Finding Obituaries in Nontraditional Sources.

This obituary provide a clear example as to why we need to “think outside the box” when researching our ancestors. Traditionally, we would look for obituaries in the local newspapers. But, this obituary was not found in a newspaper; the source of this obituary was from a magazine about veterans of the Confederate States Army.

The Confederate Veteran Wiki states that this magazine was "one of the New South's most influential monthlies." ¹ There are many specialized groups, societies and organizations in our lives and in the lives of our ancestors. Don’t overlook the publications of these groups during your research process.

Thomas Parke Craig ²

In the passing of Thomas Parke Craig, one of the best beloved and most highly respected citizens of Chesterfield County, S. C., has been lost. “Uncle Tommy” as he was affectionately called was eighty-seven years of age, and had been in failing health for some time. He was teaching school in Kershaw County when war was declared in 1861, and he joined a company which had been organized by J. C. Coit, of Cheraw, and this company left for Charleston the day after Fort Sumter was attacked. There the company became a part of the 8^th South Carolina, under Colonel Cash, and Dr. Tom Lucas was their major. The regiment was afterwards attached to Kershaw’s Brigade, Longstreet’s Division. It was sent to Virginia during the summer of 1861 and took part in the battle of Manassas, the first big battle of the war; the command was also in nearly all the big battles near Richmond. Thomas Craig was wounded in the head by a piece of shrapnel on the second day at Gettysburg. He was captured during a raid by a part of Sherman’s army on a hospital train, and remained a prisoner to the end of the war. He could give an interesting account of his experiences as soldier and prisoner. He was married to Mrs. Sallie Strayhorn, of Arkansas, who died some years ago. Two brothers survive him.
[Mrs. G. K. Laney, President, U.D.C., Chesterfield]
Thomas Parke Craig was born 14 August 1839, a son of William Evans Craig and Margaret Parke Craig. He died  11 February 1927 and is buried in the Chesterfield Cemetery, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
 
 
 
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[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederate_Veteran
[2] The Confederate Veteran, (Nashville, Tennessee), Vol. 35, (1927) page 389, column 1. https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE104111