fought ‘against’ one another).
James Brown, Sr’s father – James H.H. Brown – did not hold ill-will against his Northern neighbors after the war:
“He was not bitter. He did not have the least bit of bitterness toward the Yankees,” Brown said about his father, who was wounded twice in fighting. (Tennessean, Oct 4th, 2009)
And Charles Conrad Becker’s magnanimous spirit equaled Brown’s:
“He saw those Confederates coming at him and in his estimation they were brave souls,” Becker said. (Tennessean, Oct 4th, 2009)
We can learn a lot from these fathers-sons today.
These primary participants, men who spilled one another’s blood, and watched it spilled on American soil, found the generosity of spirit to look past sectarian interests, geographic-myopia, and just plain hate as they looked one another in the eyes in the reunions for many years after the Civil War ended and saw a real human being who was caught up in an absurd nightmare of unconscionable proportions between 1861-1865.
In short, many if not most of the actual participants in the Civil War buried the hatchet in the immediate years after the war ended.
Where is that same spirit of reconciliation and generosity today?
I’m haunted frequently by the words of Franklin’s resident-novelist Robert Hicks who seems to never miss an opportunity to ask this question, “What is the relevance of the Civil War today?”
Though some today might believe the American Civil War is NOT over, the real relevance today regarding the Civil War is how have we healed as a nation since that great divide almost 150 years ago, and perhaps there still is some reconciliation that needs to take place?
Some would still prefer to cling to symbols (on either side) that inflame, divide, and express our differences. People do this today through the flags they still wave or fly outside their walls, the stodgy arguments they still make, the uniforms they still wear, and the hidden-agendas they bring to another board meeting.
Discussions have been taking place all over the community in Franklin regarding the identity of the unknown soldier we are reburying this Saturday. ”He was Union!” ”He was Confederate!” And the arguments take off. There are solid cases for each side.
I suggest we all find the magnanimous spirit imbued in the very hearts of Charles Conrad Becker and James H.H. Brown – men who spilled their own blood during the Civil War – and as we welcome their sons to our community this weekend we do so with open arms from a community that continues to seek reconciliation and healing because when we rebury that unknown soldier on Saturday we first and foremost acknowledge him as an American soldier who died for a vision that he thought would make America better 150 later.
Are we a better America today?
Courtesy, The Williamson County Historical Society
How often does a community discover and re-bury a Civil War soldier nearly 150 years after his death? Not very often.
How often does the 21st century first son of a 19th Civil War veteran participate in this great honor? Perhaps never. . .until now.
Harold Becker is one of less than two dozen living first-generation sons of Union Civil War veterans (1861-1865).
How often does a community discover and re-bury a Civil War soldier nearly 150 years after his death? Not very often.
How often does the 21st century first son of a 19th Civil War veteran participate in this great honor? Perhaps never. . .until now.
Harold Becker is one of less than two dozen living first-generation sons of Union Civil War veterans (1861-1865).
Mr. Becker, a 93 year old resident of Michigan, was born in 1916 to Charles Conrad Becker (1846-1934) . Mr. Becker was born when his father had lived 70 years, but during his service had witnessed several lifetimes of agony and despair.
Charles Conrad Becker served with the 128th Indiana Infantry from 1864 until 1866. He fought with his regiment during the battles of Franklin and Nashville. He was fortunate enough to survive both and live through the end of the war.
His son, Harold Becker, will attend the re-burial of the unknown Civil War soldier that was unearthed by construction in May of 2009. Mr. Becker will act as an honorary pallbearer and will also take part in the graveside ceremony at Resthaven Cemetary, near downtown Franklin.
The memorial service and its attending activities will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Franklin on Saturday, October 10th.
The event organizers are also searching for a first son of a Confederate Civil War soldier, ideally a soldier who fought the battles of Franklin and Nashville. If you are aware of such a person, please email me at tellinghistory[at]yahoo.com.
Please check back regularly as there will be many more exciting details and information.
Harold Becker (b. 1916), son of Union soldier Charles Conrad Becker (1846-1934)
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