Article published May 25, 2009
Opposing flags go on brothers' grave markers
Civil War situation unusual for Fremont-area cemetery
Mike Gilbert, who teaches history at Fremont Ross High School, spotted the graves of the Ernst brothers, one marked with a U.S. flag and the other with a Confederate flag, in Oakwood Cemetery in Fremont. Such scenarios are far more common in border states.
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THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH
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By JENNIFER FEEHAN
BLADE STAFF WRITER
FREMONT - Crisp, new American flags dot the lawn at Oakwood Cemetery, marking the graves of U.S. veterans.
But along a winding drive in the middle of the public cemetery, a Confederate flag is perched over the grave of Civil War veteran John G. Ernst. Nearby, the Stars and Stripes are posted at the grave of his older brother, George W. Ernst.
The unusual side-by-side graves caught the eye of Mike Gilbert, a history teacher at Fremont Ross High School, several years ago.
"I was walking here on Memorial Day and saw the two flags and thought this is kind of cool," Mr. Gilbert said. "I just wonder how common an occurrence this is."
In northwest Ohio, it's probably not common at all, said Mark Young, president of the American Civil War Museum of Ohio Inc.
"For this area, it's pretty unique," Mr. Young said, explaining that in the border states it was far more common for family members to wind up on opposite sides in the War between the States."It happened a lot more frequently than you would think," he said. "You're not talking about dozens of times. You're talking more about hundreds of times that it happened, especially in the border states - Kansas, Missouri, even the southern part of Ohio. … These border states were just torn. It was a terrible situation."
By all accounts, it likely was not a strong allegiance to the Confederate cause that prompted John Ernst to fight for the South.
Nan Card, curator of manuscripts at the Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont, said that from information she has found on the brothers, their predicament was one of geography, not philosophy.
The Ernst brothers and their parents had moved from Fremont to Indiana in the 1850s to open a dry goods store. The family later relocated to Mobile, Ala., with son John, while their older son, George, remained in Indiana.
In 1862, George enlisted as a private in the 26th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. His brother, John, eventually joined the 21st Alabama Infantry Regiment.
"These were unique circumstances," Ms. Card said. "It was more a matter of where they happened to be living rather than some ideological difference in their family."
Mr. Gilbert said the situation points to the fact that at times, soldiers fought as a matter of circumstances rather than out of a devotion to a cause.
Scott Martin, professor of history and chairman of the history department at Bowling Green State
University, said that while many tend to think of the Civil War as a fight over slavery, there were other factors for both sides and for the individuals who fought.
"There's been a lot of work to show Union soldiers were more ideologically motivated behind the cause of the Union rather than the cause of abolition. They really did feel a duty to defend the United States and its political system and free elections," he said.
"I think equally there was that kind of motivation among the Confederate forces as well. As in any war, a lot of soldiers get swept up in it for a variety of reasons. Some were paid to go."
Mr. Martin said the idea of the Civil War pitting "brother against brother" was, in most cases, metaphorical rather than literal.
"Armies were recruited from localities. Each state and county and town had a quota of troops it had to contribute so in most cases brothers were most likely fighting side by side," he said.
Whether the Ernst brothers ever met on the battlefield is unknown, although records indicate their infantry units fought in at least two of the same battles.
Frederick Dyer's A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion indicates the 26th Indiana fought in the campaign against Mobile from March 17 to April 12, 1865, and in the siege of Spanish Fort from March 26 to April 9 that year.
Stewart Sifakis' Compendium of the Confederate Armies shows the Alabama 21st Infantry Regiment also fought in the battle at Mobile from March 17 to April 12 and at Spanish Fort from April 2-8.
Mr. Gilbert, who came upon the Ernst brothers' story while walking his dog at Oakwood Cemetery, said he enjoys sharing local history tales with his classes at Fremont Ross, though admittedly little is known about the brothers.
"You don't know what was going on in [John's] mind," he said. "I'd like to know more about both of them."
The small flat gravestones are inscribed simply: "George W. Ernst, 1839-1924, Co. A 26th Ind. Vol. Inf." and "John G. Ernst 1843-1923."
"You can tell a lot by the fact that they don't put the infantry number for John but they do for George," Mr. Gilbert said. "You can tell who won the war."
Stories of their deaths published in the local newspaper indicate that after the war, both men returned to Fremont and ran their own businesses.
Both married and had children, though no descendants are known to remain in Fremont.
A newspaper story about the brothers published in 1953 said: "At the services of the Confederate veteran, eleven Union veterans were present, including the brother George. Out of courtesy to his war record and longtime residence in Fremont, Rawson Post placed the Stars and Stripes upon his casket. It was an impressive peace-time gesture."
Contact Jennifer Feehan
at jfeehan@theblade.com
or 419-724-6129.
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