PFC Glenn Shely Shoenmann, Co.M, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, U.S. Army

A story in the Tennessean last week informed that DNA match had been made to a soldier left in Korea in 1950.   He was drafted in 1950 and was inserted into Korea at Inchon on September 15, 1950.  He progressed with his unit and was making a defensive stand at Pungnyuri Inlet east of the Chosin Reservoir.   The result of this encounter was that he was captured by the Chinese on November 28, 1950.   He died as a prisoner of war on December 29, 1950.  He was 20 years old.   He died of starvation.  He was returned to his family, three brothers and one sister at the Nashville Airport on Thursday, January 10, 2013 after 62 years absence from home.  Sixty years is a dam long wait for his family.

I told Ellen that I was going to the funeral scheduled for Saturday, January 11 with full military honors.   Normally when the remains of a soldier arrive in the USA a Prayer Shawl is blessed and presented to the wife or mother by a Chaplin at the location where relatives witness their arrival.  Ellen started the Prayer Shawl Ministry at church a few years ago and she suggested that I take Prayer Shawls to the sister and three brothers.  Inquiries verified that they had not previously received any Prayer Shawls.

So rather than go to the funeral I chose to go to the visitation to present the Prayer Shawls.   Ellen asked if she could go with me.

We arrived early to plan the presentation.   While waiting for the funeral home owner, a young lady, a relative, approached and introduced herself and after a short visit she took me by the arm and walked me into the room where the flag draped containment was, leaving Ellen to fend for herself, and introduced me personally to each of the sister and brothers.

Ellen had a long visit with the young lady and I visited with each of the brothers quite awhile.

We finally got around to the presentation about three quarters of the way through the visitation.   I made a little speech about how the Prayers Shawls were handled at Dover Air Force Base and Ellen made the presentation.   They loved them.

I got my third hug from the young lady and we drove home,  150 miles over mountain roads from Palmer, Tennessee in the dark.

My First Home

In the year 1849, before he went to California, Henry Leighty, my great grand father, purchased from the government agent at Quincy IL 160 acres of land for $500 which was situated and described  as the SE quarter of Section 15 of Township 4 N.  in Range 1 West of the fourth principal meridian in what is now known as Eldorado Township in McDonough County, Illinois.

The first deed to this land was given to a soldier, named Thomas Rowsey as payment for his service in the War of 1812 and was given to said Thomas Rowsey in 1818 and was written on a small sheet of sheepskin and therefore called a sheep-skin deed. It was signed by James Monroe,Pres of the U,S. He sold 80 acres and later bought it back. He broke up this raw prairie land with ox teams and a wooden plowshare.

He lived in a cabin he built until1857 when he moved into a house which on the property he bought back and which was about  one half mile West of the cabin.This what he they called the old house. I don't know what  year the new house was built.

He married again after his trip out west and one his children was my Grandmother. I lived there from 1931, when I was born until the spring of 1937 when lost the farm during the depression.

Henry Leighty Part 4

I decided to come back to Illinois as I had seen about all I cared to, so I left Mud Springs on March 10, 1852, went by boat from Sacramento to San Francisco, I left San Francisco March 12,1852, landed at Panama April 1st. I crossed the isthmus by walking fourteen miles, rode on a bungo down the Chagres river and took my first ride on a railroad train. We slept in hammocks at the Halfway House. Had to wait six days at Aspinwal for a boat. Left Navy Bay April 17th. We were in Kingston, Jamaica for two days while the was being coaled. The negroes did this by carrying it across the gang planks in baskets on their heads. They always sang and danced as they came back for another load. We landed in New Orleans on the 15th. We lay there till the night of the 17th, ten o'clock when we left for St. Louis. Arrived in St. Louis April 24th, and at Browning April 29th. James Crail was with me and we rode to Vermont, IL with a teamster who told some to the men, but did not tell me that they had buried my wife  just a few days before. I also learned my infant daughter had also died during my absence. I had only a son left.

Henry Leighty Part 3

We traveled through the black hills, going through Sweetwater. passed Soda Springs, and traveled along Bear River. We carved our names on a rock at Sweetwater in Wyoming. We went North of Salt Lake City to the Humboldt River. Here we crossed the dry sandy desert. We bound the feet of our cattle with burlap for these trips. We had barrels of water in each corner of our wagon, and we cut grass as all the emigrants did, and put it in our wagon. We stopped pretty often and dipped a bunch of grass in the water and gave it to the oxen. That way we gave them feed and water at the same time. We saw many wagons and oxen deserted. We also saw men with packs on their oxen and their own backs trying to get across the desert.

Traveling through the mountains was slow and often we traveled through snow. One night our cattle stampeded and we had trouble getting them rounded up. One of our men, who was afraid of Indians was sure it was an Indian raid, but we never knew what scared them.

We would see notices on boards or posts written by people ahead to their friends who were following them.

Finally, after five months of travel mostly on foot. we were near Sacramento valley. We had no provisions except a kettle of rice, left for our last meal, and while it was cooking some fellow kicked it over and spilled it all out on the ground.

We landed in Ringold August 27, 1850.

I tried mining at Diamond Springs for awhile, but I didn' like standing in water and I got chills and fever. I started teaming, taking supplies from Sacramento to the miners up in the mountains. One time I went up North to see my cousin and the man I left my outfit was a scalawag who made off with all my stuff and skipped out.

ONE MORE POST IS ALL HE WROTE.

Henry Leighty Part 2

We stuck the South Platte River near Fort Kearney, had the worst wind and rain storm I think I ever experienced. From there we stuck out for Fort Laramie, crossed the South Platte on the way its a "pill" when we look at to think of crossing. But it was like many other places, either turn back or go ahead, and we preferred to go ahead.We were fortunate as there were some emigrant teams crossing when we got there, so we followed close behind. One great trouble, if you stopped a moment the cattle, wagon and all would sink down.  The sand would wash out from under, so you had to keep going. Most of the emigrants doubled up, put on eight yoke then go back. That was to much for us, one trip we thought was enough. We stripped all but our shirt and some waded along side of the cattle and kept them moving. The water was about waist most of the time.  It was said the river was a mile wide and it looked it. The wagon ahead of us had on eight yoke, and pulling it out on on the opposite side their cattle swung and upset the wagon in the water. There were two women and some children in it and you better believe there was some screaming and crying for they were in the water.  S om of the camping outfit had fallen on them. One woman's face was badly bruised. So, as near nude as we were, the only thing to do was to pitch in and tear the cover off and help them out.

The North Platte was the next bugaboo. It was the worst of all streams. There was a ferry to take wagons and emigrants over only. The cattle and the horses had to swim. and I presume it is about as hazardous a stream t o swim as there is in America.  It runs so swift and is so cold that the best swimmers failed and were drowned in the attempt. We were fairly fortunate in getting the cattle over.

MORE LATER

Henry Leighty Search for Gold

Henry Leighty was my great grand father on my fathers side. I quote  from a letter he wrote when He was 90 years old.

In the spring of 1850 I was stricken with the California fever as I wanted to see some of the world while I was in the prime of life, and if  I failed to get much gold would get experience enough and see enough of the world to pay me for the trip and hardships I would have to undergo, which is no small matter. But I will say here that I am more than satisfied as it was a great lesson to me to see that western country in its wild state. So man by the name of Craigo, a married man; Jake Mickey, a single man; and George Barnhart, single; and myself fitted up a prairie schooner and four yoke of oxen and on the last day of March 1850, struck out for the then wild and woolly west. We made arrangements to meet another wagon with three men at Hannibal, Mo. Had the worst weather I think I ever experienced while crossing Missouri. Such cold rain it looked like our cattle would perish as the had no shelter at night. Struck the Missouri river at Weston. Fort Leavenworth is right across the the river from Weston. We were a little ahead of the grass, and lay there ten days waiting for it as we had no money to buy feed to carry with us. Our cattle managed to live on very little feed, and ranged through the hills. Once we had got quite a scare as our cattle got so far away we had quite a hunt for them. While on the hunt we ran across a fortune teller and we all got our fortunes told. Some of the boy's fortunes were so bad they almost turned  back. Mine didn't look very good. She told me that I would not have much luck in California, but after leaving there would eventually accumulate quite a fortune. I did not feel like turning back as I had started with the determination to see California or die on the way. So according to my best recollection, we crossed the river in May and pulled out for the plains. At that time there had not been a furrow plowed in Kansas, Nebraska or any of those western states. There were Indians, buffalo, elk, prairie dogs, rattle snakes & coyotes. The only trouble we had with the Indians was their eternal begging. The squaws wanted sugar and coffee. The bucks wanted whiskey and tobacco. But we declined as they would soon have starved us out. But I will have to give them credit for their good behavior in not molesting us in any way. They were so numerous they could have taken full possession of everything we had. But we could hear of emigrants having trouble, but the thing is it was mostly the emigrant's fault.

MORE LATER    Now we ready to cross the Platte River.