Graveside Honors: John N. Smith Cemetery, Southport, NC

Source: findagrave
Peggy Harris and Maxine McCullar recently visited John N. Smith Cemetery in Southport to pay respects to Pfc William James Gordon.

William Gordon was honored by Peggy Harris in March.

See Honor a Brunswick County WWI Veteran: Donors for the full list.

Peggy and Maxine spent the morning searching the cemetery for William Gordon’s grave. Pfc Gordon’s headstone is on the ground, which makes it difficult to find. They called Judy Gordon, the co-leader of the effort to restore and preserve the 135 year old cemetery. She directed them to the location of his headstone.

Judy then showed them the headstones of WWI veterans Sheppard Campbell and James Clemmons. Both were also previously honored with a donation. Sheppard Campbell was honored by Carol Jutte; James Clemmons was honored by Patricia Steele.

Judy Gordon provided a list of additional names of WWI veterans buried in the cemetery.

• Oliver Evans: honored by Patricia Steele
• Ulmot Ford: honored by Patricia Steele
• Alexander Frink
• George A. Galloway
• John Westley Galloway
• Edward Eugene McCoy
  • Enlisted in the US Navy on April 4, 1907 and served until October 9, 1926.
• Harry Charlie Price
• Fred E. Smith, Jr
• Shelly Williams

Several of these were already identified as buried at Smith Cemetery on the Honor a Brunswick County WWI Veteran: Cemeteries webpage. Those not already listed can now be added. Identifying the cemeteries where the WWI veterans were laid to rest is very important in order to honor them, so we thank Judy, Peggy, and Maxine!

Most were on the Brunswick County WWI Veterans webpage. But three were not.

Harry/Henry Charlie Price

Henry was living in Georgia when he was drafted into the Army. Georgia is a state which has WWI Service Cards available online, and so had previously been searched for Brunswick County WWI veterans. However, his birth location is set as “Charlotte, NC” which as mentioned in several WWI Profiles posted, was a common mistake at the time for “Shallotte.” He can now be added to the Brunswick County WWI veteran list.

Fred Elmer Smith

The Department of Veterans Affairs Death File shows he served from Oct 1, 1918 through Dec 12, 1918. He did not show up in either the NC WWI Service Cards nor the Brunswick County Lists of Men Ordered to Report For Duty.

Correction: The Death File is not the Fred Elmer Smith from Southport. Fred Elmer Smith, Jr served in WWII. His father, Fred Elmer Smith, Sr, has no record of serving in WWI.

George A. Galloway

There are no records of NC WWI Service Cards nor Report to Duty lists. If anyone has information, please contact Friends of Fort Caswell Rifle Range.

Thanks to Peggy, Maxine, and Judy, we have more accurate records of Brunswick County WWI veterans. Any additions or information regarding Brunswick County WWI veterans is always welcome.

The Friends of Fort Caswell Rifle Range are encouraging donors and supporters to honor Brunswick County WWI veterans by submitting photos of themselves at the gravesides. Use the Cemeteries list to locate gravesites for Brunswick County WWI veterans.