Thomas, John E. - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

.. near Center School House -- Mrs. Ebrite says, "he had heard the boys talking about going to war," and it was only a few days until he enlisted, Jan 4, 1864. His company, Co. C, 120th Indiana Volunteer Infantry was stationed at LaFayette for a few weeks, during which time he was sick with the mumps and was home, then returned to his company and in a few days they were rendered south and save for one more visit home before leaving Lafayette, that was the last she saw of him.

He died August 4, 1864 in the hospital in Knoxville, Tenn and lies in a soldier's grave in the National Cemetery at Knoxville. He had been ill from disease for several weeks and had been granted a furlough and was expected home but never got able to come. The first word that came to Mrs. Ebrite of his death was the official letter from the war master of the hospital, and it was not until 10 days after his death that she received the terrible message.

Her baby then one and a half years old (now Mrs. W.S. Alexander) was an orphan and she a widow, thrust into the darkest doom by the sad, terrible ravages of war. Mrs. Ebrite has lived through three American wars, War with Mexico; the Civil War and the Phillipine War. She remembers very well the days of the Mexican War.

When her husband enlisted for the war she came to New Richmond to live with her parents Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Campbell. The next March 1865 she bought the property where she now lives and has for those 47 years continued her home. She was married to Amos Ebrite in 1868. Speaking reminscently of those dark days of '64 she says: "That was an awful time and times were awfully hard. My husband enlisted for 3 years service, though it was thought the war would soon be over, only a few weeks or a few months at most, and he expected soon to be home again." Such is the unwritten history of our nation!