Erasmus Corwin Gilbreath As A Young Man, Courtesy Of Laura Cooper, January 2010

Second Lieutenant Erasmus C. Gilbreath to be First Lieutenant, February 23, 1866, vice Potter, promoted.

First Lieutenant Erasmus C. Gilbreath, of the Fifteenth Regiment United States Infantry, to date from February 23, 1866.

Handkerchief with blood from Abraham Lincoln’s assassination is a family heirloom passed on to my Mother at her birth in 1923 by her Grandfather, William Sydnor Gilbreath. He was given the hanky from his parents, Major and Mrs. Eramus Gilbreath. Major Erasmus Corwin Gilbreath was in the regular army during the civil war. His wife Susan Corse Gilbreath has her name on the hanky. Her Father, William Corse, was politically a republican and among his warm friends, he numbered Abraham Lincoln. (This was taken from copies from the genealogy and biography of the Leading Families of the City of Baltimore and Baltimore County, Md. Published by,-Chapman Publishing Co., New York and Chicago, 1897. copy dated July 6, 1899) There are numerous articles in the Gettysburg Library referring to Erasmus Gilbreath, a veteran of the Battle of Gettysburg and his personal history of his part in the war. Major Gilbreath is buried at Arlington Cemetery.

GILBREATH, E C
MAJ 11 US INF
VETERAN SERVICE DATES: Unknown
DATE OF DEATH: 08/22/1898
DATE OF INTERMENT: Unknown
BURIED AT:   SITE LOT 66
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

GILBREATH, ETTA MOORE D/O EC
DATE OF DEATH: 07/02/1946
DATE OF INTERMENT: 07/05/1946
BURIED AT: SECTION WEST  SITE 86-D
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
 DAUGHTER OF EC GILBREATH - MAJOR INF US ARMY

GILBREATH, SUSAN C WID OF GILBREATH, ERASMUS C
DATE OF DEATH: 02/04/1919
DATE OF INTERMENT: Unknown
BURIED AT: SECTION W-E  SITE LOT 86 D
 ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY 
 WIFE OF EC GILBREATH - MAJ 11 US INF

Photo By M. R. Patterson, October 2002

The St. Louis Globe Democrat of Monday last contained the following pathetic account of the death and funeral of Mrs. Mamie Gilbreath Edwards, formerly of Fort Whipple,  Arizona at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri: 

The funeral of Mrs. Mamie Gilbreath Edwards, wife of  Lieutenant Oliver Edwards and daughter of Major Erasmus C. Gilbreath of the Eleventh Infantry occurred at Jefferson  Barracks at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The interment was in the National Cemetery. The husband and father are both at Tampa with their regiment.

The regiment went into camp at Mobile and camp life was monotonous. The chief joys of each, were the letters that came, laden with love. But the letters stopped, for the regiment went to sea, sailing for a port unknown to those who sailed. Then there was grief at the post for Mrs. Edwards grew worse and her life was despaired.

Then she grew better and when the regiment touched at Tampa she suddenly grew worse and early Friday morning she died.

The death and burial of Mrs. Edwards had a peculiar sadness about it. It was one of those pathetic things of war. Two months ago, Mrs. Edwards, 20 years old and a bride of a year, came to the barracks with her husband's regiment. The regiment was ordered to Mobile with the invasion of Cuba in immediate prospect. The officers bade their wives good-bye leaving them in the officers quarters at the barracks. Mrs. Edwards, a soldier's daughter and a soldier's wife was brave.

The father and husband were reached by wire at Tampa. The husband answered.  He could not express his grief.  He said he was caring for his father who was recently injured by accident and was also prostrated by the news of his daughter's death. They could not come home. Their country needed them.

Yesterday a white casket banked with flowers stood in Major Gilbreath's quarters at Jefferson Barracks. There were only a few present - officers at the post, their wives and the wives of some of those at the front.  The officers were in uniform. Dr. Johnson of the first Congregational Church stood beside the coffin.  In a room above the mother and a brother wept.

The pall bearers - Captain J. Knight, Lieutenant E.M. Supp, Major Girard, Major Kress, Major Moore and a son of Captain Mack took the casket and carried it to the hearse. Carriages were waiting. Mrs. Gilbreath, her son William and some of her nearest friends joined the cortege.

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