The Missing Soldier Burial Site

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 Lately, I seem to be trying to solve mysteries related to the Dunston family.  I took a break to fill in some gaps regarding earlier family members. 

I realized that I didn't have a burial site for a Fielding Thomas Dunston.  Records indicate that he served in the  Civil War with the 14th Virginia Regiment, Company D.  He became ill during his service and shortly thereafter was subsequently taken prisoner of war at Gettysburg on July 3 were he died  in the Union's camp.   Unfortunately, I did not have any family records to provide insight into his life during or after the war. 

I do have his date of death:  8 August 1864.  

To investigate further, I researched his regiment using the following sources: 

 Civil War in the East- Confederate

US National Parks Service Battle Unit

Virginia 14th Regiment

Wikipedia- Fort Delaware


As I examined these sources, I began to notice a pattern:  he was likely taken to Ft. Henry, Maryland on August 4, before being transported to Fort Delaware on July 6. 


Many soldiers at the time were reported to have died from various illnesses including diarrhea, pneumonia, scurvy, typhoid, and dysentery. Some also contracted smallpox around the time of his death.  Prisoners were held in casements, powder magazines, and small rooms,  experiencing overcrowding, a poor diet, and a lack of clean water. 


I discovered his name on a gravestone alongside many others in Point Lookout Cemetery in Scotland, Maryland. This appears to be a mass grave site (source:  Findagrave.com)


With this information, I was finally able to add his burial details to my records with confidence. 


https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27465639/fielding-thomas-dunston


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